Researcher, Built Environment Team
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AI Summary
The researcher will identify and advance interventions to mitigate airborne pathogens in indoor spaces to prevent pandemics. This includes synthesizing technical data, building programmatic strategies, and providing technical guidance to multidisciplinary teams.
Researcher, Built Environment Team
Application Deadline: 21 August 2026
Department: Programs/Research
Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time
Location: Remote - Washington, DC preferred
Compensation: $127,000 - $162,000 / year
Description
We encourage you to apply by August 7, as early applicants may be considered first. Applications will close on August 21.
Blueprint Biosecurity is expanding our Built Environment team. The built environment encompasses the indoor spaces where people work, learn, gather, and receive care. Equipping these spaces with additional layers of protection against infectious airborne pathogens can help reduce risk in these spaces and support safer, more resilient communities. This work will focus on identifying and advancing promising interventions that can mitigate pathogens in occupied indoor spaces and strengthen society’s ability to contain outbreaks before they become widespread. We are looking for up to two Researchers to work directly with the Built Environment Program Director. As part of a multidisciplinary team, you will lay the groundwork for new areas of interest and expand Blueprint’s portfolio. In this role, you will assess emerging fields, synthesize key findings, build the rationale and strategy for launching new programs, and help execute those programs once established. You will also provide technical guidance to program and supporting teams to help strengthen Blueprint’s capacity to mitigate the next pandemic.
Blueprint Biosecurity is expanding our Built Environment team. The built environment encompasses the indoor spaces where people work, learn, gather, and receive care. Equipping these spaces with additional layers of protection against infectious airborne pathogens can help reduce risk in these spaces and support safer, more resilient communities. This work will focus on identifying and advancing promising interventions that can mitigate pathogens in occupied indoor spaces and strengthen society’s ability to contain outbreaks before they become widespread. We are looking for up to two Researchers to work directly with the Built Environment Program Director. As part of a multidisciplinary team, you will lay the groundwork for new areas of interest and expand Blueprint’s portfolio. In this role, you will assess emerging fields, synthesize key findings, build the rationale and strategy for launching new programs, and help execute those programs once established. You will also provide technical guidance to program and supporting teams to help strengthen Blueprint’s capacity to mitigate the next pandemic.
To help shape this next phase of work, we are looking to deepen our expertise in areas such as aerosol science, environmental engineering, air filtration, epidemiology, modeling, and other relevant areas. We are equally excited to hear from candidates with other technical backgrounds who can bring fresh perspectives, identify new opportunities, and contribute to a collaborative, interdisciplinary research team.
Key Responsibilities
Building out new areas of work
- Review academic literature, technical data, expert talks, and policy documents in target research areas, and distill the key information into concise summaries with clear chains of reasoning.
- Evaluate the efficacy, safety, and real-world deployability of technologies and interventions to reduce airborne pathogen transmission in the built environment.
- Translate research findings into programmatic strategies and grant concepts with clear theories of change.
- Build lasting professional domain experts across relevant fields (often through semi-structured interviews), including researchers, companies, key opinion leaders, and other organizations, to learn about target areas and test Blueprint's ideas.
Supporting the broader team
- Support the development of public-facing outputs such as articles, presentations, and Blueprints.
- Provide technical advice to program teams and supporting teams.
- Present at conferences and workshops, gather feedback on our work, and build collaborative relationships.
- Support additional Built Environment programs as bandwidth and expertise allow.
- Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.
Qualifications
Our Ideal Candidate
- Is excited about developing new solutions to prevent pandemics and reduce biological threats.
- Has a strong technical or scientific background and enjoys collaborative, interdisciplinary research.
- Learns quickly and is able to get up to speed in new fields.
- Is truth-seeking and follows the evidence even when it points away from a favored idea.
- Works well in ambiguity and asks clarifying questions to get the information they need.
- Values teamwork and includes others in planning, decision-making, and execution.
- Delivers results with a sense of urgency, without compromising on quality.
- Shows resilience in overcoming challenges.
Required
- A track record that features both research-focused and execution-focused work. This role is for someone who can both investigate a new area and turn that learning into concrete plans.
- Excellent research skills, with the ability and willingness to interpret a wide variety of methods and results pertaining to various technical fields.
- Proficiency in quantitative reasoning under uncertainty, such as Fermi estimation.
- The ability to network, engage, and communicate effectively with both internal and external audiences. We weigh this ability as highly as research skill.
- The ability to manage moderately scoped projects with limited oversight, and to develop your own work plan when a problem is not fully defined.
- Proficiency in using emerging AI tools to streamline workflows and improve productivity across the role.
- A relevant technical background, demonstrated through advanced academic study or previous work experience.
Preferred
- Deep familiarity with one or more of the following areas: air filtration research, HVAC systems and controls, air cleaning or treatment technologies, aerosol science, environmental engineering, epidemiology, or airborne infectious disease research.
- A background in local, state, or federal emergency management or emergency response.
- Prior experience supporting Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) style organizations through systems engineering and technical assistance (SETA), working in scientific or engineering consulting, or serving as a technical subject-matter expert in industry.
If you're reading this and thinking “this is exactly the work I want to be doing,” we want to hear from you!
Even if you don't meet every listed qualification, apply, or email us directly at recruiting@blueprintbiosecurity.org if anything in this posting is making you hold back. This role will evolve with the work, and we will align responsibilities with the strengths and experience of the person we hire.
What We Offer and Application Info
Compensation: The base salary for this position ranges from $ 127,000 to $ 162,000. We consider a variety of factors when formulating an offer, including but not limited to the role and responsibilities, work experience, education and training, skills, expertise, and internal equity.
Benefits: Our benefits package for full-time employees includes:
- Unlimited paid time off (PTO) plus paid holidays.
- Generous health and wellness benefits through an Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA) for you and your family.
- Fully paid family leave.
- Annual 401(k) contributions equal to 10% of your base salary.
- $5,000 annually to support professional development and productive remote work.
- Access to multiple state-of-the-art large language models (LLMs).
Preferred Deadline: August 7, 2026
Applications Close: August 21, 2026, at 11:59 PM EDT
We will begin reviewing applications and reaching out to candidates around August 10, so early applications are encouraged. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis through the remainder of the timeline.
Location: Remote, Washington, DC. area preferred
Blueprint has dedicated office space in Washington, DC. We strongly believe that teams benefit from in-person collaboration, and we have a preference for staff to be located in the Washington DC area and able to work in-person on a regular basis. If you are located outside of the Washington DC area, we still encourage you to apply! Location is only one consideration, and we will prioritize the candidate whose experience, skills, and approach are the strongest match for the role.
Candidates willing to relocate to Washington, DC, may be eligible for relocation assistance or other location-based incentives.
For DC-based staff, the specific cadence for working from Blueprint’s DC office will be determined based on the needs of the role and team.
Remote staff must be available for core collaboration hours between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time. This role requires up to 20% travel, including travel to Blueprint’s DC office approximately one to two times per quarter, as well as travel for work-sponsored events, such as conferences, workshops, partner meetings, etc.
Start date: We'd like a candidate to start as soon as possible after receiving an offer, though there is some flexibility.
Workplace Inclusion and Accessibility
We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment where all employees have the opportunity to succeed. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status. Please let us know what accommodations you might need when applying or if asked to be interviewed by emailing us at recruiting@blueprintbiosecurity.org.
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