Geospatial Database Coordinator w/Marine Conservation Institute (Seattle, WA)

Closing date: 2021-11-15
Position: Geospatial Database Coordinator
Organization: Marine Conservation Institute
Country: United States
State: Washington
Contact: Beth Pike
Contact Email: [email protected]

Description
We seek a highly qualified individual to join Marine Conservation  Institute as a Geospatial Database Coordinator for the Marine Protection  Atlas (MPAtlas). MPAtlas is a key platform for organizing strategic  coalition planning, research, and communication, providing up-to-date  tracking of MPA commitments and national and global MPA coverage, and  this role will be a key contributor to that platform. This individual  will coordinate and administer our marine protected area (MPA)  assessment database, associated MPA boundary database, and GIS library.  The database coordinator will work closely with the MPAtlas team to  better streamline and expand access to these data for use by Institute  staff and partners in web applications and analyses.

As our database coordinator, you will work closely with Institute  staff and collaborators; particularly those engaged in implementing _The MPA Guide_,  an effort led by Marine Conservation Institute and others to  standardize MPA definitions and classifications. You will support MPA  research by curating a database of MPA assessments and the spatial  boundaries of management zones within these protected areas. These  assessments will be linked to other geospatial data to analyze and  report on MPA coverage on several scales, demonstrating the value of _The MPA Guide_ framework.

The coordinator role may expand to support additional analyses,  interactive data visualization products, reports and other tasks to help  showcase the data on the MPAtlas platform. Much of the database  structure is already in place but needs improvement and new automation  algorithms.  Much of this position will be maintenance and database  clean-up so we are looking for someone who enjoys and finds database  management rewarding. The coordinator will also be tasked with creating  and facilitating training and instruction on data submission for staff,  collaborators and interested parties from around the world to conduct  and contribute independent assessments to our platform. Our efforts will  support adoption of the framework by the international community.

To succeed in this role, you will need excellent analytical,  organizational, and communication skills as well as substantive  knowledge and experience in database management and geospatial analysis.  You should share our commitment to protecting marine life and have a  demonstrated ability to work independently, with minimal direct  supervision. This position will be remote, with a preference for  locations close to our existing offices in Seattle or the San Francisco  Bay area for periodic in-person meetings.

**PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES**

- Create, refine and maintain the current MPAtlas  assessment database (~2,200 records and increasing) and associated  MPAtlas geospatial database in Postgresql + PostGIS
- Streamline existing data processing pipelines, or  build new pipelines as needed, to regularly ingest spatial MPA data from  major providers
- Develop and support automated methods and manual  procedures for linking geospatial MPA boundaries to MPA assessments,  including identifying and applying updates to existing geospatial  boundaries
- Create clear processes to increase staff use of and  access to data by developing queries, data processing scripts, and  instructional guides
- Perform tuning, optimizations, and updates to the database and ensure that the databases are backed up and managed securely
- Troubleshoot performance issues within the databases and data processing pipelines
- Develop robust data import/export routines to facilitate offline and bulk data entry by Institute staff and partners
- Contribute to reports summarizing research on global MPA coverage
- Communicate proactively with all key stakeholders, including internal and external colleagues

**SKILLS REQUIRED**

- Demonstrated proficiency with management of relational databases, especially Postgresql
- Demonstrated proficiency with geospatial database operations, particularly PostGIS
- Demonstrated proficiency with developing and  maintaining data processing pipelines using open-source libraries,  especially with Python toolkits
- Demonstrated proficiency with geospatial data analysis, using ArcGIS, QGIS or other tools
- Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously (planned and ad hoc)
- Must be able to manage time effectively and to deliver on commitments
- Proactively manage deliverable deadlines and progress reporting
- Experience managing databases and server architecture using cloud infrastructure (Amazon Web Services) is a plus
- Proficient in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

**DESIRED SKILLS**

- Bachelor’s degree in the sciences, with preference for computer sciences
- Proven proficiency in database management, python coding and geospatial analysis, through either formal education or experience
- Familiarity with ocean conservation issues, including marine protected areas and management

**COMPENSATION**

We are hiring a full-time staff database coordinator (40 hours/week)  with a competitive benefits package including medical, dental and vision  and 401(k) matching program. Salary commensurate with experience.

**APPLICATION PROCESS**

To apply, please **email** the following materials to **[[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])** and include the position title (_Database Coordinator)_ and your name in the subject line:

- A cover letter detailing your interests, relevant experience, goals and availability
- A résumé, including relevant coursework, previous projects and experience
- A list of 3 references
- Example of experience with required skills (previous project, coding sample, etc.)

Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis starting Oct 11, 2021. **Please, no calls regarding this opportunity.**


About Organization
As a leader in the global movement to protect and recover the integrity  of vast ocean areas, Marine Conservation Institute uses the latest  science to identify important marine ecosystems around the world and  then advocates for their protection. Our unique effectiveness comes from  our vision, expertise and our willingness to partner with others.  Marine Conservation Institute is an equal opportunity employer and  committed to supporting diversity, equity and inclusion in marine  conservation.