Illegal Fishing and Transparency Data Fellow

General Summary

The Illegal Fishing and Transparency fellow will support Oceana’s campaign to end illegal fishing and expand transparency. The fellow will use big data analytics and emerging technologies, including Global Fishing Watch, to support the campaign goals by conducting research, delivering findings, writing reports, and creating compelling maps and other visuals to present data. The fellow will need to communicate complex data and technical work into public friendly written and verbal content. This position will also work with Oceana’s domestic campaigns and other Oceana offices to provide analytical support, data products, and reports to help advance their goals. Strong spatiotemporal analysis skills, programming experience, database management, creativity, collaboration and science communication skills, and some experience in fisheries management and commercial fishing policies are essential to the success of this position.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Essential Functions:

• Identify, analyze, and interpret trends or patterns in complex data sets to support published reports and advance Oceana’s campaigns.
• Think creatively to identify research projects that will support strengthening domestic and international policies regarding ending illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing and increasing the transparency of fishing.
• Collaborate with Oceana’s domestic and international campaigns, policy teams and science staff to use Global Fishing Watch to inform their work for maximum impact.
• Support analyses required for data requests from other campaigns with a keen eye for detail and ability to effectively manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Generate visually appealing maps, videos, and graphics for use in published materials.
• Participate in writing reports communicating complex technical concepts to the public and policymakers.
• Assist in training Oceana scientists and members of government in the Global Fishing Watch platform.
• Engage with GFW materials and experts to understand the data sets, analyses, and capabilities.
• Maintain a working knowledge of related science and policy practices.
• Other responsibilities as appropriate and necessary to achieve Oceana’s objectives.

Job Requirements

Education and work experience:

• MS in Marine Science, Fisheries Science, Computer or Data Science, Marine Policy, or related discipline, and one year of working experience, or equivalent of education and experience.
• Fluency in the programming language R (Python is a plus).
• Familiarity with databases and data mining (SQL).
• Proficient in geospatial mapping using ArcGIS (or QGIS).
• Fluency in Spanish, Portuguese, Filipino, French, or other languages spoken in Oceana international offices is a plus.
• Familiarity with Tableau is a plus.

Skills and knowledge:

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to collect, organize, analyze, and disseminate significant amounts of information with attention to detail and accuracy.
• Working knowledge of fisheries policies with the ability to analyze proposals, provide recommendations, and communicate with decision makers.
• Strong writing skills, particularly the ability synthesize and communicate complex scientific information into simple, publicly digestible material.
• Skilled in storytelling through data by creating beautiful maps and graphics.
• Adept at big data analysis, report writing and presenting findings.
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment.
• Experience completing projects under tight deadlines and effectively managing a demanding workload, multi-tasking, and taking on new projects.

Competencies: 

• Action-oriented: takes on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.
• Resourceful: secures and deploys resources effectively and efficiently.
• Collaborative: builds partnerships and works with others to meet shared objectives.
• Communicates effectively: adjusts to fit the audience and the message.
• Manages Complexity: identifies and acquires dates from multiple and diverse sources when solving problems.
• Nimble: learns and moves quickly when facing new situations.
• Cultivates Innovation: introduces new ways of looking at problems.

Oceana values a diverse workforce and welcomes people different from each other in many ways, including characteristics such as race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, and national origin. Oceana considers all qualified candidates and seeks to recruit from a diverse candidate pool.

Oceana’s US offices have operated on a hybrid schedule and staff have been required to work from their assigned office on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. With agreement between the employee and their supervisor, the employee may work from home Monday and Friday.