Senior Data Scientist, Fisheries & Water Resources

ICF; San Francisco (CA); Remote; USD 81,000 - 167,000; Full time

Job summary

ICF is hiring a Senior Data Scientist to support Fish and Aquatic Science and Technology, focusing on Chinook Salmon in California’s Central Valley. This is a remote role from San Francisco, CA, delivering quantitative analyses, decision-support models, and publications for water-resource clients.

You will translate monitoring data into transparent models, contribute to scientific writing, and engage with clients and stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in fisheries biology or related field.
• 5 years of increasingly complex fish data science experience.

Responsibilities

• Conduct analyses and write scientific documents, reports, and manuscripts for fish-related projects.
• Develop and document statistical, population, and decision-support models for fish and water resource management.
• Build and maintain reproducible codebases and automated data pipelines linking monitoring data to models.
• Meet with water resource clients to discuss planning, implementation, and monitoring.
• Describe projects and interpret analyses through written and oral communication and interactive visualizations.
• Conduct scientific research to generate knowledge for resource management.
• Collaborate with a multi-disciplinary team to complete analyses and documentation on time and within budget.
• Develop scope and budget and write proposals.
• Build and maintain client relationships.
• Mentor junior biologists.

Skills

R

Python

SQL

Stan

Template Model Builder

R Shiny

Education

Master’s degree in fisheries biology / related field

Tools

Job description

ICF is hiring a Senior Data Scientist for its Fish and Aquatic Science and Technology Team, supporting water resource clients with quantitative analysis, decision support modeling, and applied science publications. This remote role from San Francisco, CA is near-term focused on Chinook Salmon in California’s Central Valley, with opportunities to build reproducible data science workflows and contribute to deliverables used by clients and stakeholders.

In this position, you will help translate monitoring data into transparent models and decision tools, while also participating in scientific writing and client-facing discussions. You can expect a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment where technical depth and clear communication are both central to delivery.

Responsibilities

• Conduct analyses and lead or assist with writing scientific documents, technical reports, and peer-reviewed manuscripts for fish-related projects
• Develop, update, and document statistical, population, and decision support models for fish and water resource management (including Chinook Salmon recovery and flow decisions)
• Build and maintain reproducible codebases and automated data pipelines that connect monitoring data to models
• Meet with water resource clients to discuss technical aspects of planning, implementation, and monitoring
• Describe projects and interpret analyses through written and oral communication and interactive visualizations for a broad audience, sometimes in contentious environments
• Conduct scientific research to generate knowledge that informs resource management
• Collaborate with a multi-disciplinary technical team to complete analyses and documentation on time and within budget
• Develop scope and budget and write proposals
• Build and maintain client relationships
• Mentor junior biologists

Requirements

• Master’s degree in fisheries biology, fisheries and wildlife, quantitative ecology, or equivalent science-related field
• 5 years of increasingly complex assignments in fish data science

Key Technical and Domain Skills

• Fish management expertise in Northern California, including Chinook Salmon population dynamics, endangered species recovery, habitat restoration, flow management, and monitoring program design
• Water management expertise in California, including reservoir and conveyance operations, water supply and allocation, environmental flows, and drought and flood management
• Ability to understand and interpret water operations and hydrologic and hydraulic information and connect implications to fish populations, habitat, and decisions
• Familiarity with California water policy and the legislative process
• Strong quantitative analysis skills to evaluate effects of proposed actions, including hierarchical and Bayesian statistical models and machine learning
• Ability to interpret hydrologic, hydraulic, and telemetry modeling outputs and integrate them into fish population and decision-support models
• Advanced statistical analysis capability and proficiency in R, Python, and SQL

Open and Reproducible Data Science

• Demonstrated ability to design and implement transparent, reproducible, and collaborative workflows aligned with U.S. federal Open Science and Open Data expectations
• Experience with documented, version-controlled analytical workflows
• Clear data provenance, automation of data processing and reporting, and production of reusable data, code, and analytical products
• Ability to establish shared workflows and documentation to support collaboration, scientific review, knowledge transfer, and reuse across teams and agency partners

Tools and Technologies

• R, Python, SQL, Stan, Template Model Builder, R Shiny

Communication, Project Management, and Leadership

• Peer-reviewed scientific publication record and experience presenting at professional conferences
• Ability to translate scientific findings into policy-relevant recommendations in workshops and structured decision-making processes
• Experience expressing results to technical and non-technical audiences through technical reports, presentations, and interactive visualizations (including R Shiny applications), including in stressful or contentious settings
• Ability to manage multiple simultaneous long-term projects, including budget tracking, staff coordination, client relationship management, and completion of required products/reports
• Track record of high-quality standards, team collaboration with respect and professionalism, leveraging team strengths, and mentoring junior team members through code review and documentation practices
• Expertise and passion for science and resolving complex fish problems while balancing science with business acumen, marketing, and expansion opportunities

Work Authorization

• All candidates must be authorized to work in the United States
• This role is not eligible for new H-1B visa sponsorship by ICF
• Candidates with valid work authorization may be considered for a change of employer petition, subject to company policy and applicable immigration requirements

AI Use During Interviews

• Use of artificial intelligence tools to generate or assist with responses during interviews (in-person or virtual) is not permitted
• If an accommodation involving AI is needed, candidates should contact [e-mail] in advance

Pay range: $81,147.00 - $166,919.00 per year (based on full-time employment). Location: San Francisco, CA (CA87) (remote).