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Research Specialist, Chemical Sensor Lab
Monterey Bay Aquariam Research Institute
Other Engineering
Posted on Nov 7, 2024
Founded in 1987 by the late David Packard, MBARI is a nonprofit oceanographic research center advancing marine science and engineering to understand our changing ocean. Located in Moss Landing, California, the heart of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, MBARI offers ready access to the open ocean and deep sea. Ongoing research programs range across autonomous and remotely operated underwater vehicle systems, control technologies, ocean physics, chemistry, geology, biology, ocean instrumentation, and information management. MBARI hosts approximately 200 employees, with shore facilities that include state-of-the-art science and engineering laboratories, manufacturing and electrical fabrication shops, and dock facilities for MBARI vessels.
MBARI seeks to hire an employee at the Research Technician or Research Specialist level to assist with the management of data from the biogeochemical profiling floats operated as part of the Global Ocean Biogeochemistry (GO-BGC; https://go-bgc.org) and Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling (SOCCOM; https://soccom.princeton.edu) arrays. These are NSF-funded projects to deploy and operate large arrays of profiling floats across the global ocean. The hire will be a part of the Chemical Sensor lab led by Ken Johnson, and will report to Tanya Maurer. This is a term position for one year which may be extended depending on job performance, needs, and funding. It is possible this position may become permanent at a later date.
Primary responsibilities:
• Aid in processing profiling float data, monitor sensor performance, and conduct routine quality control on data streams
• Participate in detailed delayed mode quality control of BGC float data, typically conducted twice a year
• Work with international partners in support of the global BGC-Argo program
• Collaborate on maintenance and development of data processing code as well as preparation and upkeep of processing documentation
• Assist in the development and maintenance of a relational database for tracking various components of the data system such as sensor production/calibration and post-deployment sensor performance
• Present results at conferences
• Hires at the research specialist level are expected to publish in peer reviewed journals
Required qualifications:
• Master’s degree or higher in oceanography, software engineering, or other relevant disciplines
• Strong programming skills for processing, analyzing and visualizing laboratory and oceanographic data, preferably in MATLAB
• Highly self-motivated, and strong track record of learning new skills
• Excellent communication skills, and ability to work effectively and professionally in diverse, multi-disciplinary teams across multiple institutions
• Highly organized, and capable of working independently on multiple projects simultaneously with minimal supervision
Desired qualifications:
• Fundamental understanding of marine biogeochemical cycles and processes
• Experience programming in Python
• Experience with backend database design using PostgreSQL
• Experience with designing web interfaces with databases using Django