Ecological Data Scientist, IS-1560-12

The Smithsonian Institution is hiring an Ecological Data Scientist for a full-time, temporary position at the National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, VA. The role involves analyzing large ecological datasets to support conservation efforts, requiring expertise in programming (R, Python) and data management. The position offers a salary range of $102,415 - $133,142 per year and is open to all qualified applicants.
Ecological Data Scientist, IS-1560-12Application Deadline: 18 May 2026

Department: National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Front Royal, VA

Reporting To: Supervisory Ecologist

Compensation: $102,415 - $133,142 / year


DescriptionOPEN DATE: April 20, 2026CLOSING DATE: May 18, 2026
POSITION TYPE: Trust FundAPPOINTMENT TYPE: Temporary Not to Exceed nine (9) Months (may be extended based on funds availability)SCHEDULE: Full Time
DUTY LOCATION: Front Royal, VA
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Who May Apply:
Open to all Qualified Applicants

What are Trust Fund Positions?
Trust Fund positions are unique to the Smithsonian. They are paid for from a variety of sources, including the Smithsonian endowment, revenue from our business activities, donations, grants and contracts. Trust employees are not part of the civil service, nor does trust fund employment lead to Federal status. The salary ranges for trust positions are generally the same as for federal positions and in many cases trust and federal employees work side by side. Trust employees have their own benefit program and may include Health, Dental & Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Transit/Commuter Benefits, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, Annual and Sick Leave, Family Friendly Leave, 403b Retirement Plan, Discounts for Smithsonian Memberships, Museum Stores and Restaurants, Credit Union, Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (Child Care), Flexible Spending Account (Health & Dependent Care). Conditions of Employment
Pass Pre-employment Background Check and Subsequent Background Investigation for position designated as low risk.
Complete a Probationary Period
Maintain a Bank Account for Direct Deposit/Electronic Transfer.
The position is open to all candidates eligible to work in the United States. Proof of eligibility to work in U.S. is not required to apply.
Applicants must meet all qualification and eligibility requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

OVERVIEWINTRODUCTIONThe Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex, with 21 museums and the National Zoo. This position is located in the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI), Front Royal, VA. NZCBI plays a leading role in the Smithsonian's global efforts to save wildlife species from extinction and train future generations of conservationists.

SUMMARY
We are seeking a motivated Ecological Data Scientist to join our interdisciplinary research team focused on advancing conservation and ecological understanding through innovative data analysis. The successful candidate will work at the interface of ecology, statistics, and data science with large ecological datasets—including wildlife monitoring (e.g., animal movements, camera trapping, acoustics, eDNA), remote sensing, and field survey data—to support research, management, and decision-making in conservation and natural resource management. The incumbent will perform analytical and evaluative work associated with research activities involving the ecological study of organisms and the environment, summarizing findings for scientific and lay audiences. The incumbent must have demonstrated expertise in computer programming (e.g., R, Python) and fluency in managing large, complex datasets. The incumbent supervises interns, students, and collaborates with other ecologists, conservation practitioners, and data scientists to develop analytical tools, integrate diverse datasets, and generate actionable insights for biodiversity conservation. The position provides opportunities for independent research, collaborative grant development, and peer-review publication, and will contribute to strengthening quantitative capacity across the Institute.

LOCATION
Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, Front Royal, VA
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Integrate diverse data streams, including wildlife monitoring data, long-term ecological datasets, movement data, and remotely sensed environmental variables;
Develop and apply statistical, computational, and machine learning methods to understand ecological patterns, species distributions, population dynamics, and ecosystem processes;
Contribute to the development of dashboards, decision-support tools, and reproducible data pipelines, leveraging the Smithsonian's high-performance computing infrastructure and research data platforms to process and analyze large-scale ecological datasets;
Ensure ecological data workflows align with Smithsonian data governance policies, including metadata standards, data sharing requirements, and institutional data management practices; contribute to the development and refinement of these policies as they relate to ecological and biodiversity data.
Process and analyze geospatial data using GIS and remote sensing products;
Foster a Community of Practice among Smithsonian and partner-institution researchers by developing shared analytical resources (e.g., code libraries, standardized workflows, training materials), coordinating collaborative research projects, and organizing workshops or seminars that build quantitative capacity across the Institute.
Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team of scientists to translate ecological questions into analytical workflows.
Demonstrated expertise in various computer programming languages (e.g., R, Python);
Contribute to reproducible research practices, including well-documented code and version-controlled workflows.
Work with program scientists, leadership, and other relevant SI staff to develop strategic, operations, and development plans for the program;
Promote ecological studies of interest to advance the Smithsonian’s mission for understanding and sustaining a biodiverse planet;
Participate in scientific meetings and symposia to correspond with members of the scientific community involved in related research;
Gather, organize, and interpret ecological, biological, physical, public use or other information pertinent to research studies and/or investigations;
Communicate scientific discoveries and information on the program into scientific reports, peer-reviewed publications, and presentations for scientific and lay audiences;
Organize and communicate with program science leads and partner organizations;
Lead or contribute to peer-reviewed publications, technical reports, and grant proposals for additional financial support; and
Perform other duties as assigned.


QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: Applicants must meet the basic education requirement for their discipline: Ecological Data Scientist, GS-12 AND the experience listed below. Please note: It is the applicants responsibility to show how you satisfy the course requirements for the position. If you do not provide information that clearly shows how your completed college course work meets all of the requirements, you will be rated ineligible. Your rating will be based solely on the information you submit with your application. No attempts will be made to verify with you, or the school you attended, whether or not your course work meets all of the requirements. YOU MUST SUBMIT ALL YOUR COLLEGE TRANSCRIPTS.


Degree: Candidates may qualify for this position by demonstrating the experience described below and by completion of a Ph.D. in ecological sciences, computational biology, or equivalent field of science underlying ecological research that included at least 30 semester hours in basic and applied biological sciences. These hours must have included at least 9 semester hours in ecology, and 12 semester hours in physical and mathematical sciences.



-AND-



Experience: You qualify for this position if you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the grade IS-11 or GS-11 level in the Federal Service.



For this position, SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE is defined as working knowledge of the principles of ecology and conservation of wildlife through coursework in ecology, wildlife management, statistical analyses, or a related field. The role requires self-direction and motivation, combined with flexibility and entrepreneurial thinking. The incumbent/position should possess the following knowledge and qualifications including:



Knowledge and experience in ecological forecasting, with a focus on global change, conservation, and natural resource management;
Experience utilizing high-performance computing clusters or cloud computing environments for large-scale ecological analyses, including job scheduling, parallel processing, or workflow management;
Demonstrated proficiency in programming languages such as R or Python;
Familiarity with Bayesian modeling, hierarchical models, or spatiotemporal statistical methods;
Familiarity with research data management best practices, including FAIR data principles, metadata standards, and institutional data governance frameworks;
Experience working with analyzing large complex ecological, environmental, or biodiversity datasets;
Demonstrated ability to work effectively in interdisciplinary and international research collaborations;
Knowledge and experience with biodiversity conservation, including wildlife ecology and conservation, community engagement, and program development;
A graduate degree, M.S. or higher in conservation, computational ecology, or related academic field;
Experience coordinating collaborative research, conservation, and training programs;
Demonstrated excellence in written communication, especially as it relates to grant writing;
Demonstrated ability to communicate complex analytical results to diverse audiences.
Demonstrated excellence in working collaboratively between peers and partners, with a focus on communicating with a wide-range of audiences using different outlets ranging from peer-reviewed scientific articles to web and social media;
Knowledge of organization skills including time management;
Knowledge, skill, and ability to work independently and as part of a team;
Experience planning, scheduling, and conducting projects in a timely manner; and
Knowledge of organizational goals, mission, priorities, and objectives.
Applicants who wish to qualify based on education completed outside the United States must be deemed equivalent to higher education programs of U.S. Institutions by an organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. This documentation is the responsibility of the applicant and should be included as part of your application package.

HOW TO APPLY:

CV/Resume must include a description of your paid and non-paid work experience that is related to this job; starting and ending dates of job (month and year); and average number of hours worked per week.

CV/Resume must include the month and year of all degrees earned; professional and relevant volunteer experience; peer-reviewed publications; competitive funding received; any honors or awards received; memberships in professional societies; presentations given at national/international meetings; and names, addresses, and phone numbers of four persons familiar with your scientific stature, contributions, and recognition. Earned academic degrees must be verified with copies of official university transcripts that clearly state the classes taken, degree awarded, the major, and date of conferral.

CV/Resume must clearly identify how you fulfill the SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE to be considered.

Failure to provide this information and documents will result in your application receiving no further consideration.

A cover letter can be included with the application materials to summarize the applicant’s training, experience, and interest in the position.

Any false statement in your application may result in your application being rejected and may also result in termination after employment begins. Join us in "Inspiring Generations through Knowledge and Discovery."
What To Expect Next: Once the vacancy announcement closes, a review of your resume will be compared against the qualification and experience requirements related to this job. After review of applicant resumes is complete, qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager. Relocation expenses are not paid.

The Smithsonian Institution provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation should contact biagasl@si.edu. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. To learn more, please review the Smithsonian’s Accommodation Procedures. The Smithsonian Institution is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe that a workforce comprising a variety of educational, cultural, and experiential backgrounds support and enhance our daily work life and contribute to the richness of our exhibitions and programs. See Smithsonian EEO program information: www.si.edu/oeema.