Field Party Chief / Survey Component Lead – Level II (Gulf Video Survey)

Think Tank•Panama City Beach, FL

5d•Onsite

About The Position

Serve as Field Party Chief and Survey Component Lead for GCRF Gulf Video surveys, providing advanced leadership on a specific survey component (e.g., habitat mapping, automated processing) while supporting at-sea operations, video annotation, and data management. This position requires US Citizenship and is subject to contract award. The role involves at-sea travel on NOAA Ships and research vessels.

Requirements

MS Degree in Marine Science or related field, OR BS Degree plus 3 years of relevant experience.
Computer proficiency with word processing, database, statistical, and graphics software.
College-level writing and oral presentation skills.
Knowledge of SEAMAP field sampling protocols for reef fish.
Experience as lead data collector on at-sea surveys.
Proficiency with shipboard hydrological (SCS) and biological (SEAL) data systems.
Proficiency in fish, invertebrate, and protected species identification.
Knowledge of reef taxa from the Gulf of America.
Knowledge of procedures when encountering endangered or threatened species.
Must meet NOAA OMAO sea-duty medical fitness requirements.
Current tetanus vaccine required.

Responsibilities

Lead pre- and post-survey inventory of equipment and gear; submit cruise instructions and cruise reports.
Ensure all participant clearance forms are completed and submitted.
Plan and provide logistical support for surveys including shipboard data collection and post-survey activities.
Serve as liaison between ship, laboratory, participants, and TAS program.
Coordinate daily vessel activities, personnel, positions, ports of call, and weather conditions.
Conduct at-sea data collection, biological/environmental sampling, and process data per SOPs.
Report weekly progress to Branch Chief and Survey Coordinator; complete incident reports as required.
QA/QC data for entry into lab databases; unload, clean, and store gear.
Serve as subject matter expert for marine fish identification in Gulf of America and Caribbean Sea habitats.
Serve as point of contact for survey components (habitat mapping, video QA/QC, database management, automated processing).
Execute video annotation workflow (VIAME); manage review/tracking sheets and GitHub project.
QA/QC video data in Oracle databases; assist with data backup and security.
Support AI/ML data output integration; assist analysts with data prep, report drafting, and figure creation.
Attend and present at professional scientific meetings.
Participate in public outreach and education activities.