Azura Consulting LLC HMS Ecosystem Services Data Scientist Remote · Full time Company website

Apply for HMS Ecosystem Services Data Scientist

Thank you for applying. Azura Consulting LLC (Azura) is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of any status or condition protected by applicable federal or state law. We strongly encourage all qualified persons to apply for this position.

This recruitment process can take several weeks. Once we narrow the applicants, we conduct virtual interviews with chosen applicants and make a final selection. The chosen candidate then undergoes a federal background investigation which often takes 6 to 16 weeks; the candidate either passes or fails based on NOAA's regulations. Contingent upon satisfactory completion of this investigation and United States work authorization verification, Azura will formally offer the position to the preferred applicant. If the applicant fails this investigation, the next applicant who meets the position's criteria will be contacted. Azura will notify all other applicants if they are not chosen for the position, but if you have questions in the meantime not related to the status of your application, email Anna at [email protected].

About Azura

Azura is a woman-owned small business headquartered in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. We offer 'big city' resources with 'small town' customer service. Our primary consulting services are focused on natural resources, professional writing and editing, and educational outreach and communication. Please see our website above for more information.

Background

Azura is seeking an organized HMS Ecosystem Services Data Scientist to support the NOAA Fisheries Office of Sustainable Fisheries (OSF). OSF supports consideration and resolution of national domestic policy issues, provides support to the regional fishery management councils (councils), manages fisheries for Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS), and works with federal partners to ensure the safety of seafood sold in the United States. OSF is a headquarters office and works closely with the five NOAA Fisheries regional offices and six science centers and in partnership with the councils, interstate marine fishery commissions, and states to ensure U.S. fisheries are sustainably managed. OSF also engages the fishing industry (both commercial and recreational) seafood dealers, environmental groups, other federal agencies, and academia to ensure sustainable fisheries and sustainable economies and healthy and nutritious shellfish and finfish.

The Ecosystem Services Data Scientist would support the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Management Division. The Atlantic HMS Management Division manages HMS fisheries – tunas, sharks, swordfish, and billfish – in the U.S. Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean waters. We develop and implement fishery management plans in cooperation with the HMS advisory panel and in accordance with national policies and procedures, monitor commercial and recreational catches to ensure compliance with domestic and international quotas/catch limits, issue permits for commercial and recreational HMS fishing and scientific research, and implement domestic requirements and support international negotiations for international management bodies.

Program Description

The Atlantic HMS Management Division is involved with several projects contributing towards the agency’s efforts to address climate change in U.S. fisheries. These include, but are not limited to, implementation of the NOAA Fisheries Climate Science Strategy, the Atlantic HMS ecosystem-based fishery management plan (EBFM), the NOAA Fisheries Integrated Ecosystem Assessment (IEA) program, the Climate, Ecosystem and Fisheries Initiative (CEFI), and participation in regional initiatives or other national policies or procedures concerning EBFM and climate change. Specifically, this position will assist with the “HMS Indicators Project”, which will identify, operationalize, and automate a suite of appropriate HMS indicators into annual operations, and generate visualization products that would help inform management actions and science products. Indicators are measurable signals that can be used to monitor trends related to ecosystem condition, and can include biological, physical, or social and economic indicators. NOAA is increasingly using ecosystem indicators and reference points to monitor managed resources, identify trends, and establish triggers for management action in a changing environment. The current suite of indicator portals and ecosystem products reliant on indicators generally do not include Atlantic HMS or poorly represent HMS, and/or have not been developed with HMS management needs in mind.

Having high attention to detail and the ability to manage short project timelines are critical skills for this position. Potential candidates must also possess the curiosity and ability to find solutions and resolve issues based on available resources and also have strong client and team communication skills. Applicants must be able to operate independently, manage their own work schedule, and dedicate blocks of time for uninterrupted focus.

Place and Period of Performance

Work is anticipated to be conducted remotely within the United States and is full-time (40 hours per week) with an expected duration of 2 years. This position will require that most work be conducted during Eastern Standard Time working hours. During workdays, candidates must be able to respond to all communications within 24 hours and conduct calls and meetings as necessary during normal business hours. Some travel to in-person meetings may be required.

Benefits 

Competitive benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance and life and disability insurance. You will be eligible for a 401(k) retirement plan with employer match and will receive paid time off for vacation, sick leave, and federal holidays. 

