Research And Development Food Science Jobs in Portland, OR

The Market Research and Evaluation (MRE) Scientist is an integral part of 2-3 cross-functional program teams dedicated to bringing energy efficient products and services to market through the approach of Market Transformation.  

The primary role of the MRE Scientist is to manage market research and evaluation projects using quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods approaches to support organizational and program decision-making and assess market progress of programs.  

This position is based in the Portland, OR metro area, with a hybrid work location. We are looking for candidates who can meet the requirement of working at least 2 days per week onsite at NEEA’s office location.  Finalists must have eligibility to work in the US as NEEA is not able to provide VISA sponsorship or have remote work outside of the US. 

Salary range: $90,000 - $105,000, exempt 

• Salary is based on the applicants Experience, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. 

The Typical Day May Include… 

• As the MRE functional lead, proactively work with cross-functional team members to contribute to the success of Market Transformation programs by:  

1. assessing whether strong program logic exists and is measurable  

2. efficiently and effectively managing research and evaluation projects to deliver actionable insights.  

• Activities related to this include: 

• Developing the long-term research and evaluation plan 

• Developing metrics to measure program influence in the short-, medium-, and long-term 

• Defining the research/evaluation objectives, scope of work, assumptions/constraints, sample population, and deliverables for individual projects.  

• Sourcing (including ownership of the competitive bidding process: drafting contracts, reviewing proposals, finalist selection, etc.)  

• Managing and ensuring contractor performance  

• Leading project kick-off and subsequent meetings  

• Leading the socialization and comprehension of results and insights with internal and external audiences  

• Supporting the Market Analysis & Planning function, as needed, by commissioning studies to validate their energy savings assumptions  

• The MRE Scientist brings an evaluative mindset to the program team and actively works to ensure all activities tie back to the program logic and theory of change. MRE Scientists are responsible for participating in the development of logic models and data management plans, ensuring programs can be effectively evaluated and that data is available for evaluation purposes.  

• MRE Scientists have primary responsibility for defining the market progress indicators that track progress on logic model outcomes.  

• MRE Scientists manage third-party research and evaluation contractors to ensure that projects meet the stated research objectives. This involves development of contract documents, management of contract budgets and timelines, and review of project deliverables (workplan, data collection materials, reports, etc.). 

• MRE Scientists are expected to contribute to the MRE team’s functional abilities through participation in continual improvement activities.  

• Perform other duties which may be necessary or desirable to support the organization’s success. 

Supervisory Responsibilities: 

This position is primarily an individual contributor. This position has no supervisory responsibilities but provides guidance and leadership on specialized areas to internal clients and to less experienced members of the work group. 

Your Experience, Education, and Skills: 

• Master’s degree or an equivalent combination of education, experience and training that would provide the knowledge, skills and abilities required for the successful performance of the essential job duties. 

• 5+ years’ experience in evaluation and/or market research project management.  

• Ability to facilitate discussions with groups of diverse program team members to align on project needs, including assessing the feasibility of potential approaches within budgetary and timeline constraints. 

• Knowledge and experience with a wide variety of qualitative and quantitative research methods to:  

  • assess the validity of proposals 

  • suggest and/or build on research design 

• review and assess the validity and applicability of quantitative and qualitative analyses and conclusions derived from those analyses 

• understand and articulate to cross-functional team members the impact of research methods on the interpretation of results. 

• Ability to discern which information, from a variety of sources, is valid and relevant when drawing conclusions. Be able to draw meaningful conclusions from a variety of complex information sources. Be willing to use intuition and experience to complement data. Be able to articulate the meaning of information and/or conclusions in a way that makes sense to the audience. 

• Ability to prioritize and plan work activities while remaining flexible and supporting the overall team’s priorities. Be able to work independently on tasks within their area of expertise. Recognize and respond appropriately to interdependent tasks. 

• Ability to provide recommendations for contractual risk mitigation, or avoidance, if necessary. 

• Ability to identify and resolve complex problems. Gather and analyze relevant information and provide option analyses on potential solutions resulting in a recommended approach. 

Highlights of NEEA’s Benefits: 

• 90% of medical/dental premiums paid by NEEA, including for dependents 

• Employer funded Health Savings Account 

• 136 hours of PTO/year 

• Automatic 6% retirement contribution with an additional 2% matching 

• Flexible work environment, including hybrid work location and 9/80 schedule options 

• Professional development opportunities 

About NEEA  

The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) is an alliance of more than 140 electric and natural gas utilities and energy efficiency organizations working on behalf of Northwest energy consumers to increase the adoption of energy-efficient products services and practices. Since 1997, the region has achieved more than 959 average megawatts (aMW) of Co-Created electric energy savings – the equivalent of enough energy to power more than 700,000 Northwest homes each year.     

NEEA welcomes individuals from all backgrounds and fields of expertise, with or without previous experience in the energy industry.  

Follow this link to our website and learn more about the organization. 

NEEA is an Equal Opportunity Employer