Ecological Data Scientist, IS-1560-12

Smithsonian Institution•Front Royal, VA

35d•Onsite

About The Position

The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo. This position is located in the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI), Front Royal, VA. NZCBI plays a leading role in the Smithsonian's global efforts to save wildlife species from extinction and train future generations of conservationists. We are seeking a motivated Ecological Data Scientist to join our interdisciplinary research team focused on advancing conservation and ecological understanding through innovative data analysis. The successful candidate will work at the interface of ecology, statistics, and data science with large ecological datasets—including wildlife monitoring (e.g., animal movements, camera trapping, acoustics, eDNA), remote sensing, and field survey data—to support research, management, and decision-making in conservation and natural resource management. The incumbent will perform analytical and evaluative work associated with research activities involving the ecological study of organisms and the environment, summarizing findings for scientific and lay audiences. The incumbent must have demonstrated expertise in computer programming (e.g., R, Python) and fluency in managing large, complex datasets. The incumbent supervises interns, students, and collaborates with other ecologists, conservation practitioners, and data scientists to develop analytical tools, integrate diverse datasets, and generate actionable insights for biodiversity conservation. The position provides opportunities for independent research, collaborative grant development, and peer-review publication, and will contribute to strengthening quantitative capacity across the Institute.

Requirements

Completion of a Ph.D. in ecological sciences, computational biology, or equivalent field of science underlying ecological research that included at least 30 semester hours in basic and applied biological sciences, with at least 9 semester hours in ecology, and 12 semester hours in physical and mathematical sciences
One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the grade IS-11 or GS-11 level in the Federal Service
Working knowledge of the principles of ecology and conservation of wildlife through coursework in ecology, wildlife management, statistical analyses, or a related field
Self-direction and motivation, combined with flexibility and entrepreneurial thinking
Knowledge and experience in ecological forecasting, with a focus on global change, conservation, and natural resource management
Experience utilizing high-performance computing clusters or cloud computing environments for large-scale ecological analyses, including job scheduling, parallel processing, or workflow management
Demonstrated proficiency in programming languages such as R or Python
Familiarity with Bayesian modeling, hierarchical models, or spatiotemporal statistical methods
Familiarity with research data management best practices, including FAIR data principles, metadata standards, and institutional data governance frameworks
Experience working with analyzing large complex ecological, environmental, or biodiversity datasets
Demonstrated ability to work effectively in interdisciplinary and international research collaborations
Knowledge and experience with biodiversity conservation, including wildlife ecology and conservation, community engagement, and program development
A graduate degree, M.S. or higher in conservation, computational ecology, or related academic field
Experience coordinating collaborative research, conservation, and training programs
Demonstrated excellence in written communication, especially as it relates to grant writing
Demonstrated ability to communicate complex analytical results to diverse audiences
Demonstrated excellence in working collaboratively between peers and partners, with a focus on communicating with a wide-range of audiences using different outlets ranging from peer-reviewed scientific articles to web and social media
Knowledge of organization skills including time management
Knowledge, skill, and ability to work independently and as part of a team
Experience planning, scheduling, and conducting projects in a timely manner
Knowledge of organizational goals, mission, priorities, and objectives
Pass Pre-employment Background Check and Subsequent Background Investigation for position designated as low risk
Complete a Probationary Period
Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer
Applicants must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement
Submit all college transcripts
CV/Resume must include a description of your paid and non-paid work experience that is related to this job; starting and ending dates of job (month and year); and average number of hours worked per week
CV/Resume must include the month and year of all degrees earned; professional and relevant volunteer experience; peer-reviewed publications; competitive funding received; any honors or awards received; memberships in professional societies; presentations given at national/international meetings; and names, addresses, and phone numbers of four persons familiar with your scientific stature, contributions, and recognition
Earned academic degrees must be verified with copies of official university transcripts that clearly state the classes taken, degree awarded, the major, and date of conferral
CV/Resume must clearly identify how you fulfill the SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE to be considered

Responsibilities

Integrate diverse data streams, including wildlife monitoring data, long-term ecological datasets, movement data, and remotely sensed environmental variables
Develop and apply statistical, computational, and machine learning methods to understand ecological patterns, species distributions, population dynamics, and ecosystem processes
Contribute to the development of dashboards, decision-support tools, and reproducible data pipelines, leveraging the Smithsonian's high-performance computing infrastructure and research data platforms to process and analyze large-scale ecological datasets
Ensure ecological data workflows align with Smithsonian data governance policies, including metadata standards, data sharing requirements, and institutional data management practices; contribute to the development and refinement of these policies as they relate to ecological and biodiversity data
Process and analyze geospatial data using GIS and remote sensing products
Foster a Community of Practice among Smithsonian and partner-institution researchers by developing shared analytical resources (e.g., code libraries, standardized workflows, training materials), coordinating collaborative research projects, and organizing workshops or seminars that build quantitative capacity across the Institute
Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team of scientists to translate ecological questions into analytical workflows
Demonstrated expertise in various computer programming languages (e.g., R, Python)
Contribute to reproducible research practices, including well-documented code and version-controlled workflows
Work with program scientists, leadership, and other relevant SI staff to develop strategic, operations, and development plans for the program
Promote ecological studies of interest to advance the Smithsonian’s mission for understanding and sustaining a biodiverse planet
Participate in scientific meetings and symposia to correspond with members of the scientific community involved in related research
Gather, organize, and interpret ecological, biological, physical, public use or other information pertinent to research studies and/or investigations
Communicate scientific discoveries and information on the program into scientific reports, peer-reviewed publications, and presentations for scientific and lay audiences
Organize and communicate with program science leads and partner organizations
Lead or contribute to peer-reviewed publications, technical reports, and grant proposals for additional financial support
Perform other duties as assigned