Cetacean Modelling Specialist

This is a remote position.

Location: Primarily remote, with an anticipated five-day collaborative visit to Honolulu, Hawaii

Contract Period: October 2026 to September 2027

Contract Type: Fixed-term contract, contingent on project award

Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience

MSRA is retained by a certified specialist organisation currently pursuing a federal fisheries science contract in the Pacific Islands region. They are seeking a highly experienced Cetacean Density Surface Modelling Specialist to provide subject-matter expertise in support of ongoing cetacean research and population assessment programmes.

This is a remote-first position with one anticipated collaborative working week in Honolulu. The contract is subject to project award and runs from October 2026 through to September 2027.

The Role

The successful candidate will provide specialist expertise in cetacean density surface modelling, contributing to scientific analysis, model development, and collaborative research outputs in support of Pacific Islands fisheries science objectives.

Requirements

Key Experience Required

• Demonstrated experience developing seasonal cetacean Density Surface Models (DSMs)
  
• Working knowledge of Central Pacific and Hawaiian Islands cetacean populations
  
• Experience with ship-based line-transect survey data collection and analysis
  
• Proficiency in Density Surface Modelling and statistical analysis using R
  
• Environmental covariate processing and integration
  
• Model validation and uncertainty estimation
  
• Cetacean abundance prediction and reporting
  
• Track record of collaborative scientific research and peer-reviewed publication
  

Desirable Experience

• Prior experience working with Marine Government Agencies
  
• Familiarity with Pacific Islands marine mammal datasets and survey protocols