Environmental Scientist

Genwest Systems, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer information management and consulting firm headquartered in Edmonds, Washington. Since its inception, Genwest has been a recognized leader in the design and implementation of information systems and solutions. We depend on a diverse team of talented staff to design, develop, and deploy information solutions for our clients. Genwest is accepting applications for an Environmental Scientist. This position will support our clients at the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) Spatial Data Branch (SDB).

LOCATION:

This position will be co-located with the NOAA Spatial Data Branch team working from NOAA offices in either Seattle, WA or Charleston, SC.

POSITION DUTIES:

The successful applicant will support OR&R staff in managing and applying environmental data – including chemistry, toxicity and field measurements – for assessment of environmental injury, in particular natural resource damage assessment. They will also work with the Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA) and Data Integration Visualization Exploration and Reporting (DIVER) teams participating in data management, layer management, coordinating with data partners and stakeholders, and providing input for software and application development.

KEY TASKS:

• Work within a fast-paced team conducting spatial analysis and communicating scientific decision making.
• Work with NOAA and other trustees to support natural resource damage cases including injury assessment (exposure pathways, environmental impacts, statistical analysis of chemistry and toxicology data).
• Work with co-trustees and stakeholders to prepare Deepwater Horizon Restoration Project’s long term data management. Evaluate and standardize restoration monitoring data for integration into NOAA data systems.
• Work with co-trustees and other stakeholders to support implementation of studies for characterizing and quantifying injuries to natural resources at hazardous waste and oil spills.
• Work with co-trustees to prioritize data sets for entry into OR&R’s DIVER database and work with ARD’s Spatial Data Branch to ingest relevant datasets, ensure proper formatting, data access, and overall usability of the database.
• Compile and organize spatial data (GIS) and metadata for integration into OR&R’s regional ERMA sites

QUALIFICATIONS:

The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate the listed qualifications in their resume and interview:

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in marine or environmental science, ideally in one of more of the following sub-disciplines: aquatic toxicology, environmental chemistry, coastal ecology, quantitative analysis.
• Strong verbal, writing, and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated skills in managing environmental data and databases, including standardization and compilation of data in preparation for analysis and modeling.
• Experience designing and performing field collections and data management.
• Strong statistical and spatial analysis skills.
• Self-motivated, energetic, strategic thinker, with ability to work and travel independently.
• History of success in team-based project execution, working as both lead and contributor on diverse multi-disciplinary teams.
• Demonstrated flexible and proactive approach to problem solving – working beyond immediate obstacles to identify and collaboratively define and implement solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to plan and execute long term projects, including setting timelines and milestones, balancing priorities.

Desired Qualifications:

• Ability to prepare and give presentations and lead training sessions, where needed.
• Ability to interpret and communicate scientific data to a non-technical audience.
• Experience in assessing exposure and risk or injury from contaminants.
• Experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) such as ESRI ArcGIS, QGIS or other GIS applications.
• Experience with collection and analysis of data from multiple sources, such as remote sensing (Satellite, crewed and uncrewed systems) and electronic field data collection (Survey 123, FieldMaps) using varied software sets (R, RStudio).
• Experience with modeling exposure and injury from environmental contaminants.
• Knowledge of damage assessment procedures mandated by Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA), and/or relevant environmental state statutes.
• Knowledge of data privacy and security regulations.
• Experience in managing complex environmental projects, including building consensus around goals and objectives, and tracking and reporting on accomplishments.
• Possess HAZMAT training (24 or 40 hour) or willing to take this training.

COMPENSATION:

Compensation will be determined based on the experience and qualifications of the successful applicant in combination with contract budget. The wage range is anticipated to be roughly $60,000 – $77,500 on an annualized basis, depending on candidate qualifications and client budget. The position is also eligible for a full-time benefit package that includes health insurance, paid personal and holiday leave, 401(k) program eligibility, and employee disability and life insurance.