CSS is seeking a highly qualified candidate(s) for an Oceanographer position(s) on an interdisciplinary research team of contract and federal employees. The integrated research team will support the NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS; http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/) Marine Spatial Ecology Division, which is a nationally recognized scientific research program that conducts spatial ecological analysis, statistical modeling, ecological forecasting, and predictive mapping to support marine ecosystem management, conservation, restoration and spatial planning. The candidate(s) will be employed by CSS to work on site at the NOAA National Ocean Service in Silver Spring, MD.

We seek a qualified candidate(s) to facilitate the integration of regional ocean and earth system predictions and projections into ecological and oceanographic studies to map, characterize, assess, and model the spatial distributions and movements of estuarine and marine organisms across habitats throughout the United States and Island Territories. A strong background in Oceanography is required, with preference given to additional background in the marine sciences and climate change. Suitable candidate(s) will be able to work effectively with a team of scientists from remote locations, set and meet deadlines, and work independently and complete milestones in a timely manner. The successful candidate will join an experienced scientific team at the forefront of marine ecological predictive analytics.

Key duties/ responsibilities include:

• Oceanographic data development and acquisition
• Contributes to the delivery of regional ocean and earth system predictions and projections to improve the resilience of coastal ecosystems and communities in support of NOAA's Climate Ecosystems and Fisheries Initiative (CEFI) and its broader stewardship and regulatory missions.
• Contributes to the development of regional ocean and earth system prediction frameworks, including through integration of new algorithms and capabilities with large-scale geophysical fluid dynamics codes, optimization of codes and model configurations for high performance computing architectures, and development of analysis and diagnostic toolboxes.
• Engages with climate impacts researchers and managers from across NOAA and its partners to translate ocean and coastal predictions to actionable information for climate-informed ocean and coastal decisions.

Specific tasks may include the following as required and prioritized by NCCOS:

Data Management/Stewardship:

• Develop/set up/maintain a data storage system to retain and share oceanographic data products
• Set up and maintain a data versioning system to track end-to-end changes
• Make recommendations for software, hardware and data storage requirements
• Disseminate stewarded datasets and services via NCCOS websites.
• Assist with developing a data management plan, including standard operating procedures and best practices for data management. The plan should include the steps and mechanisms to manage, describe, analyze, store and share data
• Coordinate efforts among developers, IT, data collectors and data archivists for efficient data sharing and dissemination with NCEI (Archive), NCCOS (internal sharing/tools), and other associated organizations
• Coordinate and develop data management plans, standards, etc. with the IT data inventory working group
• Lead or contribute to writing technical reports and journal articles and present at scientific conferences
• Travel to federal and state agencies and academic institutions as part of collaborative research projects

Qualifications:

Minimum Requirements

• PhD or equivalent experience in Oceanography.
• Experience working with regional ocean models, e.g., the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS), the Modular Ocean Model 6 (MOM6), and coastal ocean models, e.g., the Finite Volume Coastal Ocean Model (FVCOM).
• Ability to use scripting languages (e.g., R, Python, Matlab).
• Ability to independently identify, analyze and solve complex statistical and computational problems.
• Demonstrated written and oral scientific communication skills
• Ability to work independently and effectively in a dynamic, fast-paced multi-project environment

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of marine science, biological oceanography, ecology, or a related field
• Record of academic publications and presentations

CSS is predominantly a Federal Contractor and is subject to following the terms of Executive Orders. CSS requires all Employees (Direct, Indirect, government, state, and commercial), including employees working from home/remotely, to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have an approved exemption. Exceptions to the COVID-19 vaccine requirements may be provided to individuals for religious beliefs or medical reasons. Requests for an exception must be submitted to the CSS HR Department.

CSS is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer who provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regards to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or genetic information. In addition to federal law requirements, CSS complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.