Employment Opportunities

Coastal Geologist

Research Planning, Inc. (RPI) has an opening in our Columbia, SC office for a coastal geologist. Qualifications include M.S. or a Ph.D. with a couple of years of experience in coastal sediments, processes, and restoration. You must have strong field skills as well as knowledge of GIS applications. Your responsibilities include project management, technical leadership, problem solving, design and implementation of field studies, production of technical reports and proposals, and contribution to our continued growth and excellence.

RPI is acknowledged as a specialized group of scientists who excel at multi-disciplinary studies dealing with coastal and marine resources. The initial projects you will work on include design and monitoring of a large international coastal restoration project that will be restoring beaches, tidal flats, and salt marshes over a three-year period; shoreline classification as part of the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps we produce for all coastal states and many international areas; and environmental impact assessments for coastal development projects. This position will require international travel, thus we offer attractive compensation for the international work components.

Please visit our Web site at www.researchplanning.com to find out more about RPI, our staff, our recent projects, and clients. You will see that we are a great team of scientists and GIS specialists who work on a wide range of projects associated with environmental protection and management.

We have been in business since 1977. We work throughout the U.S. and internationally, and our major clients are the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Park Service, Minerals Management Service, and States of South Carolina, California, Florida, and Texas, in addition to our international clients.

If you think that you want to join us, please send a resume and recent publications to:

Dr. Jacqueline Michel
Research Planning, Inc.
1121 Park Street, Columbia, SC 29201
email: info@researchplanning.com.

Marine Ecologist

Research Planning has a position open for a biologist/ecologist for the Columbia, SC office. The candidate should have an M.S. degree in biology or related field and have strong field experience. This position will involve coastal resource mapping, oil and chemical spill response, and assistance with various natural resource projects (literature syntheses, natural resource damage assessments, etc.). Excellent scientific writing and communication skills are essential, as well as experience in using Geographic Information Systems. Candidate must be willing to travel nationally and internationally. Typical travel is up to two weeks several times a year, and may be at short notice. Destinations vary widely and include some exciting, rare opportunities.Please visit our website to learn more about the types of projects and clients: www.researchplanning.com.

Knowledge in the following areas would be beneficial, but not absolutely necessary: salt marsh ecology, life histories of coastal and marine fauna, and habitat functions and services. Many potential projects, particularly coastal resource mapping, require the candidate to have strong skills in compilation and organization of large numbers of digital data sets, meeting facilitation, an understanding of coastal ecology (e.g., recognition of common marine and estuarine birds, fish, inverts, reptiles, mammals, benthic marine and intertidal habitats), and the ability to feel comfortable corresponding with a wide range of state, federal, and academic partners at various levels.

Candidates should be able to work independently and make decisions. Oil and chemical spill response involves travel, long hours, a desire to work in the field under a variety of conditions (including riding in trucks, boats, helicopters, airplanes, etc.) and the ability to use basic field and office equipment (e.g., GPS, camera, laptop computers, basic software, etc.). The candidate should have an interest in learning new skills on-the-job in a fast-paced, emergency response environment. The candidate should have a strong desire to market existing and new clients, write proposals, present at scientific meetings, and publish papers.

Please send your resume and representative publications to:

Dr. Jacqueline Michel
Research Planning, Inc.
1121 Park Street, Columbia, SC 29201
email: info@researchplanning.com.