Sr Analyst: Acoustics Modeling, Measuring, and Monitoring Supt.

Ocean Associates, Inc. (OAI) is seeking a candidate to support to the NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Office of Protected Resources (OPR) in Silver Spring MD. OAI supplies personnel support services on contract to government and industry clients for marine fisheries and protected species.  The employee will support the OPR in providing expertise for the review of acoustic modeling measuring, and monitoring products in support of   Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) Incidental Authorizations.. This is a full-time position based on 40 hrs. /week with generous employee benefits.  Hourly rate is commensurate with experience.  

NOTE:  A cover letter that describes how your skills, experience and education meet the required qualifications of the position must be included with your resume when submitting the application and is mandatory. 

Duties:

• Provide support to  facilitate the more timely, efficient, and effective review of acoustic modeling and monitoring products submitted in support of MMPA ITAs for FAST-41 projects (e.g., offshore wind and infrastructure), as well as ensure scientifically robust and legally defensible environmental compliance, the position requires detailed understanding of the properties of human-made underwater sound sources, how their signals propagate in the environment (e.g., based on water depth, substrate, temperature), and the mathematical principles underlying how these source and environmental properties inform transmission loss and sound propagation from specific activities (e.g., pile driving, geophysical sources, explosives).
• Review, evaluate, and compare acoustic source, sound propagation, and exposure models as necessary to support MMPA ITAs, including consideration of the appropriateness and sensitivity of inputs, descriptions of uncertainty, and accuracy of the results. Make recommendations for improvements to better integrate with, and serve the goals of, marine mammal and other protected species impact assessment frameworks, including optimizing output metrics and results presentation (e.g., graphics and figures).
• Review, evaluate and develop plans for acoustic monitoring and measurement of sound sources, ambient noise, and marine mammals. Make recommendations to improve plans and field measurement, including consideration of spatial, temporal, and spectral aspects, such as the placement and timing of recorders, platforms, and recording equipment specifications (e.g., sampling frequency, hydrophone sensitivity). Explicitly describe differences between varied monitoring and measurement approaches in terms of anticipated accuracy, precision, and uncertainty. 
• Review and evaluates submitted acoustic monitoring reports for the same factors noted in the second and third bullets above.
• Support the development and implementation of technical guidance, methods, and analytical tools, for both internal and/or external use, to better assess and minimize the impacts of noise on protected species and their habitat (e.g., helping to establish sound field verification (SFV) guidelines).                                                         

Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree or higher in a physical science (e.g. acoustics, physics, engineering, oceanography, and three years of relevant experience or PHD and one year of relevant experience.   
• Experience working with data using a variety of tools such as excel, R, python and Matlab.

• Experience performing calibrated acoustic measurements (ideally underwater); collecting data, performing analysis, and quantifying uncertainty. 
• Experience in the use of acoustic propagation laws (e.g. spherical, practical, or cylindrical spreading) to estimate acoustic levels as function of range. 
• Experience in the modeling of acoustic fields or of sound sources.
• General understanding of basic statistics.
• Experience using any software to generate maps or work with geospatial data.

Start Date: To be Determined      

Location: Work may be performed offsite 

Salary and Benefits: Full-time position with benefits. $34.00 to $38.00 per hour.   

Only qualified applicants that meet experience or background requirements stated above need apply. When applying for this position you will be asked to upload your resume at the end of this online application.

 Applicants must submit a resume that includes the following:

• Cover letter that describes how your skills, experience and education meet the required qualifications of the position.  
• Work history for past 10 years or since last full-time education.
• Education.
• Previous experience or training with similar requirements.
• Three professional references.

If you are interested in being considered for this position, please APPLY THROUGH OUR ADP WEB PORTAL, link located at top right of this page.

- Include your name in the document file name.

- Sending your resume in readable (not scanned) PDF or Word format is preferred.

When applying for this position you will be asked to upload your resume at the end of this online application. 

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States, complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire, and successfully complete a federal government background check.   Ocean Associates Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of any status or condition protected by applicable federal or state law.

OAI is a government contractor and is required by law to invite applicants to self-identify their race, gender, national origin, disability status and veteran status. OAI is required to use the information it collects as part of its future affirmative action efforts in hiring. The information is collected anonymously by computer and is not connected to your application. You will see a place to check certain boxes in OAI's online application. Even though the information is anonymous, self-identification is voluntary. You can always check the box that says you decline to self-identify.

Note:  If you are not selected, your materials may be retained for present or future opportunities. We may use your resume in bidding on a project and if we are awarded the work we will contact you before seeking further applicants. If you do not wish us to retain or use your resume to seek work for you, please let us know in the "Notes" section on the second page of the online application.