Data Engineer / Database Management Specialist for Fish Data

Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission

Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission

Software Engineering, Data Science

Brussels, Belgium

Posted on Jun 1, 2026

Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC) is recruiting candidates to fill the role of a mid-level Data Engineer / Database Specialist, working closely with USGS researchers at the Klamath Falls Field Station. The incumbent will support long-term research on endangered Lost River and Shortnose suckers, helping translate decades of biological, telemetry, and environmental data into insights that guide species recovery and water management in the Klamath Basin. 

 

This role meaningful responsibility and real-world impact. The incumbent will design and build modern, cloud-enabled data systems, improve legacy workflows, and collaborate directly with scientists to advance critical research. 

 

The position is based in Portland, Oregon and includes regular travel to Klamath Falls (approximately one week per month) to work on-site with the USGS researchers, with a potential option to relocate to Klamath Falls, Oregon. 

 

Group Definition: Database Management Specialists develop and administer large-scale, multi-agency database systems. They have responsibility for maintenance, tuning, running backup and recovery, growing the system, administering permissions and security, and assuring continuous system availability.

 

Our Team

The incumbent will join a small, highly collaborative team working closely with USGS scientists to turn research needs into technical solutions. The incumbent will perform query and analyze data, support modeling and system performance, and help modernize workflows. In this role, the incumbent will also collaborate with IT on security and access, contribute to data governance practices, and support GIS and field data collection systems, while helping teammates grow through knowledge sharing and collaboration. 

 

Project Specifics 

Contribute to the design and modernization data systems that support fisheries research and real-world decision making in the Klamath Basin. Build reliable, scalable data platforms, improve legacy systems, and collaborate closely with scientists to turn complex data into actionable insights. We don’t expect candidates to bring experience in every listed technology—strength in core data skills and a willingness to learn are what matter most. 

 

Essential Functions 

The data professional should have 3+ years of experience and can design, build, and improve scientific data systems. The ideal candidate brings strong data engineering and database skills, along with the ability to collaborate effectively with scientists and IT partners. 

 

Data & Platform Management 

  • Design, build, and maintain relational databases (e.g., SQL Server, SQLite) 
  • Perform data modeling, schema design, and performance optimization 
  • Implement reliability practices (backup/recovery, access controls, availability) 
  • Maintain documentation and support data stewardship practices 
  • Troubleshoot and resolve database performance and integrity issues 

Data Engineering & Integration 

  • Build and support automated data pipelines (ETL/ELT) 
  • Use SQL and scripting tools (Python, R, or similar) for data processing 
  • Integrate diverse datasets into centralized systems 
  • Refactor legacy scripts and workflows into scalable, automated pipelines 

Analytics & Data Products 

  • Develop queries and reporting solutions (e.g., Power BI) 
  • Build reproducible analytical workflows in Python or R 

Collaboration  

  • Partner with scientists, engineers, and IT staff 
  • Communicate technical concepts to non-technical audiences 

Support Modernization 

  • Support migration of legacy systems into modern, cloud-enabled environments 
  • Contribute to ongoing system and workflow improvements 

 

Additional Mandatory Skills: 

Databases and Data Engineering 

  • 3+ years of experience in data engineering and/or database administration 

Programming languages: 

  • Strong SQL proficiency and at least one scripting language (Python or R) 

 

Additional Desirable Skills: 

 

Data & Data Architecture  

  • Experience with data architecture and system design 

Cloud and Modern Platforms 

  • Knowledge of cloud platforms (Azure preferred; AWS/GCP acceptable) 
  • Familiarity with workflow automation or orchestration tools 

Analytics & Visualization 

  • Knowledge of dashboards, Power BI or similar data visualization tools 
  • Familiarity AI assisted tools 

GIS Technology and Field Data Systems 

  • Exposure to GIS systems (ArcGIS, QGIS) or spatial data is a plus 
  • Support ingestion workflows for field/mobile data collection systems (e.g., data from ESRI Survey123). 

Data Governance & Lifecycle Management 

  • Contribute to improving data governance or metadata practices 
  • Familiarity with data lifecycle management and long-term data stewardship concepts 

Operating Systems and Legacy Support 

  • Support migrating legacy systems or applications (C#, VB) 
  • Familiarity with Windows Server and/or Linux environments 

Domain Experience 

  • Familiarity working with scientific, environmental, or ecological datasets 
  • Familiarity with fisheries data, telemetry, tagging, or movement data 

Collaboration and Leadership Skills 

  • Interact with contractors and with IT on security, permissions, and cloud migration (e.g., Azure) 
  • Help team members grow by sharing knowledge and providing guidance 

  

Knowledge Required by the Position: 

  • Database management concepts, principles, and methods including database logical and physical design, normalization, storage capacity management, and back-up and recovery. 
  • Data flow design and business process design. 
  • Sources, characteristics, and uses of the organization’s data assets. 
  • Database management systems, query languages, table relationships, and views.  
  • Data mining and data warehousing principles  
  • The characteristics of physical and virtual data storage media. 
  • Data administration and data standardization policies and standards in developing and managing large-scale, multi-agency databases. 

 

Physical Demands: 

The work is sedentary with moderate walking between workstations and carrying folders, reports, and similar light loads. 

 

Work Environment: 

The work is performed in an office setting with adequate lighting, heating and ventilation. There are the normal risks of an office environment. 

 

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