Senior Research Analyst - Research, Innovation & Data Analytics

Job Description

This Opportunity

The Senior Research Analyst supports applied research and innovation-related efforts within the Transportation and Infrastructure sectors by delivering analytical and programmatic support across a wide range of initiatives. This position integrates applied research with data analytics, survey design and analysis, and stakeholder collaboration to support federal and state transportation agencies. The ideal candidate brings strong research and analytical capabilities and has experience working collaboratively with diverse stakeholders across agencies and disciplines.

This role can be based in any of the following locations: New York, Washington DC, Denver, Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, and Austin.

Your Impact

Key Responsibilities

• Lead or support applied research, innovation initiatives, and policy/regulatory analysis in transportation and infrastructure sectors.
• Collaborate with internal teams and external partners, including federal agencies, state agencies, and industry stakeholders.
• Coordinate and deliver stakeholder engagement activities, including working groups, peer exchanges, workshops, and webinars.
• Design and manage surveys and other data collection efforts.
• Analyze qualitative and quantitative data using appropriate analytical and statistical methods.
• Integrate stakeholder input into research design, analysis, and reporting.
• Synthesize research findings, literature, and stakeholder input into clear conclusions.
• Develop research products such as reports, technical briefs, case studies, and synthesis documents.
• Create presentations, data visualizations, dashboards, briefs, and other products to communicate findings to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Support dissemination of research findings through publications, events, and other knowledge-sharing activities.

Who You Are

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree in transportation, public policy, engineering, planning, economics, data science, or a related field.
• At least 5 to 7 years of relevant professional experience in applied research, data analysis, or innovation or program support roles.
• Demonstrated experience developing and writing technical products, such as research reports, technical briefs, case studies, or synthesis documents.
• Proficiency with data analysis and visualization tools (e.g., Excel, R, Python, Tableau, or similar).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Travel up to 15% of the time.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with federal, national, or state transportation organizations (e.g., FHWA, AASHTO, state DOTs, MPOs).
• Familiarity with federal transportation research, applied research, or innovation programs.
• Experience supporting stakeholder engagement activities , eg, peer exchanges, webinars, workshops, websites, and other practitioner-oriented guidance.
• Experience engaging with multiple stakeholders, including public-sector agencies and practitioner audiences.

WSP Benefits:

WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on a providing health and financial stability throughout the employee's career. These benefits include coverage related to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life; retirement savings; paid sick leave; paid vacation (or other personal time); paid parental leave; and paid time off for purposes of bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings.

Compensation:

Expected Salary (all locations): $97,000 - $141,350

WSP USA is providing the compensation range that the company in good faith believes it might pay and offer for this position, based on the successful applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities in addition to internal equity and specific geographic location. WSP USA reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant's sex or other status protected by local, state, and/or federal law.

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