Data Scientist

A.I.S., Inc. (AIS) is a national scientific services firm supporting maritime activities requiring certification of compliance with environmental regulation ns as well as collecting data for use by Federal, State, Municipal, and other government agencies along the US coastline. AIS is seeking a Data Scientist to support NOAAs SEFSC Advanced Technology and Innovation Branch.

Primary Function:

This role supports the integration, processing, and analysis of diverse data types to improve scientific understanding and operational efficiency across SEFSC survey programs.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Manage, organize, and support analysis of multi-source datasets collected across SEFSC surveys, including acoustic, video, environmental DNA, multibeam, and aerial imagery data
• Coordinate with project partners to ensure data collection and sensor configurations support downstream analytical and AI/ML applications
• Maintain familiarity with diverse data types and assist with field data collection activities as needed
• Organize and document datasets and metadata in accordance with established data management protocols
• Perform QA/QC on incoming datasets and evaluate suitability for inclusion in advanced analytical workflows
• Support data curation and storage, including cloud-based data repositories
• Assist with preparation and archiving of datasets in accordance with government data standards
• Develop, test, and evaluate analytical workflows and models to improve data processing efficiency
• Support annotation of datasets and development of machine learning models, including training and validation of classifiers and detection systems
• Generate data products suitable for use by downstream scientific stakeholders (e.g., stock assessment scientists)
• Maintain awareness of SEFSC analytical needs and existing workflows to align data science efforts with mission priorities
• Participate in interdisciplinary working groups and collaborative research efforts
• Support proposal development, manuscript review, and scientific reporting activities
• Participate in outreach and stakeholder engagement activities as required
• Prepare for and participate in scientific meetings, workshops, and symposia

Compensation: Candidates will be paid an hourly rate to be negotiated, and total compensation will vary depending on candidates’ depth of experience. This is a full–time position. AIS benefits package includes health and dental insurance, vacation, sick and holiday benefits.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in data science, computer science, marine biology, or related field, OR Bachelor’s degree with 1+ year of relevant research experience
• Experience applying machine learning, statistical analysis, or advanced analytical techniques
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python or R
• Experience working with large datasets and data management workflows
• Familiarity with cloud computing platforms (e.g., Google Cloud Platform or similar)
• Experience with relational databases
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Ability to work collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams
• Ability to translate complex datasets into actionable scientific products
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to manage multiple datasets and analytical workflows simultaneously
• Effective communication of technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders

Preferred Qualifications:

• PhD in data science, computer science, marine science, or related field
• Experience developing and deploying machine learning models
• Experience with cloud-based ML workflows and scalable data processing
• Experience working with fisheries, environmental, or ecological datasets
• Experience with AI/ML model architecture and performance evaluation

Travel:

• Travel required (limited) for field data collection, collaboration meetings, and scientific conferences.

Location:

• Remote
• Must be willing to relocate if needed.