Statistical Analysis Support Services

Ocean Associates Incorporated•Seattle, WA

1d•$45 - $60•Hybrid

About The Position

Ocean Associates Inc. (OAI) is seeking an applicant to provide statistical Analysis support services to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries, Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC), Fish Ecology Division (FE) in Seattle, WA. OAI is a Virginia corporation established in 2003 that provides consulting and technical services to the U.S. government, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, and the private sector. We specialize in scientific program and project management, strategic planning, professional and technical services, and stakeholder engagement, supporting government contracts. The Fish Ecology Division at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) conducts scientific research on marine and anadromous species in the Pacific Northwest and California to support management of these species as mandated by the authorizing mechanisms outlined above. Some stocks are managed under the MSA to produce abundant harvest opportunities for commercial and recreational fishermen and to meet tribal treaty obligations, while others are in decline and protected by the ESA. The NWFSC also researches ways to improve aquaculture and increase seafood safety. Holistic understanding of all factors controlling the abundance and health of fisheries and aquaculture often requires an ecosystem approach, working to understand how managed natural resources are affected by their prey, competitors, predators, habitats, and humans. This position will support NWFSC staff and interdisciplinary teams of scientists, natural resource managers, and tribal representatives to conduct ecological research on species that NOAA is mandated to manage. The NWFSC is a leader in quantitative analyses supporting fisheries management for marine and anadromous species. It produces increasingly large datasets as quantitative research techniques become more complex. Researchers examine complex relationships between managed stocks and their environments that involve highly technical statistical approaches that continue to rapidly evolve. The Center collaborates with regional partners to manage data and provide public access to empirical and modeled data products. There is a strong need for continued improvement in both the ability to conduct advanced quantitative analyses and to adeptly manage and share resulting research products. Modern fisheries management faces a growing data-capacity gap: data volume is surging while managers have less time to interpret complex research.

Requirements

PhD degree from an accredited college or university with a major in a field of study related to the requirements of the task order with emphasis in statistics, mathematics, fisheries, ecology, or the natural sciences is required.
Must have a strong quantitative background with a solid foundation and extensive coursework in statistics and probability.
Ten (10) or more years of experience related to the task order, including familiarity with the species and habitats managed by NOAA Fisheries in the West Coast region.
Excellent verbal and written communication, and experience writing reports and publishing peer-reviewed articles.
Strong quantitative skills including extensive experience in statistical modeling and data analysis.
Extensive experience conducting analyses and coding in R, experience with programs Stan and JAGS, and experience with open science concepts.
Strong computational skills, including the ability to manipulate large environmental datasets within a command-line environment (e.g., Linux/shell scripting) to support statistical workflows.
Familiarity interpreting or interfacing with C or C++ code within a scientific modeling context.
Familiarity with common software including Google Suite and Microsoft Office.
Ability to manage workload, stay organized, and produce high-quality work products efficiently.
Ability to work both independently and on interdisciplinary teams.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge and experience in Bayesian statistics and mark-recapture methods is strongly preferred.
An Advanced Degree in a related field may be substituted for two (MS) or four (PhD) years of experience.

Responsibilities

Provide statistical analysis to inform management decisions.
Statistically analyze spatial and temporal variability in processes experienced by migrating salmon in the river systems, especially to understand survival and migration patterns through hydropower systems and through their life cycles.
Analyze and generate relationships between fish responses (e.g. density, growth, survival, migration rate) and stressors (e.g. environmental or ecological conditions, habitat metrics, management actions, etc.) in particular life stages.
Develop novel probabilistic mathematical and simulation models that seek to represent unique and complex ecological and behavioral processes with modern statistical methods.
Provide statistical support for other researchers during study design and analysis.
Organize and curate ecological datasets relevant to mark-recapture modeling needs.
Document and share reproducible research workflows and analytical protocols to ensure scientific transparency and peer collaboration.
Publish reports and scientific papers, and present results at regional and national meetings and scientific conferences, as needed.
Assist with field collection of fish and environmental data in freshwater, estuarine, and nearshore marine environments of the West Coast region, as needed. This may involve riding in vehicles and/or boats.