Data Science Specialist

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Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

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This position is expected to be filled by promotion/reassignment and is included here to inform you of its vacancy at the University.

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary

The Sea Around Us is a research initiative, which, since its inception in 1994, has made available an online searchable Atlas of reconstructed marine capture fisheries catches from 1950 to the present of all maritime countries of the world via its website at www.seaaroundus.org. This global catch database permits the testing of fisheries-related global hypotheses applied to marine conservation concerns and has served as the underlying database for many articles published by the Sea Around Us members and their collaborations in peer-reviewed journals.

Recently, the Sea Around Us obtained support from Minderoo Foundation for a project that will have an 18-month duration. This project’s objective is to update the catch reconstructions of the world’s maritime fishing nations to the most recent year (2022). This project includes the updates to 2022 or most recent year, the associated databases on price, end-use, fishing access and high seas catches.

In addition, the Sea Around Us embarked on the reconstructions of the world’s inland fisheries, with the recent publication of a first in a series of such reconstructions for Canada, the USA State of Minnesota, ten country members of the ASEAN and all countries in Africa.

The Sea Around Us envisions the continuation of the assessment of the world’s fish stocks based on the reconstructed catches and the estimation of maximum sustainable yields (CMSY/BSM) method developed by Rainer Froese and colleagues through the Minderoo Project.

The Data Science Specialist will: 1) review empirical data and algorithms applied to the price, end-use, fishing effort and layer 3 databases and develop code that imputes missing data to complete gaps in these databases associated with reconstructed catches; 2) investigate the 2022 update of reconstructed catches to identify patterns (which might apply AI) in the catch trends that might be used towards projecting future trends that might help in automating future reconstruction updates; 3) propose novel ways of summarizing Sea Around Us data or identify elements that are the most needed by users and develop views to these elements in collaboration with the Sea Around Us Website and Database Specialist; 4) conceive and develop novel ways of analyzing the Sea Around Us datasets in close collaboration with the PI and Research Unit Manager; 5) 6)participate in the development of spatialized components to map distribution of species and allocated reconstructed catches; and 6) participate in the allocation of reconstructed catches to half degree cells.

The ideal candidate should have extensive experience with working with large datasets (over 1 billion rows) on fisheries and biological life history traits and be familiar with statistical and mathematical derivations of empirical datasets. The candidate will also be required to have good knowledge of the Sea Around Us infrastructure and the principles behind this infrastructure, and a working knowledge of several languages such as PostGres, MS Excel, JavaScript, Python, C# and R. It is important for the candidate to be adept with QGIS and PostGIS. The ideal candidate should be able to implement ideas and tasks requested by the PI and delegate specific data-related tasks to Sea Around Us teams. The Data Science Specialist will be working in close collaboration with the Website and Database Specialist in order to maintain operations, integrity, troubleshooting and maintenance of the Sea Around Us tech stack.

ORGANIZATIONAL STATUS

Reporting directly to the Project Manager, Dr Maria L.D. Palomares, and as required to the Principal Investigator, Dr. Daniel Pauly, the Data Science Specialist works independently under minimal supervision. The Data Science Specialist oversees and trains coding members of the Sea Around Us. Acts as a consultant to external research facilities including local, national and international collaborators.

WORK PERFORMED

Manages underlying algorithms of the Sea Around Us (catch, price, end-use, domestic, foreign and high seas catches), which might also be useful for website applications, database and system infrastructure.

Plan, design, develop, and implement novel algorithms or analyses or ways of visualizing Sea Around Us datasets.

Supervise, train and instruct research assistants with new algorithms or database features.

Discuss and plan with the Project Manager and Principal Investigator to implement new features to the database to allow for new analysis leading to new publications and collaborations.

Plans, documents and updates the documentation repository with new procedures and updates existing routines such as price, end-use or layer allocation.

Monitor, assess, and report on database performance. Monitor algorithm performance. Work closely with internal teams to advise on data use and strategy, and content development.

Performs regular quality assurance testing and troubleshooting as needed including troubleshooting and repair of the database within specialized expertise and maintaining documentation on problems and repairs.

Reviews and maintains software, web services, servers to ensure optimum website and database health.

Performs other related duties as required by the Project Manager or Principal Investigator.

CONSEQUENCE OF ERROR

The Sea Around Us Data Science Specialist will be required to exercise a considerable amount of judgment, responsibility and initiative in determining work procedures, and methods as well as coordinating the work flow pertaining to implementing algorithms and/or system analyses. Consequences of inappropriate actions could lead to the loss of valuable and irreplaceable research data, incur expensive costs on web servers, lengthy delays and downtimes for the database and website which affects Sea Around Us research grant deliverable timelines, other research groups, NGOs and collaborators, and public users of our website and data. Errors in decision-making could negatively impact the reputation of the research lab, Program, Faculty and University.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED

Routine work is carried out independently. The Data Science Specialist reports directly to the Project Manager, Dr Maria Palomares and may defer to the Principal Investigator, Dr. Daniel Pauly for unusual occurrences.

SUPERVISION GIVEN

Provides training and supervision to a small group of employees (that is, the Sea Around Us research team) in related areas of expertise.

QUALIFICATIONS

BSc or MSc in a Data Science. Minimum 3 years of related experience or the equivalent combination of education and experience.

Expertise in large biological databases, specifically in fisheries.

Knowledge and experience of application development frameworks, languages and tools including application of AI to trends analyses.

Proficient in relational databases such as MySQL, SQL Server and PostgreSQL.

Working experience in cloud environment and cloud computing applications (Amazon Web Services applications such as EC2, RDS, Route53, IAM and S3).

Proficient in Python as web framework using Django and data analysis using Pandas and Numpy libraries.

Working experience Windows and/or Linux operating systems.

Proficient in spatial analysis using GIS and PostGIS.

Proficient in Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Expertise in the analysis and interpretation of fisheries-related data, identifying key information, determining implications, providing recommendations and effectively resolving issues.

Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.

Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively independently and in a team environment.

Ability to provide effective and appropriate guidance and counsel (e.g., providing data or instructions on how to obtain data through various methods to external researchers and advising on appropriate uses and interpretation of Sea Around Us data for their purposes).

Ability to maintain accuracy and attention to detail.

Ability to prioritize and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines and ensure multiple research projects within the research lab receive timely assistance.

Strong organizational skills.

Minimum Qualifications
Completion of a university degree in a relevant discipline or technical program and a minimum four years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Some positions may require a graduate degree.

• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own

Preferred Qualifications