Acoustic Data Management Steward

National Park Service - Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division

Position Details

Stewards Individual Placements (Stewards) provides individuals with service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources. Participants work with federal agencies, tribal governments, and nonprofits building institutional capacity, developing community relationships, and supporting ecosystem health. Stewards in partnership with National Park Service Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division is hosting an Acoustic Data Management Steward (Steward).

This Steward will work as part of the NPS Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division (NSNSD) in Fort Collins, CO to organize a large acoustic monitoring record in preparation for public dissemination. The acoustic monitoring record constitutes approximately 80 TB of audio data across over 1000 monitoring sites and spanning 20 years. This task will involve the development of a systematic workflow for logical data organization. This task may involve the development of coding pipelines or other tools to automate Data Management, the monitoring and troubleshooting of Data Management scripts, and the creation and updating of standard operating procedures. This task will require the intern to be present at the Fort Collins, CO office to interact with the acoustic archive, and some telework may be possible. It is preferred that the intern possesses knowledge of the Windows environment and has experience with programming/scripting languages such as Python, R, or other open source languages.

Position Responsibilities will include:

         Develop a systematic workflow for logical data organization. This includes:

       Work with supervisor to understand data organization needs.

       Develop a systematic workflow for logical data organization through coding pipelines or other tools to automate Data Management.

       Monitor and troubleshoot Data Management scripts.

         Initiate the process of packaging up and transferring data. This includes:

       Review National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) data structure requirements.

       Work with supervisor to package organized dataset for inclusion in NCEI passive Acoustic Data archive.

          Document standard operating procedures. This includes:

       Document, in written form, methods and protocols used to organize Acoustic Datasets.

       Share final commented/annotated code versions. 

Minimum Requirements:

       Preferred area of study in data science, information science, or computer science

       Not a remote position, must be able to work at 1201 Oakridge Drive, Fort Collins CO during business hours, though some additional telework may be possible

       Knowledge of the Windows environment 

       This position will require sitting (or standing, if preferred) at a computer

       There is no travel or field work involved in this position

Preferred Qualifications

       Prefer experience with programming/scripting languages such as Python, R, or other open source languages

Benefits:

       Position is eligible for an AmeriCorps education award upon successful completion of the program. Value of education award is $1,824.07 (pre-tax).

       Living Allowance: $600/week (pre-tax).

       Housing Support: $100/week (pre-tax).

       On-the-job training and development opportunities for starting a career in the National Park Service or a similar federal agency.

How to Apply
Apply on-line at: https://stewardslegacy.org/open-positions.  In addition to your resume, please submit a one page cover letter highlighting why you are interested in this position and how your background and experience will help you succeed in this position.

Application Questions

Please contact Roddy Cobb Jr. at rcobb@conservationlegacy.org with any questions.

Application Deadline

Please submit your application by March 29, 2024 to ensure full consideration.

Stewards Individual Placements Program does not and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all.