Environmental Data Scientist Coral Reef Watch Product Development

Lynker Technologies is hiring an Environmental Data Scientist for NOAA's Coral Reef Watch program. The role involves developing and enhancing satellite-based coral reef monitoring products, analyzing large datasets, and applying machine learning techniques. Candidates should have a Master's or Ph.D. in relevant fields and strong programming skills in Python. The position is remote and contingent on contract award, focusing on improving coral reef management and forecasting coral bleaching events.
About the position

Lynker is seeking a talented Environmental Data Scientist to support a long term contract for NOAA's Coral Reef Watch (CRW) program. The Environmental Data Scientist selected will be supporting the development, maintenance, and enhancement of satellite-based coral reef monitoring products. This role involves working with large-scale environmental datasets, algorithm development, remote sensing technologies, and machine learning applications to advance NOAA's ability to monitor and forecast coral bleaching events globally. This position is ideal for a candidate with a background in environmental modeling, oceanography, remote sensing, or climate data analysis who can help improve existing CRW products and contribute to the development of new predictive tools for coral reef management. These positions are contingent on contract award.

Responsibilities
• Maintain and improve existing CRW satellite-based products, including CoralTemp, Heat Stress Suite, Light Stress Damage, SST Anomaly, and Marine Heatwave Watch.
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• Develop and implement new products, such as the Thermal Refugia, Heat Stress Projections, Background Sea Temperature, and Global Coral Bleaching Event product suites.
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• Process and analyze historical and real-time satellite data to improve forecasting models for coral bleaching events.
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• Develop methodologies for downscaling climate model outputs (CMIP-6) to high-resolution projections for coral reef ecosystems.
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• Work within the NESDIS Common Cloud Framework (NCCF) to support cloud-based data product development and analysis.
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• Integrate machine learning techniques to enhance product accuracy and support decision-making for coral reef management.
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• Assist in the publication of scientific papers assessing NOAA's Degree Heating Week (DHW) and SST products.
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• Support the modernization and enhancement of CRW's public-facing web tools, ensuring accessibility for stakeholders.
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• Collaborate with NOAA scientists, external research partners, and stakeholders to refine product development.

Requirements
• Master's or Ph.D. in Environmental Science, Oceanography, Remote Sensing, Data Science, Computer Science, or a related field.
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• Experience in algorithm development and environmental modeling related to climate, ocean, or ecological forecasting.
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• Strong programming skills in Python (required), with experience in data analysis, remote sensing, and model development.
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• Familiarity with satellite-based environmental monitoring and climate data products (e.g., SST, heat stress indices, marine heatwaves).
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• Experience with big data processing, cloud computing, or HPC environments (e.g., AWS, Google Earth Engine, NOAA NCCF).
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• Ability to develop data visualization tools and public-facing web applications for environmental monitoring.
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• Understanding of coral reef ecosystems and environmental stressors affecting coral health.

Nice-to-haves
• Experience working with NOAA, NASA, or other federal environmental datasets.
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• Knowledge of LIDAR applications, uncrewed systems (e.g., Drix), or 3D photogrammetry for reef monitoring.
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• Familiarity with Drupal or other web development tools to support NOAA's WaveFoRCE demonstration website.
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• Prior experience developing machine learning models for predictive environmental monitoring.
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• Experience with data integration and quality control for observational datasets (e.g., bleaching observation databases).

Benefits
• Comprehensive healthcare for the employee at no monthly cost
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• Healthcare benefit covers medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision
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• Personal Time Off (PTO) Policy plus paid holidays
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• Highly competitive compensation plan regularly calibrated against industry and location benchmarks
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• 401(k) retirement plan with company-matching
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• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) - we're all company owners!
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• Flexible spending accounts
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• Employee assistance program (EAP)
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• Short- and long-term disability insurance
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• Life and accident insurance
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• Tuition assistance/Training/Workforce improvement reimbursement per year
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• Spot bonuses for exceptional performance
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• Annual Employee Recognition Awards with bonuses
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• Employee Referral Program
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• Free centralized, self-directed Learning Management System to learn at your own pace
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• Personalized career growth plans for every employee