Design Researcher, The Natural Infrastructure Lab - The School of Architecture

The School of Architecture at the University of Virginia is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Design Researcher at the Natural Infrastructure Lab (NIL). NIL sits at the intersection of art, science, and engineering, conducting design research using landscape architectural methods to advance the design, planning, and management of innovative, culturally significant infrastructure. This position will work closely with Lab Manager Ruby Zielinski and Associate Professor Brian Davis, PLA, FAAR, to research new forms of natural infrastructure for coastal bays and estuaries along the East Coast of the United States.

The Design Researcher will work across the full portfolio of NIL's projects, with an emphasis on Tidelands, which aims to study existing natural forms and human practices of coastal protection and develop new forms of design that increase human and ecosystem health over time. Tidelands is a collaborative effort between the University of Auburn and the University of Pennsylvania, funded by the US Army Corps of Engineers Engineering With Nature program.

This position will explore possibilities through fieldwork, large-scale physical and digital modeling, reviewing existing literature and projects, and mapping, drawing, and writing typically required in large-scale landscape architecture projects. Not all skills are required at the start, but applicants must be motivated, curious, organized, and work well with others. The job will involve travel for fieldwork and collaborative workshops, as well as physical work in the lab and desktop analysis.

The Natural Infrastructure Lab is co-directed by Brian Davis and Michael Luegering in the Department of Landscape Architecture at UVA. The Department has a long tradition of design excellence with an emphasis on theory and cultural landscapes, work on post-industrial lands, and with vulnerable communities. This ethos is evident in the Lab's work on natural infrastructure for coastlines. The Design Researcher would join a thriving research community at the Department, including PhD candidates and faculty working across a wide range of topics.

Key Functions include:

• Prepare drawings and maps, analyzing and synthesizing insights into existing coastal landscapes.
• Review scientific literature and published projects from engineering and landscape design.
• Participate in field-based research to describe landscape form and processes.
• Participate in design workshops with stakeholders and multi-university project teams.
• Advance infrastructure design concepts.
• Help build, run, and maintain large, physical models.
• Learn and apply numerical coastal models, especially wave and hydrodynamic models.
• Produce renderings of natural infrastructure concepts in specific locations.
• Assist in preparing articles for peer review and reports for agencies and other constituents.
• Drone surveying (training and licensure will be supported).

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree
• At least 3 years of relevant experience. Master's degree will be considered in place of experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Degree in landscape architecture or related discipline.
• Experience with design, grounded in the integration of aesthetic, cultural, and ecological dimensions of landscape
• Demonstrated ability to learn basic physical and numerical modeling methods and be comfortable with quantitative analysis of landscape form and process
• Strong organizational skills and ability to effectively communicate with others
• Familiarity with software used in landscape architectural representation, including Adobe CS, Rhino 3D, and ArcGIS.
• Experience with nature-based infrastructure design and/or design for dynamic landscapes shaped by the interaction of water, sediment, and vegetation
• Savvy with digital modeling software and GIS mapping software
• Experience in writing project proposals and/or grant applications
• Experience with research-by-design methods
• Excellent written communication skills
• Some prior project management experience, or experience working as an integral member of large project teams

Physical Demands

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs.

Salary Range

• The anticipated hiring range is $60,000 - $70,000 commensurate with education and experience.

Position Type & Work Location

• This is an exempt-level, benefited position. Learn more about UVA benefits.
• This is a restricted position, which is dependent on funding and is contingent upon funding availability.
• This position has a term limit of one year, after which continued employment will depend on department need and funding.
• This position is based in Charlottesville, VA, and must be performed fully on-site.

About UVA and the Community

To learn more about UVA and in the Charlottesville area, visit UVA Life and Embark CVA.

Application Timeline

Application review will begin August 12, 2026.

Additional Requirements

• Background checks will be conducted on all new hires prior to employment.

• This position will not consider candidates who require immigration sponsorship now or in the future.

How to Apply

Please apply online, by searching for requisition number

R0085679. Internal applicants may search and apply for jobs on the UVA Internal Careers website. Complete an application with the following documents:

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• A portfolio demonstrating an ability to imagine and depict coastal design and natural features in complex conditions, as well as small-scale technical details (no more than 10 pages)

Upload all materials into the resume submission field. You can submit multiple documents into this one field or combine them into one PDF. Applications without all required documents will not receive full consideration.

Reference Check Process

Reference checks will be completed by UVA's third-party partner, SkillSurvey, during the final phase of the interview. Five references will be requested, with at least three responses required.

Contact

• For questions about the position, please contact Ruby Zielinski: ruby.zielinski@virginia.edu
• For questions about the application process, please contact Melanie Sponaugle, unw5dq@virginia.edu

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Learn more about UVA's commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment.