[ES_JOBS_NET] Machine Learning Engineer - Vessel Identity and Behavior at Global Fishing Watch

Fri Jan 12 14:49:26 MST 2024

*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 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. By 2030, we aim to monitor and map all commercial activity at sea,
including all industrial fishing vessels, small-scale fishing activity, all
large non-fishing vessels, and all fixed infrastructure such as aquaculture
and oil rigs. We also plan to work with intergovernmental organizations and
30 governments around the globe to promote the adoption of transparency
more widely and publicly share ocean data to drive better management of
marine resources.

*The Position*

The Research and Innovation team at Global Fishing Watch (GFW) connects
data science and machine learning experts with the scientific community to
produce new datasets, publish impactful research, and empower others to use
our data. This team harnesses satellite technology, machine learning, and
big data to shed light on some of the most pressing issues facing the ocean.

Determining the characteristics of vessels, such as size and type of
vessel, and activities like fishing is a critical responsibility of the
Research and Innovation team. We developed a set of convolutional neural
network models that classify vessels and detect when they are fishing or
doing other activities, using movement data from vessel tracking systems
and identity information from public vessel registries. The Machine
Learning Engineer, working closely with other members of the Research and
Innovation team, will play a key role in improving the accuracy,
scalability, and applicability of these models. The initial emphasis will
be on models and data pipelines related to vessel identity, with a
secondary focus on vessel behavior models. They will also work closely with
the GFW Engineering and Product teams to ensure solutions are compatible
and scalable within our cloud infrastructure.  Other activities include,
but are not limited to, overseeing data labelling efforts, maintaining data
documentation and code repositories, and assisting the development of
research projects by GFW and our partners.

The incumbent will gain experience working with researchers in the field
and will interface daily with GFW’s team of data scientists and machine
learning engineers. They will develop further technical skills in
programming, big data, and cloud computing while working for a globally
diverse, flexible, and fully distributed organization. The successful
candidate will be organized and excited to help Global Fishing Watch
develop new partnerships and cutting-edge research.

*Principal Duties and Responsibilities*

Model development, training, and evaluation

   - Enhance machine learning models for vessel characterization (as
   described in the Supplementary Materials of Kroodsma et al. 2018
   <https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aao5646>) to improve
   inferred vessel characteristics, better detect changes in vessel class over
   time, and accurately identify multi-class vessels
   - Help improve our vessel ID system and produce training datasets for
   vessel classification and behavior models
   - Collaborate with the Product team to enhance the existing set of
   vessel classes to improve model accuracy, as well as detect new types of
   vessels, particularly non-fishing classes
   - Collaborate with data scientists on the team to generate unified
   vessel tracking datasets from different data sources such as the automatic
   identification system (AIS) and numerous vessel monitoring systems (VMS)
   using a combination of spatiotemporal and identity matching
   - Evaluate existing vessel behavior models for fishing detection and
   identify opportunities for improvement
   - Develop new behavior models to detect other vessel activities, such as
   deep sea mining, seismic vessel testing, or sand mining
   - Provide technical support for the development, advancement, and
   publication of GFW datasets and scientific papers

Internal research support

   - Work with large amounts of data from various types and sources, such
   as vessel activity, identity, and satellite imagery to identify trends,
   anomalies, and insights
   - Assist with data labelling to expand and improve training datasets

   - Quality assurance of key data pipelines and research tables and
   coordinating their effective use by internal teams and external partners

*Candidate description*

*Qualifications you should have*

   - Bachelor’s degree and at least four years of professional experience,
   or an equivalent combination of education and experience, in computer
   science, ecology, fisheries, or a related field
   - Demonstrated skills and experience with Python
   - Strong foundation in mathematics and statistics
   - Highly organized, analytical, detail-oriented, self-motivated and with
   critical thinking
   - Ability to work with large datasets and visualize data effectively
   - Experience with version control software and collaboration tools such
   as Git and GitHub
   - Willingness to take ownership of projects and communicate project
   updates
   - Ability to communicate about technical topics to less technical
   audiences
   - Written and verbal communication skills in English
   - Readiness to embrace Slack, Google Suite, Jira, Notion and other
   collaborative tools for remote work

*Also great*

   - Some experience with additional programming languages, such as SQL and
   R
   - Some experience working with cloud compute platforms and virtualized
   environments
   - Some experience with deep learning models and machine learning
   frameworks like TensorFlow or PyTorch
   - Familiarity with containerization tools like Docker
   - Familiarity with fisheries
   - Experience engaging with academic researchers and the peer-review
   process
   - An appreciation for the complexities and rewards of collaborating in a
   remote, global, and inclusive environment
   - Written and verbal communication in Spanish, Portuguese, French,
   Chinese, or other languages

The successful candidate will meet most, but not necessarily all, of the
criteria above. Although it is obviously helpful, we do not expect that you
already have a deep knowledge of building models or our key programming
languages; we do expect that you have the aptitude to develop these skills
and knowledge, and that you are excited about revealing human activity
across the global ocean using these tools. 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/5842518003

*Please apply by January 26, 2024*

*Additional Information*

Reporting to: Senior Data Scientist

Manages: NA

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 explain details on how your skills, interests, and aspirations align
with the role. 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 a Human Resources manager.
Candidates advancing beyond this round will be asked to take a technical
assessment. Lastly, an informal 30 minute call with 3-4 members of the
Research and Innovation team will be held with finalists.*

*Please apply by January 26, 2024*

*Working Hours: Global Fishing Watch supports flexible working, so the
pattern of hours may vary according to operational and personal needs. The
position will be part of a global team spanning many different time zones,
so the candidate should be able to accommodate semi-regular early/late
meetings to be able to work effectively. Weekend work may be required on
occasion. The post holder may be required to undertake regional and
international travel. No overtime is payable.*

*Compensation: A compensation range for this position is US$
90,000-$110,000 for US-based employees - For applicants located outside of
the US, the pay range will be adjusted to the country of hire. 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  *

*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*
------------------------------
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Email zihan.wei at globalfishingwatch.org
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