Description

About Us: Established in 1990, the USCC is dedicated to the development, expansion, and promotion of the composting industry. The USCC achieves its mission – “to advance composting and promote compost use to enhance soils and provide economic and environmental benefits for members and society” – by encouraging, supporting and performing compost-related research, promoting best management practices, establishing standards, educating professionals and the public about the benefits of composting and compost utilization, enhancing compost product quality, and developing training materials for composters and markets for compost products. USCC members include compost producers, marketers, equipment manufacturers, product suppliers, academic institutions, public agencies, nonprofit groups, and consulting/engineering firms. New member outreach also includes homeowners, environmental educators, and organizations that promote green living and sustainability.

Position Overview: The work for this multidisciplinary position will focus on:

• Assisting with research efforts for a USCC grant-funded, multi-year, targeted national campaign to expand compost use in non-agricultural sectors such as landscaping and turf management.
• Assisting with the development and implementation of the USCC’s research on incentives to expand compost infrastructure, compost use, decrease contamination, and other associated efforts on composting and related areas. 
• Assisting with data collection, organization, and maintenance of compost industry data within USCC databases, ensuring high-quality datasets that support research, reporting, and strategic initiatives.

The main responsibilities for this position are research, collection, interpretation, and analysis of data related to regulations impacting the composting industry and for compost use initiatives. The position will educate communities, businesses, local governments, and the compost industry. The research analyst will conduct analyses, identify trends, create reports and visualizations, and develop actionable recommendations for decision-makers in cities, counties, states, and compost industry partners. The research analyst will also support the enhancement of USCC’s compost industry databases by assisting with data collection, validation, and ongoing updates to ensure accuracy and completeness. This work includes maintaining high data quality standards, incorporating new research findings and industry information, and improving the organization's usability of datasets. These efforts will help USCC track composting industry trends and support compost research efforts.

Requirements

Key Responsibilities:

• Grant Support: Coordinate the research needs of USCC’s federal Recycling and Outreach grant 
• Market Development & Regulation Research: Analyze compost market development and how regulatory changes are impacting composting operations and compost use activities in states.
• Recommendation Development: Advise stakeholders on strategic, tactical, and operational opportunities for composting industry growth based on research findings and outcomes. 
• Data Collection & Analysis: Gather data from trusted sources, such as legislative tracking databases, using data analysis techniques to evaluate trends and patterns. 
• Reporting & Visualization: Prepare detailed reports, dashboards, and presentations to communicate findings on composting industry legislative initiatives, rules, and regulations to stakeholders. 
• Database Management: Maintain and enhance USCC databases by organizing industry datasets, ensuring data quality, consistency, and supporting efficient data retrieval for research and reporting.
• Stay informed and communicate with staff on public policy initiatives and market trends affecting compost demand and use.
• Support USCC’s annual conference, events, and committees. 
• All other duties as assigned.

Required Skills and Experience:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy, Political Science, Economics, or an environmental-related major. 
• Minimum of two years of experience in public policy research, data/trend analysis, and report development. 
• Technical Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Suite and data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI). 
• Analytical Abilities: Strong quantitative skills, attention to detail, and experience with statistical analysis methods and software. 
• Communication: Ability to translate complex data and information into clear, actionable summaries, presentations, and reports for non-technical stakeholders and decision-makers.
• Excellent research, critical thinking, writing, editing, and presentation skills.
• Familiarity with composting, compost use, soil health, or organics recycling preferred.
• Data-driven: using data, analysis, and software to guide strategic decision-making processes.

Competencies:

1. Workload Management: ability to manage multiple projects, deadlines, and collaborations in a fast-paced environment.
2. Communication Proficiency: ability to convey and receive information clearly, effectively, and appropriately for specific audiences across various contexts.
3. Technical capability: knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace Applications, and data visualization programs
4. Time Management skills: planning, organizing, prioritizing, and controlling your time to effectively achieve goals.
5. Adaptability: Ability to work independently and collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders.
   
   

Position Main Areas of Focus:

• 50% research/analysis for government/business compost use and compost market development
• 50% research/analysis for federal and state legislative, regulatory, and industry compost initiatives

Travel: Overnight travel may be expected (15-20 days).

Minimum Requirements: Two years of experience as a research analyst and a degree in the following or similar: business, mathematics, economics, agriculture, horticulture, agronomy, and or the life sciences preferred or equivalent compost site operation.

Salary Range: Non-Exempt, Salaried (40 hours a week) $65,000 annual salary commensurate with experience. Position is partially grant-funded through a five-year grant, with potential for full-staff salary at grant end.

Benefits: Health, dental, and vision insurance; 403(b) retirement matching; vacation, sick, and personal days; and remote work.

How to Apply: Please submit a cover letter and resume to apply for this position.

Equal Employment Opportunity
The US Composting Council is a national non-profit 501(c)(6) association founded in 1990 to advance commercial compost manufacturing and marketing, training, certification, and education of compost facility operators; to provide certification programs for compost testing and lobbying and advocacy campaigns at the state and federal level.

The US Composting Council provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.