Oceanographic Data Scientist & Field Operations Specialist

• Official Communication: All job offers and communication regarding them will arrive from email addresses ending in .
• Secure Information: We prioritize your data safety. We never request bank information via email or text. Instead, we follow a secure process through our dedicated payroll system.

Openings at Innovate!

Hiring Transparency:

• Official Communication: All job offers and communication regarding them will arrive from email addresses ending in .
• Secure Information: We prioritize your data safety. We never request bank information via email or text. Instead, we follow a secure process through our dedicated payroll system.

Remember:
If your communication differs from this process, it's not from Innovate.

Location:

Seattle, WA

Position:
Oceanographic Data Scientist & Field Operations Specialist

Reports To:

FLSA:
Exempt

Location:

Seattle, WA Posted: 7/15/26

Job Description

Embrace the opportunity to join Innovate! Inc. and become a valued member of our team. We are seeking driven individuals who are passionate about leveraging technology to tackle environmental challenges and drive positive change. If you thrive in a collaborative, fast-paced environment and are eager to contribute your skills and expertise to innovative projects, we invite you to explore this exciting opportunity further.

Read on to learn more about how you can be part of our dynamic team.

Innovate! Inc. is seeking a highly experienced Oceanographic Data Scientist & Field Operations Specialist to combine quantitative ecology, oceanographic and fisheries data science, scientific synthesis, and field support to evaluate predator-prey dynamics and predation-related mortality affecting Pacific salmon and convert complex West Coast ecological data into actionable management products.

* Contingent upon contract being awarded*

Location: Work will be conducted on-site at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Seattle, Washington (WA) or at one of its associated field stations in WA or Oregon

Salary Range: $115,000 - $155,000

Position status: Full Time; with benefits

Benefits include: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K with match, Life Insurance, and PTO

• Compile, organize, clean, standardize, and analyze large spatial and temporal datasets related to predator-prey distributions, predator abundance, predator diet, bioenergetics, environmental conditions, and salmon survival.
• Develop spatial-temporal and quantitative analyses that evaluate localized environmental effects on predator-prey distributions and predation rates on managed fish populations.
• Quantify trophic interactions, predation pressure, sources of predator-induced mortality, and survival implications for Pacific salmon.
• Conduct comprehensive literature reviews addressing predator consumption rates, abundance and distribution, ecological outcomes, environmental stressors, and changing environmental conditions.
• Synthesize findings into technical reports, peer-reviewed journal manuscripts, book chapters, management briefings, and publication-ready scientific products.
• Present complex research results to NWFSC colleagues, regional managers, interdisciplinary partners, and broader scientific audiences.
• Collect fish and environmental field data in freshwater and marine environments when required, including work in harsh conditions and operation or use of federal vehicles, boats, and trailers when authorized.
• Develop and maintain cleaned datasets, analytical scripts, and code repositories containing predator diet composition, bioenergetics data, abundance indices, or related ecological information.
• Create fully documented, reproducible analytical workflows in reports, manuscripts, Git Hub, and other version-controlled repositories.
• Ensure data stewardship, methodological transparency, accessibility, QA/QC, and interactive use of research products by internal and external stakeholders.

• Advanced knowledge of quantitative ecology, trophic ecology, predator-prey modeling, fisheries science, oceanography, ecosystem dynamics, and scientific data synthesis.
• Strong quantitative skills in spatial-temporal modeling, ecological data analysis, statistical interpretation, and scientific visualization.
• Working proficiency with R, Git Hub, GIS, and other analytical, geospatial, or scientific programming tools.
• Experience organizing large ecological datasets and producing accessible codebases, documented workflows, and publication-ready analytical products.
• Familiarity with Pacific salmon predators, including birds, marine mammals, invasive fish, or other key West Coast predator guilds, is highly desirable.
• Knowledge of Pacific salmon ecology and the freshwater, estuarine, nearshore, and ocean habitats managed by NOAA Fisheries.
• Understanding of open-science concepts, version control, reproducibility, scientific repositories, and transparent data stewardship.
• Excellent technical writing, peer-reviewed publishing, presentation, and…