Water Level Data Manager

CSS Inc; Boulder (CO); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

CSS Inc in Boulder, CO is seeking a Water-level Data Manager to oversee the stewardship lifecycle of coastal and deep-ocean water-level datasets. This critical role supports NOAA's NCEI and includes managing data ingest processes, ensuring compliance with metadata standards, and public dissemination of data.

The ideal candidate will have a background in scientific data management, programming skills in Python, and knowledge of geospatial metadata standards.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in scientific or environmental data management.
• Deep understanding of geospatial metadata standards such as ISO 19115.
• Proficient programming skills in Python for automating data processes.

Responsibilities

• Manage the end-to-end data intake pipelines for water-level observational data.
• Ensure compliance with metadata standards for data documentation.
• Coordinate the public release of finalized datasets to stakeholders.

Skills

Data Stewardship

Metadata Standards

Modern Scripting - Python

Database & APIs

Version Control

Technical Writing

Security Clearance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Physical Science or related field

Tools

PostgreSQL/PostGIS

Git

Docker

AWS

Job description

CSS is seeking a Water-level Data Manager to support NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information's (NCEI), Coasts Oceans and Geophysics (COGS) Division and Data Archive Branch. The Water-level Data Manager is responsible for the end-to-end stewardship lifecycle of coastal and deep-ocean water-level datasets (such as tide gauge observations, bottom pressure recorder data, and related marine geophysical datasets). This role is critical to the NCEI mission of preserving, documenting, and disseminating high-quality climate and oceanographic records.

The successful candidate will manage raw data ingest pipelines, ensure compliance with metadata standards to make data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR), manage public dataset dissemination, and support infrastructure modernization-including Open Information Stewardship Service (OISS) workflows and cloud-native database transitions.

Location & Work Arrangement

• Location: Boulder, CO
• Work Arrangement: Hybrid to include a minimum of 2 days per week onsite, supporting a geographically dispersed team.

Responsibilities

1. Data Ingest and Archiving

• Manage the end-to-end intake pipelines for raw water-level observational data from diverse partner networks, observing platforms, and in situ sensors.
• Act as the primary technical Point-of-Contact (POC) for external data providers, scientific partners, and operational agencies regarding data ingest schedules, transfer mechanisms, and archiving anomalies.
• Examine, validate, and process incoming data streams to verify completeness, perform initial quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC), run unit conversions, and execute necessary format reformatting.
• Securely archive processed datasets in NCEI storage systems in accordance with federal data preservation guidelines.

2. Metadata Compliance and Documentation

• Author, validate, and maintain standards-compliant XML metadata records (such as ISO 19115 and ISO 19139) to describe water-level collections and products.
• Work collaboratively with science teams and data partners to establish data documenting standards, including assigning standardized global attributes within scientific formats.
• Support the implementation of controlled scientific vocabularies and taxonomies to ensure semantic interoperability and discoverability in platforms like NOAA OneStop, Geoportal, and Data.gov.
• Author and update technical Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), data specification agreements, and workflow architecture descriptions.

3. Public Dissemination and Data Access

• Coordinate and oversee the public release of finalized coastal and deep-ocean datasets, ensuring low-latency access for stakeholders and the broader scientific community.
• Maintain Web Accessible Folders (WAFs) and open-access interoperable data catalogs that support search interfaces and map viewers.
• Respond to technical data queries from academic, commercial, and governmental users, documenting customer interactions in tracking repositories.

4. Workflow Modernization and Cloud Migration

• Collaborate with the Data Migration Team to develop and refine operational data workflows within the Open Information Stewardship Service (OISS) framework.
• Support the "lift-and-shift" transition of legacy on-premise archiving pipelines, databases, and metadata files into cloud environments (principally AWS) to enhance scalability and cloud-native access.
• Assist in modernizing scientific data processing systems by applying automated continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) practices.

Required Skills

• Data Stewardship: Proven experience in scientific or environmental data management, including archiving, validating, and managing large datasets.
• Metadata Standards: Deep understanding of geospatial metadata standards, specifically ISO 19115, ISO 19139, or FGDC CSDGM.
• Modern Scripting: Proficient programming skills in Python for automating data ingest, processing pipelines, and manipulating metadata.
• Database & APIs: Some experience with SQL database management systems (such as PostgreSQL/PostGIS) and building or interacting with REST-based APIs.
• Version Control: Demonstrated experience using Git and collaborative repositories (e.g., GitHub or GitLab) in a software development environment.
• Technical Writing: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills with experience drafting technical documentation, user guides, or formal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Security Clearance: Must be able to pass a background investigation to obtain a federal security badge for access to government facilities and IT networks.

Preferred Skills

• Environmental/Oceanographic Domain Knowledge: Familiarity with coastal observing systems, tide and water-level observations, or oceanographic research variables.
• Scientific Data Formats: Experience working with traditional scientific self-documenting formats (e.g., netCDF, HDF5) and cloud-optimized formats (e.g., Parquet, Zarr).
• Cloud Architecture: Practical familiarity with cloud service platforms, especially AWS (such as S3, EC2, Lambda) and data-migration methodologies.
• Modern Scripting: Proficient with R for data analytics and visualization.
• Containerization & Devops: Familiarity with Docker or Podman container tools, and Agile/Scrum software development frameworks.
• Workflow Automation: Experience developing or maintaining orchestration services, web service pipelines, or ETL/ELT processes.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Physical Science (such as Oceanography, Atmospheric Science, Meteorology, or Physics), Computer Science, Library or Information Science, or a related scientific/technical discipline.

At CSS, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and merit-based workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all individuals, ensuring that hiring and employment decisions are based on qualifications, skills, and performance. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. 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.