Hydrologist

Lynker Corporation•Portland, OR

9d•Onsite

About The Position

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

Requirements

A Ph.D. in Hydrology, Civil Engineering, Atmospheric Science, or a related discipline, and 3+ years of experience; OR A Master’s Degree in a related discipline with at least 7+ years of specialized professional experience in operational hydrology or hydrologic modeling.
Deep technical proficiency with operational forecasting systems and hydrologic modeling suites (e.g., SAC-SMA, HEFS, physically-based models).
Expert-level capability in programming (Python, R) and data management for large-scale hydrologic datasets.
Proven track record of leading complex technical projects, managing stakeholder relationships, and driving consensus across multi-agency teams.

Nice To Haves

Recognized authority in Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) or similar adaptive management strategies.
Extensive experience with hydrologic ensemble forecast services (HEFS), probabilistic verification, and risk-based decision support tools.
Familiarity with modern software development practices (version control, containerization) to streamline model deployment.
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 of advanced hydrologic models and forecasting techniques (specifically FIRO) within the RFC environment.
Strategic Liaison: Serve as the authoritative liaison between CIROH researchers, Lynker management, and Northwest RFC leadership; successfully negotiate and align research capabilities with operational constraints.
Model Architecture & Integration: Oversee the technical integration of new modeling systems into the NWS Community Hydrologic Prediction System (CHPS), ensuring robustness and reliability for critical public safety forecasts.
Advanced Analysis: Direct high-level data analysis and visualization efforts to validate model performance, ensemble forecast generation, and reservoir inflow predictions.
Technical Mentorship: Act as a subject matter expert and mentor to junior hydrologists and forecasting staff, fostering a culture of continuous learning and technical excellence.
Workflow Optimization: Evaluate existing operational workflows and author recommendations for modernization that enhance efficiency and forecast accuracy.
Publishing & Thought Leadership: Lead the preparation of high-impact annual scientific reports and peer-reviewed journal articles; represent the project as a keynote or primary presenter 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