Senior Fisheries Scientist & Quantitative Ecologist

Innovate!, Inc.; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

401K with match

Life Insurance

PTO

Job summary

Innovate! Inc. seeks a Senior Fisheries Scientist & Quantitative Ecologist to support NOAA Fisheries and the Northwest Fisheries Science Center. Develop transparent tools combining field, lab, and literature data for fisheries management and permitting.

The role, based on-site in Seattle, requires expertise in ecological modeling, R, data visualization, and effective communication of results to stakeholders. Eligible for benefits and a full-time schedule.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in fisheries, ecology, or related field.
• 3+ years of relevant experience; advanced degree may substitute per contract terms.
• Experience with fisheries or ecological research and scientific communication.

Responsibilities

• Collect fish and environmental data across West Coast habitats, outdoors in varied conditions.
• Operate vehicles/boats and assist on research vessel surveys when needed.
• Perform lab and field processes per established protocols.
• Review literature to extract data and relationships for ecological outcomes.
• Conduct quantitative analyses and produce clear visualizations for management.
• Collaborate with NOAA scientists to develop decision-support tools.
• Document methods, QA/QC, and prepare reports and publications.
• Maintain analyses and code in accessible repositories; present results at meetings.

Skills

Fisheries ecology

Quantitative ecology

Statistical analysis

Data visualization

Collaboration

Communication

Teamwork

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher in fisheries, ecology, natural sciences, mathematics, statistics, oceanography, hydrology, or related field

Three+ years of directly relevant experience

Tools

R

GitHub

NOAA-approved scientific software

Job description

• Official Communication: All job offers and communication regarding them will arrive from email addresses ending in @innovateteam.com.
• Secure Information: We prioritize your data safety. We never request bank information via email or text. Instead, we follow a secure process through our dedicated payroll system.

Openings at Innovate!, Inc

Hiring Transparency:

• Official Communication: All job offers and communication regarding them will arrive from email addresses ending in @innovateteam.com.
• Secure Information: We prioritize your data safety. We never request bank information via email or text. Instead, we follow a secure process through our dedicated payroll system.

Remember: If your communication differs from this process, it's not from Innovate.

Senior Fisheries Scientist & Quantitative Ecologist

Location: Seattle, WA

Position: Senior Fisheries Scientist & Quantitative Ecologist Reports To: FLSA: Exempt Location: Seattle, WA Posted: 7/15/26

Embrace the opportunity to join Innovate! Inc. and become a valued member of our team. We are seeking driven individuals who are passionate about leveraging technology to tackle environmental challenges and drive positive change. If you thrive in a collaborative, fast-paced environment and are eager to contribute your skills and expertise to innovative projects, we invite you to explore this exciting opportunity further. Read on to learn more about how you can be part of our dynamic team.

Innovate! Inc. is seeking a highly experienced Senior Fisheries Scientist & Quantitative Ecologist to support NOAA Fisheries and the Northwest Fisheries Science Center by developing transparent, reproducible scientific tools that integrate field observations, laboratory results, literature-derived relationships, and quantitative analyses into the Northwest Salmon Life Cycle Modeling framework to improve fisheries management, permitting, and other management decisions.

*Contingent upon contract being awarded*

Location: Work will be conducted on-site at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Seattle, Washington (WA) or at one of its associated field stations in WA or Oregon

Salary Range: $90,000 - $125,000

Position status: Full Time; with benefits

Benefits include: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K with match, Life Insurance, and PTO

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Collect fish and environmental data in freshwater, estuarine, and nearshore marine environments throughout the West Coast region, including work outdoors in harsh conditions and around water.
• Operate or travel in vehicles and boats, tow or support trailers when authorized, and provide occasional multi-day assistance on research vessel surveys.
• Implement occasional laboratory experiments and process biological or environmental samples and data in accordance with established protocols.
• Conduct literature reviews to identify, extract, and synthesize data and published relationships among ecological outcomes, environmental stressors, and habitat metrics.
• Perform quantitative data analysis and develop clear scientific visualizations that communicate ecological patterns and management implications.
• Collaborate with NOAA scientists and interdisciplinary team members to develop decision-support tools that improve transparency and efficiency in fisheries management and permitting.
• Document sample collection, storage, processing, analytical methods, assumptions, and QA/QC procedures so work can be understood, reviewed, and reproduced by others.
• Maintain analysis products, scripts, protocols, and research outputs in accessible, organized repositories and collaborative platforms.
• Prepare written status reports and ad hoc communications, contribute to technical reports and peer-reviewed journal manuscripts, and present results at regional meetings and scientific conferences.
• Consistently deliver high-quality scientific products on schedule while independently managing priorities and participating reliably in field, laboratory, and team activities.

REQUIRED SKILLS & TECHNICAL EXPERTISE

• Strong knowledge of fisheries ecology, quantitative ecology, natural resource management, and ecological processes affecting marine and anadromous species.
• Familiarity with Pacific salmon and other species and habitats managed by NOAA Fisheries in the West Coast region.
• Quantitative skills in ecological modeling, statistical analysis, data interpretation, and scientific visualization.
• Working proficiency with R and GitHub or comparable statistical and version-control tools; ability to adopt NOAA-approved scientific software and collaborative platforms.
• Knowledge of reproducible research, open-science concepts, workflow documentation, and organized data and code management.
• Ability to apply established field, laboratory, data stewardship, and QA/QC protocols and to document compliance with those protocols.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, including technical reporting, peer-reviewed publication, and presentation of scientific results.
• Proficiency with Google Workspace and Microsoft Office.
• Ability to work independently, manage a dynamic workload, stay organized, and collaborate effectively with interdisciplinary scientists, natural resource managers, and tribal representatives.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited institution in fisheries, ecology, natural sciences, mathematics, statistics, oceanography, hydrology, or a closely related field.
• Three or more years of directly relevant experience; an advanced degree in a related field may be considered as a substitute for experience consistent with contract requirements.
• Demonstrated experience with fisheries or ecological research, quantitative analysis, field or laboratory activities, and scientific communication.
• Experience supporting NOAA Fisheries, NWFSC, another NOAA science center, or a comparable federal, state, tribal, academic, or research fisheries program is strongly preferred.
• Prior experience with Pacific salmon, West Coast marine and anadromous species, life-cycle modeling, ESA/MSA-related science, or management decision-support tools is highly desirable.
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license and be able to satisfy federal Public Trust background investigation requirements before beginning performance.

LEARN MORE ABOUT US

Innovate! Inc. is a certified woman-owned consulting firm founded in 2002 by Lily Thomas. We provide innovative solutions to management, technology, and program challenges, with a focus on performance, integrity, and building lasting partnerships with our clients. Our team of over 100 experts includes IT and geospatial specialists, program and project management consultants, environmental scientists, and communications and outreach strategists. Our clients include federal, state, tribal, and local governments, private industry, non-profit organizations, higher education institutions, and utilities. Recent awards we received for excellent service include the 2022 SAG Team Award and 2022 Esri Partner Conference High Potential Award.

Innovate is a fast-paced, rapidly growing group of entrepreneurs creating a culture of excellence. Rapid advancement within our organization is not only possible but also encouraged. To view our website, visit innovateteam.com .

Innovate is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on race, color, sex, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, national origin, marital status, physical or mental disability, status as a Disabled Veteran, Recently Separated Veteran, Active Duty Wartime or Campaign Badge Veteran, Armed Forces Services Medal, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process or cannot access or use this online application process and need an alternative method for applying, please contact us at [e-mail] .