Senior Scientist — Operations Lead

FedWriters, Inc.•College Park, MD

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

FWI is building a team to provide professional program science support services to NOAA's Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) CoastWatch/OceanWatch/PolarWatch Program. As the Senior Scientist for Program Operations and Services, you will lead the team responsible for developing and sustaining satellite-derived ocean, coastal, and inland water data products, operating moderate assurance monitoring services, maintaining data access and distribution systems, and driving the migration of CoastWatch capabilities to cloud environments. FWI has been recognized as a Top Workplace by the Washington Post in 2024 and 2025, offering excellent growth opportunities in a collaborative environment. Position is contingent upon contract award

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (or equivalent experience)
Expertise with ocean information products from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) missions
Sound familiarity with non-NOAA space agencies' ocean, coastal, and inland water remote sensing (e.g., NASA, ESA, EUMETSAT, JAXA, CSA)
Expertise in scientific data product development, generation/processing, calibration/validation, and quality control of environmental satellite data
Experience maintaining ERDDAP, THREDDS, and API servers
Knowledge of common earth science data formats and metadata (e.g., HDF, COG, GeoZarr, NetCDF-CF, GCTP)
Working knowledge of scientific programming languages (e.g., Python, FORTRAN, C/C++, PHP, Perl, shell script, Java, JavaScript, MATLAB, IDL)
Familiarity with Linux platforms using PHP, CGI, and GIS-compliant internet map serving
Ability to maintain and develop the CoastWatch Data Portal, program website, and CoastWatch Utilities Software
Strong technical, scientific, and general audience writing and verbal presentation skills in English
Graphical presentation and data visualization skills

Nice To Haves

Master's degree or higher
Practical experience in ocean remote sensing
Familiarity with NOAA/NESDIS requirements, processes, and procedures
Familiarity with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS) and cloud-optimized data formats and metadata
Familiarity with commercial remote sensing providers (e.g., Planet, Maxar, ICEYE)
Hands-on experience with secure access protocols, core cloud services (S3, EC2, VPC, IAM), and AI/ML applications

Responsibilities

Lead the development and sustainment of satellite-derived experimental products supporting research-to-operations transitions across multiple science areas including sea surface temperature, ocean color, sea surface height, cryosphere, ocean surface vector winds, water surface conditions, Coral Reef Watch, and non-NOAA products
Perform calibration, validation, and quality control of environmental satellite data and downstream value-added products
Oversee moderate assurance operations including human monitoring coverage (8 hours/day, 5 days/week), operational product processing, and supporting documentation and communications
Operate and maintain CoastWatch data systems including the data portal, ERDDAP server, program website, help desk, and associated data tools and utilities
Maintain product availability and quality monitoring systems, infrastructure, processing systems, and data management documentation
Lead the transition of tools, software, and systems to the NESDIS Common Cloud Framework (NCCF) and/or commercial cloud services (e.g., AWS)
Identify and implement AI solutions to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs
Produce publications, posters, and presentations on CoastWatch products, applications, tools, and services
Minimal travel may be required to support CoastWatch program needs