Duties

The employee will perform a variety of tasks related to project management support. Specific tasks are expected to include the following:

• Creation of an Atlantic HMS distribution database which incorporates data compiled for Atlantic HMS essential fish habitat and climate vulnerability assessment activities.
• Creation of a user-friendly interface for long-term access by HMS staff, including canned and custom query tools.
• For selected HMS indicators, create custom codes, automated queries, and access points or user portals. Create appropriate transition products and source code documentation to ensure easy and accurate future data pulls in support of selected HMS indicators by any HMS staff.
• Generate time series and indicator products or visualizations for selected HMS indicators.
• Create a long-term data management plan and appropriate process documentation consistent with the Office of Sustainable Fisheries’ data governance and process management requirements. This includes creating documentation consistent with the requirements of the HMS Quality Management Plan, NMFS OSF technology requirements and standards, and NMFS Data Governance Standards.
• Help characterize candidate indicators based on a suite of criteria from appropriate decision support frameworks.
• Work with HMS staff to identify and evaluate a suite of appropriate HMS indicators that can be operationalized independently or as part of the HMS SAFE report process.
• Coordinate with science center staff to identify and establish connectivity to appropriate datasets.
• Assist with redesigning Chapter 3 of the HMS SAFE Report.
• Assist senior developers with the creation of code, interfaces or data portals to ensure long-term, user friendly access to data used to generate selected indicators. Code, interfaces or data portals should be accessible to all HMS staff, and should not require advanced knowledge of statistics or coding in order to generate indicator data. May include a database and web interface (IT resource hours added each year).
• Assist senior developers with the development of database or cloud storage and data portals needed to hold data used to generate indicators, if these data are not already held in existing databases or available through existing data portals. If these data are held in existing databases, help develop data access protocols or code to query data.
• Complete or assist with the creation of visualizations, data summaries and reports that are compatible with HMS end user product and documentation requirements (e.g., HMS SAFE Report). This may include leveraging non-HMS products for HMS use (e.g., ESRs, ICCAT Ecosystem Report Card).
• Create or assist with the creation of visualizations, data summaries and reports that are compatible with non-HMS end user product and documentation requirements (e.g., DisMAP, EcoWatch, ecosystem status reports).
• Attend in-person team meetings in Spring 2025 and Winter 2026.
• Attend one in-person meeting with potential end users (e.g., the Northeast State of the Ecosystem Team), to socialize the project and understand technical needs for HMS Indicators.
• Assist the HMS EBFM team with compiling contributions and meeting technical requirements for the 2025 State of the Ecosystem Report, inclusive of data pulls, creating visualizations, and updating a GitHub repository and metadata.
• Complete or assist with related statistical or geospatial analyses for HMS Ecosystem Services products (e.g., ecosystem-based fishery management products, climate products, climate vulnerability assessments, risk analyses, Essential Fish Habitat products).

Required Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in natural resource management, biology, ecology, statistics, or a related field
• At least 3 years of experience developing spatial analyses and conducting statistical analyses, data management, and coding
• Experience documenting scientific processes and analyses used for scientific projects.
• Experience and working knowledge with statistical and coding software such as R, SAS, Python, etc.
• Knowledge of existing species distribution modeling methods, tools, and data sources
• Experience in Oracle database management, and data quality control/quality assurance methodologies
• Experience with SQL programs and programming, and familiarity working with large and complex relational databases
• Experience with metadata management, documentation, and software used in documentation (e.g., GitHub, Confluence)
• Experience working collaboratively in an online team to ensure proper communication regarding deadlines and project directives
• Ability to effectively and efficiently work under tight deadlines and scheduled action dates
• Strong organizational, analytical, written, and verbal skills
• Proficiency in working with Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel), and Google Suite
• Candidate must be able to obtain a Public Trust Clearance which requires passing a thorough background check
• Eligibility to work in the United States

Preferred Qualifications

• Specialized advanced studies, degrees, or applicable work experience with Atlantic Highly Migratory Species, fisheries management, and ecosystem-level research, modeling, and/or management
• Familiarity with climate change, climate indicators, and related management issues, especially as it pertains to the marine environment

How to Apply 

• Requirement: Obtain phone and email contact information for 2 to 4 professional references who can provide a knowledgeable assessment of your job-specific qualifications.
• Requirement: Prepare two PDF documents:
• A 1-page cover letter that specifies the position to which you are applying; your earliest available start date; and your level of knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience as they pertain to the key responsibilities and desired strengths of this position. Name the PDF in the format of Lastname‐Firstname_Cover Letter_HMS Data Scientist.
• A resume (no more than 3 pages) targeted specifically towards the duties and qualifications of this position. Name the PDF in the format of Lastname‐Firstname_Resume (OR CV)_HMS Data Scientist.
• Click on the link above or below to submit an application.