Research Scientist/Engineer IV- Field Research Operations Manager (Temporary)

University of Washington•Seattle, WA

1d•$99,444 - $120,000

About The Position

The GTMBA is a multi-national effort to provide high-quality moored buoy data in real-time for climate research and forecasting. This position supports the deployment and maintenance of deep-ocean moored buoys in the global tropics to provide high-quality oceanographic and surface meteorological data for monitoring, forecasting, and understanding of the world’s climate.

Requirements

Master’s Degree in Marine Science, Environmental Science, Physics, Engineering or related fields
Four years of relevant experience
Equivalent education and/or experience may substitute for minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license, certification, and/or registration.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of operations management and personnel management principals.
Knowledge of ship-board oceanographic operations and experience working at sea.
Demonstrated skill (at least 2 years of experience) with supervising employees.
Demonstrated strong skill in verbal and written communication.
Skill in monitoring/assessing the performance of individuals or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Skill in completing assignments accurately and with attention to detail.
Skill with handling a variety of technical, logistical, and cultural issues that develop during field operations.
Skill in data management.
Ability to plan, assign, and/or supervise the work of others.
Ability to plan, implement, and evaluate programs.
Ability to occasionally work evenings, nights, and weekends as necessary.
Ability to assess and make informed decisions on operational requirements critical to the success of the project.
Ability to improvise and accommodate changing or unanticipated requirements.
Demonstrated ability to effectively present project objectives, plans and accomplishments to research partners
Knowledge of generally accepted accounting procedures and principles.
Knowledge of budget control methods, policies, and procedures.
Skill and comprehensive experience with moored array buoy systems
Skill and experience conducting oceanographic field operations in foreign countries or with foreign institutions
Skill with map-making software
Ability to serve as Chief Scientist or senior technical representative on oceanographic research cruises
Ability to maintain internet and intranet web pages

Responsibilities

Cruise Planning (25%): Frequently meets with GTMBA Management to ensure project objectives are on track and well executed. Prepares internal operational and logistics plans, including sensor and acoustic release needs, cruise operational plan, and mooring hardware design documents based on research priorities. Prepares detailed cruise planning documents for distribution to foreign partners. Initiates and maintains timely planning dialogue and logistics coordination with foreign and domestic partners on various platforms including vessels operated by NOAA, National Science Foundation (NSF), chartered vessels and international partners. Prepares health and safety documents for sea-going staff. Schedules, prepares, and leads pre- and post-cruise meetings. Assembles mooring equipment inventories and coordinates mooring plans with PMEL Engineering Division and PMEL mooring shop.
Coordinating Field Operations (30%): Serves as primary point of contact within the project for field operations. Maintains communications with project personnel and international partners during research cruises to ensure critical time-sensitive information is received and necessary actions are taken. Performs real-time data quality analysis of wind, temperature, humidity, rainfall, shortwave and longwave radiation, barometric pressure, salinity and current velocity data from moored buoys and various other data sources. Maintains field operations statistics database. Prepares documentation related to scheduling and procurement of ship time as liaison between international partners, Project Director, Project Manager, and NOAA contracting officials. May assist Project Logistics Manager with shipping logistics as needed. Represents the GTMBA project on International Vandalism committee. Maintains intranet tables and documents relevant to GTMBA operations. Fields, directs and/or responds to public requests for GTMBA information, data, and graphics.
Supervising and Instrumentation Lab Management (30%): Supervises junior scientist(s). Work with employee(s) to establish goals and performance time lines. Mentors employee(s) and serve as employee advocate. Conducts employee performance reviews. Serves as liaison between project mooring technicians, data scientists and managers. This includes writing and compiling notes that document instrument tests and upgrades, field experiments, procedural changes, software bugs, etc. Coordinates cruise staffing schedules and designates staffing assignments. Leads regular instrumentation lab staff meetings. Reviews and approves CICOES Travel / budget allocation for GTMBA. Coordinates and directs safety training for CICOES GTMBA employees.
Chief Scientist or Mooring Lead during GTMBA Cruises (15%): May serve as Chief Scientist on GTMBA Cruises or senior technical representative on ships of opportunity whether domestic or international. Responsible for the successful recovery/deployment of GTMBA surface and subsurface moorings while at sea. This includes directing project staff and consulting with the ship’s personnel in safely performing the deployments/ recovery mooring operations within the capabilities and limitations of the platform and crew. Lead and supervise moored buoy operations at sea during research cruises. Observe system components that are mounted on moored buoy platforms deployed from oceanographic research vessels and other large ships in a remote, deep ocean environment. Operate and maintain vessel-based oceanographic sensors, meteorological sensors, and mooring equipment.
Planning and operational management of the GTMBA requires extensive and comprehensive experience with moored array buoy systems, including data management and field operations. The individual must have the ability to assess and make informed decisions on operational requirements that are critical to the success of the project. The work requires innovative and skillful improvisation to accommodate changing requirements that may arise as a result of programmatic shifts, changes in ship allocations, weather, and other emergencies. The field programs within the Project are international in nature and the individual must have the expertise to deal with a variety of technical, logistical, and cultural issues that develop in the execution of the Project’s efforts. The individual must have demonstrated the ability to effectively present project objectives, plans and accomplishments to foreign and domestic research partners and have strong verbal and written skills. Real-time data quality analysis and operational communications activities require an on-call duty status on most weekends. Incumbent will be expected to train project personnel and international technicians and programmers in data management procedures and may supervise junior data management personnel. Research results are prepared for publication in conjunction with the principal investigator.