Ocean Career: MBARI Research Specialist

Founded in 1987 by the late David Packard, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) is a nonprofit oceanographic research center advancing marine science and engineering to understand our changing ocean. Located in Moss Landing, California, the heart of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, MBARI offers ready access to the open ocean and deep sea. Ongoing research programs range across autonomous and remotely operated underwater vehicle systems, control technologies, ocean physics, chemistry, geology, biology, ocean instrumentation, and information management.

MBARI hosts approximately 200 employees, with shore facilities that include state-of-the-art science and engineering laboratories, manufacturing and electrical fabrication shops, and dock facilities for MBARI vessels.

MBARI is hiring for one of two levels of career stage, Research Technician or Research Specialist with a focus on data management and cyberinfrastructure (DMAC) support for the Central and Northern California Ocean Observing System (CeNCOOS). The earlier career stage Research Technician will focus on data integration and visualizations, whereas the Research Specialist also entails management and coordination of CeNCOOS data systems and other responsibilities.

CeNCOOS is a Regional Association of the US Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®) and works to address societal challenges to realize a safe, healthy and prosperous California coastal ocean powered by information solutions. We expect to appoint one of either the Research Technician or Research Specialist, and are accepting applications across two levels of qualifications and experience, with corresponding differences in roles, responsibilities, and career tracks.

In close collaboration with the CeNCOOS Director, Deputy Director, and diverse regional and national expert teams, the position will support the integration and processing of new and existing data streams. This work populates our website data products and portal systems California Ocean Observing Systems Data Portal, as well as related systems including the California Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia Portal and a Harmful Algal Bloom Data Assembly Center.

It also supports DMAC efforts for CeNCOOS’s role in the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network Program of IOOS. CeNCOOS focus areas include:

• Ocean & Weather Predictions – e.g. Collection of observations and use in forecasting
• Safe and Efficient Shipping and Navigation – e.g. Surface currents, search and rescue
• Preparedness and Risk Reduction – e.g. Harmful algal bloom monitoring
• Robust Ocean Resources – e.g. Information for aquaculture and fisheries management

This position will work across the domains of physics, biogeochemistry, biology, and ecosystem variables. As CeNCOOS enhances service delivery, this work will also benefit from understanding of the collective and the integration of data through forming and applying best practices, which make data findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR). This work includes authority to control, responsibility, and ethics (CARE) principles of data management.

The Research Specialist will serve as the Technical Manager for CeNCOOS and provide specialized technical or analytical expertise in support of CeNCOOS. This position requires a high level of independence, coordination and problem-solving to support and execute complex research projects, inclusive of advanced data handling skills.

• Working with the Director and Deputy Director, identify actions / tasks for other staff to maintain systems across the data life cycle and CeNCOOS subsystems
• Maintain data and operations tools/dashboards and use this to identify and solve issues, including through assistance from the Data and Information manager, data providers and others
• Develop capabilities to visualize or process CeNCOOS data holdings, including via knowledge and context gathering facilitated through work of the CeNCOOS Engagement Specialist
• Work with the CeNCOOS Place-Based Management Data Specialist to streamline the production of analytics to underpin data syntheses and condition reports on the status and trends, such…