[ES_JOBS_NET] Data Scientist - Vessel Identity at Global Fishing Watch

Fri Dec 1 12:34:00 MST 2023

*Background:* Global Fishing Watch is an international, non-profit
organization committed to advancing ocean governance through increased
transparency. We create and publicly share knowledge about human activity
at sea to enable fair and sustainable use of our ocean. Founded in 2015
through a collaboration between Oceana, SkyTruth, and Google, GFW became an
independent non-profit organization in June 2017. Using cutting-edge
technology, we create and publicly share map visualizations, data and
analysis tools to enable scientific research and drive a transformation in
how we manage our ocean. Our major focus is on commercial fishing because
it is the most widespread human activity at sea, the most impactful on
ocean health, and the most crucial for global livelihoods and food
security. By 2030, we aim to monitor and visualize the impact of
ocean-going vessels, both industrial and small-scale, that are responsible
for the vast majority of the global seafood catch. We believe human
activity at sea should be common knowledge in order to safeguard the global
ocean commons for the common good of all.

*The Position*: The Research and Innovation team at Global Fishing Watch
(GFW) connects data science and machine learning experts with leaders in
the scientific community to produce new datasets, publish impactful
research, and empower others to use our data. This work aims to harness
satellite technology, machine learning, and big data to shed light on some
of the most pressing issues facing the ocean and help make human use of the
oceans more sustainable.

The Data Scientist will play a key role on the Research and Innovation team
by helping develop and improve GFWs database of fishing vessels
<https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abp8200> and expand this
database to all large vessels at sea. This identity database, and the
associated work on vessel identity
<https://globalfishingwatch.org/research-project-vessel-identity/>, is the
foundation of GFW’s platform, and it is critical to the organization’s
success. To develop and improve this database, the data scientist will
support data mining, natural language processing, and large data pipelines
that process AIS and registry data, as well as engaging with external
partners who use and contribute to this dataset. In line with these
responsibilities, the successful candidate will begin by researching groups
of vessels and their identities with various risk indicators to get
familiar with GFW’s core datasets.

The incumbent will gain experience working with leading researchers and
will interface daily with GFW’s team of data scientists and machine
learning experts. They will develop diverse technical skills in
programming, big data, and cloud computing while working for a globally
diverse, fully distributed, and growing organization. The successful
candidate will be highly organized and excited to help Global Fishing Watch
develop strong partnerships and cutting-edge science. They should also have
demonstrated experience working with complex datasets, analytical research,
and communication.

This is an opportunity to join an exciting team which encourages and
supports professional growth within the organization.

*Principal Duties and Responsibilities*

Vessel identity research

   - Support research summarizing the identity and activity of fishing
   vessels that operate outside of a flag State’s national waters (Year 1
   focus)
   - Coordinate with the external research partners collaborating on vessel
   identity (including vessel ownership) and help them with data requests,
   analysis support, and research publications.
   - Improve the classifications of types and characteristics of all
   industrial vessels through consulting various stakeholders, in
   collaboration with our Product team, to improve its consistency, cohesion,
   and usefulness of our datasets and vessel classification model.
   - Provide data science support to other projects related to vessel
   identity, as needed.

Data improvement and data sharing

   - Oversee and improve the regular data collection process of vessel
   registry in coordination with the engineering team to ensure a high
   standard of vessel identity database.
   - Improve and scale up our database of fishing and non-fishing vessels
   through unstructured data mining, natural language processing, and the
   engagement of public and private vessel identity data owners.
   - Provide analysis and general technical support to help develop and
   publish GFW datasets on vessel identity.
   - Help enhance vessel identity data with hull identifiers and produce
   training datasets for improved vessel behavioral/classification models.
   - Help build a comprehensive public vessel identity platform

