Hydrologist

Lynker Corporation•Portland, OR

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Lynker is seeking a highly experienced and strategic Senior Operational Hydrologist to serve asthe Research-to-Operations (R2O) Lead, embedded within the NOAA National Weather Service(NWS) Northwest River Forecast Center (RFC) in Portland, OR. This Contract is contigent on Lynker winning the contract award This is a high-impact role supporting Lynker’s partnership with the Center for Western Weatherand Water Extremes (CW3E), the NOAA Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations inHydrology (CIROH), the Office of Water Prediction, and NWS RFCs. As the senior technicalauthority on site, you will spearhead the experimental implementation of Forecast-InformedReservoir Operations (FIRO), transforming mature research into operational protocols. You willact as a primary architect for bridging the gap between scientific innovation and real-time floodforecasting, while also mentoring junior staff and influencing future R&D directions through theOperations-to-Research (O2R) feedback loop. Support & Collaboration: While this role is embedded at the NWS, you will be backed by a robustsupport network. You will have direct access to the technical resources and subject matterexperts at Lynker. This ensures you have the institutional backing, data access, andcollaborative power needed to succeed in this high-visibility R2O initiative.

Requirements

A Ph.D. in Hydrology, Civil Engineering, Atmospheric Science, or a relateddiscipline, and 3+ years of experience; OR
A Master’s Degree in a related discipline with at least 7+ years of specializedprofessional experience in operational hydrology or hydrologic modeling.
Operational Systems Expertise: Deep technical proficiency with operational forecastingsystems and hydrologic modeling suites (e.g., SAC-SMA, HEFS, physically-basedmodels).
Advanced Technical Skills: Expert-level capability in programming (Python, R) and datamanagement for large-scale hydrologic datasets.
Leadership capability: Proven track record of leading complex technical projects,managing stakeholder relationships, and driving consensus across multi-agency teams.

Nice To Haves

Subject Matter Expertise: Recognized authority in Forecast-Informed ReservoirOperations (FIRO) or similar adaptive management strategies.
Ensemble Forecasting: Extensive experience with hydrologic ensemble forecast services(HEFS), probabilistic verification, and risk-based decision support tools.
Software Engineering: Familiarity with modern software development practices (versioncontrol, containerization) to streamline model deployment.
Mentoring Experience: Demonstrated success in supervising or mentoring junior scientists, with specific examples of guiding professional development.

Responsibilities

Spearhead R2O Initiatives: Lead the design, testing, and operational deployment ofadvanced hydrologic models and forecasting techniques (specifically FIRO) within theRFC environment.
Strategic Liaison: Serve as the authoritative liaison between CIROH researchers, Lynkermanagement, and Northwest RFC leadership; successfully negotiate and align researchcapabilities with operational constraints.
Model Architecture & Integration: Oversee the technical integration of new modelingsystems into the NWS Community Hydrologic Prediction System (CHPS), ensuringrobustness and reliability for critical public safety forecasts.
Advanced Analysis: Direct high-level data analysis and visualization efforts to validatemodel performance, ensemble forecast generation, and reservoir inflow predictions.
Technical Mentorship: Act as a subject matter expert and mentor to junior hydrologistsand forecasting staff, fostering a culture of continuous learning and technicalexcellence.
Workflow Optimization: Evaluate existing operational workflows and authorrecommendations for modernization that enhance efficiency and forecast accuracy.
Publishing & Thought Leadership: Lead the preparation of high-impact annual scientificreports and peer-reviewed journal articles; represent the project as a keynote or primarypresenter at national scientific conferences.

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