Senior Researcher, Suicide Prevention and Safety Outcomes

About the role

AIR seeks a Senior Researcher for the Human and Community Development program to advance evidence and practice related to suicide prevention in the military, law enforcement, and community with an understanding on broad safety and justice systems. This position will focus on prevention science with emphasis on preventing violence and other forms of harmful behaviors.

Responsibilities

• Manage large, complex research projects or a portfolio of smaller studies, ensuring alignment with client expectations and organizational priorities.
• Oversee project planning, design, and implementation, including development of methods, procedures, timelines, and reporting structures.
• Anticipate project risks and develop mitigation strategies to ensure timely, high-quality deliverables.
• Ensure compliance with ethical standards, IRB requirements, and data governance policies.
• Serve as a methodological authority, advising teams on advanced quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods approaches.
• Develop conceptual frameworks and innovative research methodologies that advance understanding of prevention and evaluation topics.
• Lead the review, analysis, synthesis, and visualization of data using appropriate practices and techniques.
• Ensure data integrity, reproducibility, and strong documentation across all analytic workflows.
• Contribute to organizational strategy by identifying emerging research needs, funding trends, and opportunities for innovation in public health and prevention science.
• Represent the organization in national working groups, advisory panels, and technical expert meetings.
• Lead internal capacity-building efforts through trainings, workshops, and knowledge-sharing initiatives.
• Communicate effectively—both orally and in writing—with clients, partners, funders, and other key stakeholders.
• Translate complex research findings into actionable insights tailored to policymakers, practitioners, and community partners.
• Manage client and stakeholder relationships with professionalism and awareness of the broader policy and practice landscape.
• Curate external relationships by engaging thought leaders, innovators, and implementation partners across the public health arena.
• Serve as a subject-matter expert and disseminate findings through peer-reviewed publications, technical reports, policy briefs, and presentations at conferences and seminars.
• Strengthen the organization’s visibility and influence within the public health and prevention research communities.
• Lead and contribute to research proposals for federal, state, foundation, and other client opportunities.
• Develop competitive proposal strategies, including conceptual design, methodological plans, staffing, and budgets.
• Identify new business opportunities and cultivate partnerships that advance the organization’s mission.
• Manage and mentor staff to build prevention expertise, strengthen technical capacity, and support professional growth.
• Provide thought partnership and coaching to mid-level researchers on research design, analysis, and dissemination.
• Model inclusive leadership practices and foster a collaborative team environment.

Qualifications

• PhD in related subject area (e.g., Sociology, Psychology, Anthropology, Public Policy, or related field) with 3+ years of relevant experience or Master’s degree with 7+ years of relevant experience.
• Firm understanding of implementation science.
• Ability to take big ideas and develop work plans and timelines.
• Experience at contract research and/or evaluation organization(s).
• Experience with data collection methodologies (including but not limited to structured interviews, observations, survey research) and analysis activities (including but not limited to experience with quantitative and/or qualitative analytic software packages such as STATA, R, Excel, NVivo, and Access).
• Experience managing project and/or task teams on research and evaluation projects.
• Experience building and maintaining client and partner relationships.
• Experience with business pursuit (e.g., grant and proposal writing).

Skills

• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills including strong communication skills with the ability to produce concise, high-level summaries and briefings.
• Strong negotiator and communicator, with excellent client management skills.
• Strong presentation, professional development delivery, and facilitation skills.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy when writing.