Senior Fisheries Data Scientist Salmon Survival, Migration, and Mark-Recapture Modeling

Lynker Technologies

Senior Fisheries Data Scientist Salmon Survival, Migration, and Mark-Recapture Modeling

Location:

US-WA-Seattle

Job :  | Type:
Contract | # of Openings: 1

Lynker Corporation is seeking a Senior Fisheries Data Scientist – Salmon Survival, Migration, and Mark-Recapture Modeling to support NOAA Fisheries’ Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC), Fish Ecology Division. The contract role provides statistical analysis to inform management decisions regarding salmon survival and migration through hydropower systems and across life cycles. The position is contingent on contract award and will operate under the FLOAT joint venture, a NOAA Pro Tech Fisheries 2.0 prime contract holder.

The NWFSC Fish Ecology Division conducts scientific research on marine and anadromous species in the Pacific Northwest and California to support fisheries management, ESA‑related needs, and sustainable fisheries decision making. This role supports high‑level statistical modeling, quantitative analysis, and ecological knowledge to produce products that inform management decisions affecting Pacific salmon, including dam operations, habitat changes, and harvest limits.

• Provide statistical analysis to inform management decisions.
• Statistically analyze spatial and temporal variability in processes experienced by migrating salmon in river systems.
• Analyze survival and migration patterns through hydropower systems and across salmon life cycles.
• Analyze and generate relationships between fish responses (e.g., density, growth, survival, migration rate) and stressors such as environmental or ecological conditions, habitat metrics, and management actions.
• Develop novel probabilistic mathematical and simulation models representing unique and complex ecological and behavioral processes using modern statistical methods.
• Provide statistical support for other researchers during study design and analysis.
• Organize and curate ecological datasets relevant to mark‑recapture modeling needs.
• Document and share reproducible research workflows and analytical protocols to support scientific transparency and peer collaboration.
• Publish reports and scientific papers, and present results at regional and national meetings and scientific conferences, as needed.
• Assist with field collection of fish and environmental data in freshwater, estuarine, and nearshore marine environments of the West Coast region, as needed.
• Support analysis products archived in accessible and organized formats, including final data and models shared through public scientific repositories or interactive research dashboards.
• Prepare written status reports and other ad hoc communications, as needed.

• PhD degree from an accredited college or university in a field related to the task, with emphasis in statistics, mathematics, fisheries, ecology, or natural sciences.
• Strong quantitative background with extensive coursework in statistics and probability.
• Ten or more years of experience related to the task order, including familiarity with species and habitats managed by NOAA Fisheries in the West Coast region.
• Advanced degree in a related field may be substituted for two years of experience; a master’s may be substituted for four years of experience.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience writing reports and publishing peer‑reviewed articles.
• Strong quantitative skills, including extensive experience in statistical modeling and data analysis.
• Extensive experience conducting analyses and coding in R.
• Experience with Stan and JAGS.
• Experience with open science concepts.
• Strong computational skills, including the ability to manipulate large environmental datasets within a command‑line environment, such as Linux/shell scripting, to support statistical workflows.
• Familiarity with interpreting or interfacing with C or C++ code within a scientific modeling context.
• Familiarity with common software, including Google Suite and Microsoft Office.
• Ability to manage workload, stay organized, and produce high‑quality work products efficiently.
• Ability to work both independently and on interdisciplinary teams.
• Valid driver’s license, maintained…