Estuarine Ecologist (Environmental Scientist)

Job Description and Duties Join the Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP) as an estuarine scientist! Our long-term monitoring program collects data on water quality and biological (phytoplankton, zooplankton, and benthic invertebrate) communities in the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary to ensure regulatory compliance with Water Right Decision 1641 (D-1641). In this role, the incumbent will coordinate and serve as crew lead on monthly monitoring surveys aboard research vessels and by vehicle, making sure sampling is done safely and follows standard operating procedures (SOPs). The incumbent will maintain, calibrate, and install field equipment such as YSI EXO2 water quality sondes, and perform basic laboratory analyses. The incumbent will manage and perform post-collection quality control (QC) on water quality and biological data and publish it to open data portals following FAIR data principles. The incumbent will analyze data using statistical tools, visualize trends, and share the results through technical reports, data publications, and oral presentations. The incumbent will review and provide feedback on scientific and technical documents and coordinate with internal and external collaborators and stakeholders to execute special studies on emerging environmental issues in the Bay-Delta. As a permanent-intermittent position, the incumbent may not exceed working 1,500 hours in a calendar year. Permanent-intermittent (PI) employees are eligible to receive benefits after meeting the required work hour criteria and do receive holiday pay on a pro-rated basis. You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement. Special Requirements Candidates must possess: • a valid California driver’s license • standard (or correctable to standard) visual and hearing acuity Candidates must be able to: • Be available to conduct fieldwork outside of normal business hours including early mornings, late nights, and weekends. • Obtain a California boater card. • Work aboard boats for extended periods (> 8 hours) without incapacitation due to seasickness. • Swim at least 50 yards unaided. • Promptly equip personal flotation gear without help. • Stay afloat for five minutes while wearing a personal flotation device. • Carry and transport loads of up to 25 lbs. Desirable Qualifications In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate: A well-qualified candidate will have experience and familiarity with the following: • Conducting scientific fieldwork outdoors in remote or rugged terrain, particularly aboard boats. • Working outdoors as part of a team of scientists, technicians, and boat operators, including overseeing field safety and adherence to SOPs • Working both independently and collaboratively in a team setting with diverse groups including external interagency partners. • Performing water quality and/or biological monitoring or research in aquatic or similar environments • Managing, calibrating, and maintaining scientific equipment such as water quality sondes (e.g., the YSI EXO2 platform) • Documenting data management practices in standard operating procedures (SOPs), Quality Assurance Project Plans (QAPPs), or similar documents to achieve data quality objectives • Using Microsoft Office 365, relational databases, and scientific software (e.g., R, RStudio, ArcGIS, PRIMER, and GitHub) to manage, visualize, analyze, and publish large and complex environmental datasets following principles of FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) data reporting. • Performing numerical quality control (QC) checks on scientific data, particularly relating to water quality or biological communities • Developing and reviewing written and oral scientific communication products (e.g., conference presentations, technical reports, journal articles, undergraduate/graduate theses) for diverse audiences. • The unique challenges and emerging environmental issues of the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary