The Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), working in conjunction with the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Southwest Fisheries Science Center (NOAA Fisheries), invites applications for a Specialist series position. The Specialist will assist with product development and validation for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) CoastWatch program (https://coastwatch.noaa.gov).
CoastWatch helps governmental, academic, commercial, and public groups access and use satellite data to accomplish their project goals and develop satellite-based applications. CoastWatch is a small team dedicated to customer service and high standards. All team members have individual core technical responsibilities and are also engaged in the success of the overall organization by actively contributing to operational improvements and problem solutions. CoastWatch provides a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive workplace for everyone, plus opportunities for advancement within the CoastWatch organization.
The primary responsibilities of the Specialist are to apply satellite data to established algorithms, validate the resulting product using statistical techniques, present findings to the CoastWatch group, and fully document all code and results. The Specialist will also generate Python and R notebooks that allow others to run custom statistic and will assist with the production of instructional material for satellite training workshops. The research specialist will work directly under the guidance of the coordinators for the CoastWatch West Coast Node and PolarWatch. The position is affiliated with the NOAA Fisheries laboratory in Santa Cruz, CA, but teleworking arrangements from US locations will be considered. Candidates must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident to meet NOAA security requirements.
The Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS) is an organized research unit whose mission is to increase knowledge of the world’s oceans and inhabitants to better understand their economic importance and the impact people have on them. Through this effort, IMS maintains the responsibility to encourage, develop, and support marine research and education and does this by providing research opportunities, resources, facilities, and support for scientists within the institute and with other marine research institutions.
As part of its mission’s efforts, IMS launched the Fisheries Collaborative Program (FCP) to help foster research collaborations between NOAA scientists, UCSC faculty, IMS researchers, and students. The FCP’s research activities include field studies, laboratory experiments, modeling, and computational studies involving marine and freshwater species and habitats. Comprehensive studies are being conducted on the ecology and life history of Pacific salmonids and other fishes. FCP research supports the conservation of coastal biodiversity and the sustainable management of fisheries resources.
The hiring unit will not sponsor employment-eligible immigration statuses for this position.
ACADEMIC TITLE: Junior, Assistant Specialist, Associate Specialist, or Specialist , determined by the qualifications and experience of the selected candidate. Additional information on the qualifications for each rank is available on the recruitment site or on the Academic Personnel Specialist Series site.
SALARY: Commensurate with qualifications and experience. Refer to the individual salary scale for the Represented Specialist Series Fiscal Year in the UCSC Salary Scales.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Baccalaureate degree (or foreign equivalent degree) in fisheries sciences and management, marine biology and biological oceanography, ocean/marine sciences, oceanography, ecology, evolutionary biology, environmental science, biology, or a related field.
TEAM PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Experience with statistical analysis;
- Good programming skills in Python and R;
- Good communication skills;
- Ability to work independently and within a team environment;
- Background working satellite data or other large datasets; and
- Familiarity with online data servers.
TERM OF APPOINTMENT: Initial appointments are typically for a period of one year, but in some cases may be for a shorter period of time based on the research need and/or availability of funding. Reappointment may be considered contingent upon the availability of work and appropriate funding.
POSITION AVAILABLE:
As soon as possible after initial review of the applications.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:
Applications are accepted via the UCSC Academic Recruit online system. All documents and materials must be submitted as PDFs.
APPLY at https://recruit.ucsc.edu/JPF01404
DOCUMENTS/MATERIALS:
▪ Letter of application that briefly summarizes your qualifications and interest in the position (required) ▪ Curriculum vitae (required)
▪ List of publications (optional)
Reference Requirement
The selected candidate must provide the names and contact information of their references (a minimum of 3 are required and a maximum of 5 will be accepted). The hiring unit will request confidential letters* from the references of those applicants who are under serious consideration for an appointment.
*All letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. For any reference letter provided via a third party (i.e., dossier service, career center), direct the author to UCSC’s confidentiality statement at http://apo.ucsc.edu/confstm.htm.
RECRUITMENT PERIOD
Full consideration will be given to applications completed by May. 25. Applications received after this date will be considered only if the position has not been filled.
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status. UC Santa Cruz is committed to excellence through diversity and strives to establish a climate that welcomes, celebrates, and promotes respect for the contributions of all students and employees. Inquiries regarding the University’s equal employment opportunity policies may be directed to the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 or by phone at (831) 459-2686.
Under Federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally able to work in the United States as established by providing documents as specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Certain UCSC positions funded by federal contracts or sub contracts require the selected candidate to pass an E-Verify check (see https://www.uscis.gov/e-verify). The university sponsors employment based visas for nonresidents who are offered academic appointments at UC Santa Cruz (see https://apo.ucsc.edu/policy/capm/102.530.html).
UCSC is a smoke & tobacco-free campus.
If you need accommodation due to a disability, please contact Disability Management Services at roberts@ucsc.edu (831) 459-4602.
UCSC is committed to addressing the spousal and partner employment needs of our candidates and employees. As part of this commitment, our institution is a member of the Northern California Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (NorCal HERC). Visit the NorCal HERC website at https://www.hercjobs.org/regions/higher-ed-careers-northern-california/ to search for open positions within a commutable distance of our institution.
The University of California offers a competitive benefits package and a number of programs to support employee work/life balance. For information about employee benefits please visit https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/compensation-and-benefits/index.html
VISIT THE UCSC WEB SITE AT https://www.ucsc.edu
