Field Operations and Data Modernization Specialist

Jobtailor; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor in Seattle seeks a field ecologist to lead biological and environmental data collection in estuarine and marine environments, advancing from analog recording to digital data platforms and rugged tablets.

You will develop eDNA protocols, manage data pipelines from ship to shore, and produce preliminary data products, cruise summaries, and visualizations, guiding interdisciplinary teams and delivering high-quality, reproducible results.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in fisheries, ecology, natural sciences, mathematics, statistics, oceanography or hydrology.
• Three or more years of related field and data analysis experience.
• Familiarity with marine and anadromous species and NOAA West Coast habitats.
• Proficiency with R, Python, and GIS; strong statistical capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead field data collection of biological and environmental data in estuarine and marine environments.
• Support transition from analog to digital data collection platforms (e.g., electronic measuring boards, ruggedized tablets).
• Evaluate and implement new field technologies to improve at-sea efficiency.
• Develop rigorous eDNA protocols and oversee field-based sampling and chain-of-custody.
• Ensure adherence to anti-contamination protocols for eDNA sampling.
• Coordinate with lab personnel to prepare field samples for bioinformatics processing.
• Design and implement automated data pipelines from ship to shore.
• Produce data products, cruise summaries, and visualizations after field operations.
• Maintain project databases for interdisciplinary team access.
• Standardize datasets for analysis and enable easy data retrieval.

Skills

R

Python

Geographic Information Systems

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Advanced degree substitution (experience)

Job description

Responsibilities

• Lead field collection of biological and environmental data in estuarine and marine environments.
• Support the transition from traditional analog recording to digital data collection platforms, such as electronic measuring boards and ruggedized tablets.
• Evaluate and implement new field technologies to improve at-sea efficiency.
• Develop rigorous eDNA protocols and oversee field-based collection, preservation, and chain-of-custody of environmental DNA water samples.
• Ensure adherence to at-sea anti-contamination protocols for eDNA sampling.
• Serve as the primary operational liaison to the ’Omics laboratory personnel to ensure field samples are appropriately prepared for bioinformatics processing.
• Design and implement automated data pipelines to streamline transfer of data from ship to shore.
• Develop scripts or workflows that rapidly generate preliminary data products, cruise summaries, and visualization tools immediately following field operations.
• Maintain project databases to improve organization, accessibility, and usability for interdisciplinary team members.
• Ensure historical and newly digitized datasets are standardized and accessible for analysis.
• Direct mobilization and demobilization of project equipment using modern inventory tracking systems.
• Synthesize methodological improvements and field results by authoring technical reports, contributing to journal manuscripts, and presenting workflow modernization strategies at regional and national scientific meetings.
• Develop and implement standardized, reproducible procedures to format, QA/QC, and transition raw at-sea biological observations into analysis-ready scientific formats.
• Produce near-real-time cruise summaries, data visualization tools, and standardized datasets that accelerate management decision making.
• Develop digital Standard Operating Procedures for digital data collection methods, eDNA field sampling protocols, and database structures.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university with a major in a field of study directly related to the requirements of this contract, including fisheries, ecology, natural sciences, mathematics, statistics, oceanography, or hydrology.
• Advanced degree in a related field may be substituted for two years, MS, or four years, PhD, of experience.
• Three or more years of experience related to the outlined tasks.
• Demonstrated familiarity with the marine and anadromous species and habitats managed by NOAA Fisheries within the West Coast region.
• Quantitative capabilities, including proven experience in statistical and complex data analysis.
• Familiarity with open science concepts.
• Working proficiency in analytical tools and software, such as R, Python, or Geographic Information Systems.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proven track record of authoring technical reports and contributing to published, peer-reviewed scientific articles.
• Ability to efficiently manage dynamic workloads, maintain high organizational standards, and produce high-quality deliverables within established timelines.
• Ability to work independently in the field and collaboratively within interdisciplinary scientific teams.