*Candidate Description*

*Skills you should have*

   - Bachelor's degree and at least five years of professional experience,
   or an equivalent combination of education and experience, in computer
   science, ecology, fisheries, or a related field
   - Demonstrated experience and data science skills with Python
   (preferred) or R
   - Highly organized, analytical, detail-oriented and self-motivated
   - Ability to work with large datasets and visualize data effectively
   - Ability to work efficiently to a very high standard of detail while
   managing multiple priorities
   - Experience with version control software and collaboration tools such
   as Git and GitHub
   - Willingness to take ownership of projects and effectively communicate
   updates in a transparent and proactive manner

*Also great*

   - Experience in data mining, web scraping, natural language processing,
   and automated processes using docker containers and Airflow
   - Some experience with database query languages such as SQL
   - Familiarity with issues of international fisheries policy and
   management
   - An understanding of the complexities and collaboration required to
   work effectively for a globally remote organization
   - Graduate degree and experience with the peer-review process and
   engaging with academic researchers

 If you don't think you check all the boxes, but believe you have unique
skills that make you a great fit for the role, we want to hear from you!

*To Apply: *Please submit the application at
https://boards.greenhouse.io/globalfishingwatch/jobs/5791001003

*Please apply by December 11, 2023*

*Additional Information*

Reporting to: Senior data scientist

Manages: N.A.

Team: Research and Innovation

Location: Remote - we welcome candidates based in any country

Term: Permanent position

FT/PT: Full-time

*Recruiting Process*: A cover letter along with a CV will be requested to
see how your experience and interest connect to the position. We expect the
cover letter to allow applicants an opportunity to explain details on how
their skill set aligns with the role and provide a better understanding of
their suitability for the position. If selected for consideration, the
hiring process for this position will include a formal 45 minute interview
with 2-3 staff followed by a 30 minute administrative screening by an Human
Resources manager. Candidates advancing beyond this round will be asked to
take a technical assessment and/or submit a representative code sample.
Lastly, an informal 30 minute call with 3-4 members of the Research and
Innovation team will be held with finalists.

*Compensation: *A compensation range for this position is US$ 90,000 -
105,000 for US-based employees. Compensation is commensurate with
experience and will vary depending on the hired candidate’s country of
residence, in accordance with local laws and regulations. GFW offers
pension/retirement, health and other benefits commensurate with similar
level GFW employees in the country of employment. The position may be a GFW
employee or consultant, depending on the country of residence.

*Working Hours: *Global Fishing Watch supports flexible working, so the
pattern of hours may vary according to operational and personal needs.
Global Fishing Watch works across different time zones and weekend work may
be required on occasion. The post holder may be required to undertake
periodic domestic and international travel. No overtime is payable.

*Equal Opportunities:* Global Fishing Watch is an equal opportunities
employer. Global Fishing Watch is committed to promoting diversity and
inclusion within our organization and in the greater ocean management and
conservation community. We believe that diverse backgrounds, skills,
knowledge and viewpoints make us a stronger organization. Bringing together
professionals who possess broad experiences and a spectrum of perspectives
will enable us to reach our goal of improved ocean governance faster. We
hire and promote qualified professionals without regard to actual or
perceived race, color, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender
identity, marital or parental status, national origin, age, physical or
mental disability or medical condition, or any other characteristic
protected by applicable law. Our organizational goals match the urgent
challenges facing our global ocean, and our mission is designed to help
secure a healthy ocean for all. We are committed to building a workforce
that is representative of humanity’s diversity, by providing an inclusive
and welcoming environment for all employees of Global Fishing Watch and for
our partners, vendors, suppliers and contractors.

-- 
*Zihan Wei* (He/him/his)
*Data Scientist (Geospatial), Research and Innovation*
------------------------------
Web globalfishingwatch.org
Email zihan.wei at globalfishingwatch.org
<https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-fishing-watch>
<https://twitter.com/GlobalFishWatch>
<https://www.youtube.com/globalfishingwatch>
<https://www.facebook.com/GlobalFishingWatch>
<https://www.instagram.com/globalfishingwatch/>
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