Research Hydrographer / Ocean Mapping Specialist

Duties/Responsibilities

• Support applied work on hydrographic system performance, including characterization, calibration, and quality assurance of multibeam and integrated sensor systems.
• Aid in refinement of SAT/QAT testing methodologies and performance metrics.
• Provide operational insight into survey planning, execution, and data quality challenges.
• Contribute to development of tools and documentation for system performance and data quality workflows.
• Support workflows for S-1xx data transformation, integration, and interoperability.
• Contribute to validation and usability of S-100 products (e.g., S-101, S-102, S-104).
• Aid in development of prototype tools and workflows to improve production and validation efficiency.
• Provide expertise on ECDIS systems and user interaction with layered geospatial data products.
• Support development of training materials and professional education content in hydrography and ocean mapping.
• Contribute operational expertise to curriculum development reflecting current technologies and standards.
• Assist with mentoring and applied instruction for graduate students and trainees.

Requirements

• Minimum Acceptable Education & Experience: Master’s degree in Ocean Engineering, Hydrography, Geospatial Science, or a closely related field.
• At least 6 years of experience in hydrographic surveying, ocean mapping, maritime navigation systems, or related domains (graduate research may count toward this requirement).
• Experience with hydrographic data acquisition, processing, and quality control workflows.
• Experience working with marine geospatial data systems.
• Knowledge, Skills & Abilities: Strong analytical skills related to hydrographic system performance, uncertainty, and data quality; advanced knowledge of hydrographic survey systems, including multibeam sonar and navigation sensors; familiarity with marine geospatial data standards, including awareness of S-100 concepts; proficiency with hydrographic and geospatial software tools (e.g., CARIS, QPS, Hypack, GIS); ability to apply operational experience to technical development and problem solving; effective communication and collaboration skills in applied research environments; ability to contribute to technical documentation and project outputs.
• Preferred Qualifications: IHO Category A Hydrographer certification; experience with NOAA hydrographic operations, specifications, or data workflows; experience with S-100 product development or implementation (e.g., S-101, S-102, S-104); experience with ENC/ECDIS systems; experience supporting training or curriculum development; familiarity with Python, MATLAB, or similar tools.