Job Description
The Urban Systems Lab (USL) at NYU is seeking a Senior Laboratory Associate to provide research and administrative support for interdisciplinary projects focused on urban resilience, climate adaptation, and sustainable cities. The Senior Laboratory Associate will contribute to the Lab’s core initiatives by supporting research coordination, operations, and communications and fostering collaboration among faculty, staff, and students.
This position is designed for candidates with research experience and a long-term career path in research support. The Senior Laboratory Associate will work closely with Professor Timon McPhearson and Lab researchers.
Responsibilities
Research Support
Research Coordination & Management
·        Assist in the planning and coordination of multi-institutional and interdisciplinary research projects.
·        Manage project timelines, meetings, milestones, and deliverables in collaboration with research leads.
·        Provide support for the evaluation of research projects, and identifying key metrics that align with research program objectives and deliverables.
Research Implementation & Documentation
·        Contribute to the design, execution, and documentation of diverse research activities.
·        Prepare research summaries and assist with editing technical reports, manuscripts, and other science communication materials.
Research Infrastructure & Collaboration Tools
·        Oversee and maintain research support systems, including data repositories, software tools, and collaborative workspaces.
·        Maintain shared research tracking tools, publications, and documentation systems (e.g., project folders, spreadsheets).
Administrative Duties
Operational Support
·        Support onboarding and training of researchers, students, and early-career staff.
·        Support administrative aspects of research activities such as assisting with scheduling, preparing agenda materials, background briefs, and presentations.
·        Meet weekly with the Director to align on priorities, timelines, and administrative needs, manage calendars, handle Lab meeting scheduling, and related logistics.
Budget Tracking and Research Award Support
·        Assist with pre-award proposal content development, monitoring application requirements, and help research leads on supporting document preparation
·        Support post-award sponsored research and grant-funded activities, including cross-project budget tracking, reporting, and compliance coordination.
·        Support identifying prospective funding opportunities
Communication and External Engagement
·       Draft and distribute newsletters, press releases, and social media content aligned with the Lab’s voice and mission.
·        Update and maintain the Lab’s website and online presence.
·        Help prepare presentations and graphics for research team meetings, external stakeholders, and academic conferences.
·        Support outreach efforts with community and governmental partners when applicable.
Additional Expectations
·        A sincere interest in the topics that the Lab addresses—urban resilience, climate adaptation, nature-based solutions, climate modeling and science
·        Availability to be on campus for organizing and attending occasional in-person events as needed
·        Ability to interpret and adhere to University and school policies, and serve as an information expert for relevant faculty, staff, and other internal and external stakeholders
·        Commitment to confidentiality with all sensitive communications and information to uphold integrity in interactions with all stakeholders, including faculty, staff, donors, and vendors
·        Ability to interact with the general public as NYU liaison, and with University personnel—including those at the senior level—to resolve issues or uncertainties.
In compliance with NYC’s Pay Transparency Act, the annual base salary for this position is $65,000. New York University considers factors such as (but not limited to) the specific grant funding and the terms of the research grant when extending an offer.
Qualifications
Required
- Advanced degree (MS or equivalent) in a relevant field such as environmental science, urban planning, geography, data science.
- Three or more years of experience supporting research activities in a laboratory, academic, or applied research setting.
- Demonstrated competence in research support, including familiarity with academic research methods, tools, and standards.
- Experience managing scientific data, with strong organizational and documentation skills.
- Familiarity with research coordination, team collaboration, and inter-institutional project management.
- Proficiency in Google Workspace, Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), and Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Canva, Miro, Slack, Notion and other collaboration tools
- Experience in event planning, outreach, and stakeholder engagement
Preferred
- Experience working within academic or research institutions, especially in sustainability, climate science, or urban planning
- Familiarity with NYU administrative systems, including iBuy, Concur, and UDW+
- Experience developing and managing communication strategies for research initiatives
- Experience with design tools for science communication, media production, and interactive graphics
Application Instructions
Please upload resume/CV
