Building Materials Research Director

About This Opportunity

Join IBHS as a Building Materials Research Director and lead the strategic direction of our laboratory operations while advancing applied research on severe convective storms. This is a unique dual-focus role that combines hands-on laboratory leadership (70%) with active scientific research and innovation (30%). You'll manage complex operations that balance competing demands—staff capacity, equipment availability, research priorities, and compliance requirements—while driving breakthroughs in how buildings withstand hail, straight-line wind, and tornado hazards.

This role is ideal for a scientist-leader who thrives at the intersection of operational excellence and scientific discovery, and who can translate atmospheric hazards into defensible building performance standards.

Primary Responsibilities

Building Materials Science Laboratory Operations Leadership (70%)

Lab Throughput & Capacity Management

Plan and manage building materials laboratory throughput while strategically balancing:

• Staff capacity and skill development
• Equipment availability and utilization
• Sample preparation constraints
• Research versus compliance testing priorities

Core Expectations:

• Participate in experiment planning, execution, and quality control/assurance to ensure scientific rigor
• Establish predictable delivery timelines that stakeholders can rely on
• Develop transparent capacity planning tools and forecasting models
• Determine explicit tradeoffs between speed, scientific rigor, uncertainty, and quality—and communicate these decisions clearly

Quality Systems & Repeatability

Establish and enforce repeatable test protocols while preserving the scientific flexibility needed for innovation. Clearly differentiate between:

• Compliance testing and product-based outputs versus exploratory research testing
• Exploratory workflows versus production workflows

Equipment & Infrastructure Stewardship

Oversee maintenance, calibration, and lifecycle planning of building materials laboratory equipment to maximize uptime and research capability.

Key Expectations:

• Understand how equipment limitations define experimental validity and inform research design
• Reduce downtime through preventive maintenance systems and proactive monitoring
• Develop multi-year capital planning aligned with research strategy
• Ensure infrastructure investments support long-term severe storm research goals

Staff Development & Talent Architecture

• Build a high-performing laboratory team by mentoring entry-level staff scientists, operators, and specialist technicians
• Establish clear performance expectations by role
• Cross-train staff without diluting domain expertise
• Coach staff to understand why procedures exist, not just how to perform them
• Maintain scientific integrity while building operational discipline

Scientific Research & Innovation (30%)

Lead components of experimental and analytics-based research programs advancing applied science on severe convective storms—including hail, straight-line wind, and tornado-related hazards—and their interaction with residential and commercial construction systems.

Scientific & Technical Expectations:

• Design test matrices, instrumentation strategies, and structured data pipelines
• Validate experimental results using appropriate statistical methods and uncertainty quantification
• Improve existing test methods or propose new instrumentation approaches to better represent field conditions
• Communicate hazard and vulnerability concepts to IBHS members and stakeholders
• Translate atmospheric hazard characteristics into defensible material and system performance targets

Scientific Ownership:

• Author and contribute to IBHS technical reports
• Identify weaknesses in methods and propose refinements grounded in physics and field relevance
• Connect laboratory findings to IBHS product pathways, including standards development, ratings, guidance documents, and member insights
• Present findings internally to the Research Advisory Council, IBHS Board, Residential Committee, Commercial Lines Committee, and Executive Committee
• Develop peer-reviewed journal submissions and represent IBHS at external conferences and technical forums

Innovation & Systems Thinking:

• Propose conceptual improvements in how hazards are translated into building performance testing
• Operate across disciplinary boundaries: engineering, meteorology, material science, and risk analytics
• Frame laboratory research in the context of societal loss trends, exposure growth, and vulnerability reduction

Science Communication:

• Present complete research studies clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Write technical reports that transparently communicate assumptions, limitations, and uncertainty
• Guide product development through disciplined science communication
• Demonstrate cross-disciplinary fluency sufficient to align engineers, atmospheric scientists, and operational teams

Core Management Competencies

• Systems-level thinking in applied hazard science: Ability to see how laboratory operations, equipment, staffing, and research programs interconnect to advance organizational mission
• Balance research innovation with production reliability: Comfort making tradeoffs between scientific exploration and operational consistency
• Operate in complex environments: Thrive where uncertainty, time pressure, and technical complexity intersect
• Demonstrated credibility: Earn trust from both operational teams and scientific peers through competence and integrity
• Translate hazard science to building performance: Capacity to convert atmospheric hazard characteristics into actionable material and system performance metrics

Required Qualifications

• Advanced degree (Master's or Ph.D.) in engineering, materials science, atmospheric science, or related field
• 5+ years of experience in applied research, laboratory management, or building science
• Demonstrated expertise in experimental design, data analysis, and quality assurance protocols
• Proven ability to lead technical teams and mentor junior scientists or engineers
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with ability to present to diverse audiences
• Experience managing laboratory equipment, maintenance schedules, and capital planning
• Knowledge of building codes, standards development, or compliance testing (a significant plus)

Nice-to-Have Qualifications

• Background in severe weather hazards, wind engineering, or structural dynamics
• Experience with statistical methods, uncertainty quantification, or data science
• Published peer-reviewed research or technical reports
• Familiarity with insurance industry, risk assessment, or loss prevention
• Experience with laboratory information management systems (LIMS) or data management platforms
• Project management or operational leadership experience in research environments

About IBHS

The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the social and economic impact of natural hazards on the built environment. Our research informs building codes, insurance practices, and public policy. We operate state-of-the-art laboratories where scientists and engineers conduct rigorous testing to understand how buildings perform under extreme conditions. Our work directly influences how millions of buildings are designed, constructed, and insured.

Why Join Us?

• Make a tangible impact: Your research directly influences building standards and saves lives and property
• Lead at the intersection of science and operations: Rare opportunity to combine research leadership with hands-on laboratory management
• Work with cutting-edge facilities: Access to world-class testing equipment and collaborative research environment
• Collaborate across disciplines: Partner with engineers, meteorologists, data scientists, and policy experts
• Grow your career: Mentorship, professional development, and opportunities to publish and present at conferences