Acoustician – Cetacean Data Analysis & Processing Support

Lynker Corporation•Waipahu, HI

3d•Remote

About The Position

Lynker Corporation is seeking to hire three (3) Acousticians to support a contract with NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), Protected Species Division (PSD). These are full-time positions that may be performed on-site or remotely, with anticipated travel in support of meetings, workshops, and field activities. The positions are anticipated to begin on September 30, 2026. Hiring for these positions will be contingent on contract award. Lynker will be operating under its FLOAT joint venture, a NOAA ProTech Fisheries 2.0 prime contract holder. PIFSC PSD uses passive acoustic monitoring data to support cetacean population assessments and analysis of ocean soundscapes across the Pacific Islands Region. The tasks for these positions will support larger analysis efforts at PIFSC. Work will include analysis of datasets collected from stationary, drifting, moored, towed, and autonomous platforms to evaluate cetacean vocalizations, behavior, occurrence, and relationships to habitat and environmental conditions.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in marine biology, oceanography, acoustics, fisheries science, or related field
Working knowledge of underwater acoustic theory and practice, including acoustic propagation, sound measurement, and standard signal processing techniques
Experience developing, testing, and validating automated detectors and classifiers for use on passive acoustic datasets
Experience processing acoustic data to extract soundscape and ambient noise measurements at hourly to yearly timescales.
Ability to design, execute, and interpret statistical analyses of animal abundance to evaluate patterns in occurrence or associations with habitat or fishery variables.
Prior experience drafting reports and presenting project results at scientific meetings
Proficiency in MATLAB and R programming languages, including MATLAB-based acoustic analysis software Triton.
Proficiency with passive acoustic metadata databases such as TETHYS and Makara, including organization of data for input, and query for extracting, evaluating, and using acoustic deployment and detection data stored within the databases.
Proficiency in use of open science practices in data analysis, including use of GitHub or other resources for maintaining and archiving analysis code
Proficiency with MS Office
Ability to manage large datasets and maintain detailed documentation of analyses and workflows
Ability to prepare technical reports and present findings
Ability to obtain and maintain required data access permissions, including signing Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) where applicable

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or higher in marine biology, oceanography, acoustics, fisheries science, or related field
Experience with acoustic localization techniques, including evaluation of automated algorithms within the standard processing software PAMGUARD, and developing of novel processing and evaluation code.

Responsibilities

Conduct analyses of passive acoustic datasets to support detection, classification, and localization of cetaceans
Characterize cetacean vocalizations and evaluate behavior, occurrence, abundance, seasonality, and habitat relationships
Develop and validate automated detection and classification approaches, including call-level annotation and manual validation
Analyze datasets collected from multiple platforms, including: Long-term stationary recorders Towed hydrophone arrays Drifting acoustic recorders Autonomous systems (e.g., Seagliders)
Apply statistical and quantitative approaches to support stock assessments and ecological analyses
Support Seaglider and advanced acoustic analyses, including: Classification of cetacean sounds to species where possible Validation of automated classifiers through manual review Application of sound propagation models using Python and cloud-based tools
Process acoustic datasets for analysis, including: Conversion of raw data formats into usable files (e.g., WAV) Debugging problematic data files Performing quality assurance and quality control checks
Archive and manage datasets, including: Storage on program and cloud servers Preparation for submission to NCEI Maintenance of dataset logs and issue tracking
Maintain and update acoustic metadata databases (e.g., TETHYS, Makara, NCEI), including uploading and quality-checking detection and classification data
Conduct quantitative soundscape analyses, including computation of ambient noise metrics and evaluation of trends across multiple temporal scales
Maintain logs of datasets analyzed, analytical methods, outputs, and issues encountered
Maintain analysis code and workflows in repositories such as NMFS GitHub Enterprise
Assist with preparation of technical reports, manuscripts, presentations, and data visualizations
Participate in meetings, workshops, and conferences to present progress and support collaboration

Benefits

Comprehensive healthcare for the employee at no monthly cost
Healthcare benefit covers medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision
Personal Time Off (PTO) Policy plus paid holidays
Highly competitive compensation plan regularly calibrated against industry and location benchmarks
401(k) retirement plan with company-matching
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) – we're all company owners!
Flexible spending accounts
Employee assistance program (EAP)
Short- and long-term disability insurance
Life and accident insurance
Tuition assistance/Training/Workforce improvement reimbursement per year
Spot bonuses for exceptional performance
Annual Employee Recognition Awards with bonuses
Employee Referral Program
Free centralized, self-directed Learning Management System to learn at your own pace
Personalized career growth plans for every employee