Position Summary:

Cherokee Federal is seeking a Subject Matter Expert V in St. Petersburg, Florida. This position supports coastal and marine research focused on geologic, geophysical, geomorphic, oceanographic, and landscape-ecology processes affecting coastal environments.

Compensation & Benefits:

Starting Salary Range for Subject Matter Expert V: Pay commensurate with experience.

Benefits That Set Us Apart

When considering your next opportunity, compensation is only part of the picture. We offer a benefits package designed to invest in your future and support your life outside of work.

Highlights include:

• Up to a 6% 401(k) company match to help you build long-term financial security

• Paid time off as part of our comprehensive benefits package, so you have the flexibility to rest, recharge, and enjoy what matters most

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance, plus prescription drug coverage

• Basic life and AD&D insurance, with supplemental life options

• Short-term and long-term disability coverage

• Paid holidays

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Savings Account (HSA) options

• Professional development, training, and certification support

• Voluntary benefits including accident, critical illness, and identity theft protection

Because taking care of our employees isn’t just a promise, it’s part of who we are.

Benefits are subject to change and eligibility requirements apply.

Essential Functions, Duties & Responsibilities:

Includes the following:

• Conduct advanced coastal and marine research supporting projects, including Southwest Florida, Hurricane Ian supplemental, and other funded research initiatives.

• Independently plan, execute, analyze, and document research and development activities using sound scientific judgment and established methods.

• Develop, apply, calibrate, and interpret numerical models of shoreface, barrier-island, and coastal landscape evolution under varying environmental scenarios.

• Model barrier-island landscape change under differing conditions of sediment supply, sea-level rise, storms, sediment transport, and other relevant physical processes.

• Conduct research involving coastal morphology, morphodynamics, sedimentary systems, geomorphology, and near-surface geologic frameworks.

• Compile, process, analyze, and interpret oceanographic, sedimentologic, geomorphic, geophysical, and geospatial datasets.

• Plan and conduct field investigations at barrier-island and coastal study sites, including locations in southwest Florida and other approved field locations.

• Collect sediment samples using percussion coring, sand augers, and other approved sampling methods.

• Conduct Real-Time Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System (RTK-GNSS) surveying and support ground-penetrating radar surveys, as assigned.

• Process, analyze, interpret, and document sediment cores, sand-auger samples, and other geological materials using standard and emerging laboratory methods.

• Develop geomorphological models and design corresponding field, laboratory, and modeling investigations.

• Use Geographic Information System (GIS) tools to analyze and interpret coastal, marine, geologic, geomorphic, and spatial datasets.

• Create, manage, document, and support the release of scientific datasets, metadata, figures, graphs, maps, and other research products.

• Develop publication-quality figures, graphs, visualizations, and supporting materials for scientific reports, data releases, presentations, and manuscripts.

• Provide technical input to USGS data releases and ensure products meet applicable documentation, quality, and scientific-review requirements.

• Lead or co-lead the preparation of technical reports, scientific publications, peer-reviewed journal manuscripts, and other written research products.

• Clearly document field methods, laboratory methods, numerical-modeling methods, analytical processes, interpretations, results, and conclusions.

• Collaborate with scientists, project teams, Federal and state partners, and other research collaborators to discuss project progress, findings, and technical needs.

• Participate in project meetings, technical reviews, field planning activities, and research discussions.

• Maintain organized research records, datasets, model files, analytical scripts, laboratory records, quality-control documentation, and project files.

• Follow established standard operating procedures, field protocols, laboratory protocols, applicable permits, and Federal and state requirements.

• Comply with all applicable Federal information-security, privacy, safety, property-protection, and facility-security requirements.

• Submit required status reports, technical updates, travel documentation, and other deliverables in accordance with project schedules and Task Order requirements.

• Travel as required to support approved fieldwork, research activities, meetings, and project needs.

• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

No supervisory/management authority

Basic Qualifications:

Reporting & Analysis:

• Proficiency using MATLAB for numerical modeling, scientific analysis, visualization, and data processing required.

• Proficiency using Esri ArcGIS software for geospatial data management, mapping, analysis, and visualization required.

• Experience compiling, processing, analyzing, and interpreting coastal, marine, oceanographic, geologic, geomorphic, or geospatial datasets required.

• Ability to independently develop research approaches, evaluate complex data, interpret results, and communicate defensible scientific conclusions.

• Strong scientific writing skills, including the ability to clearly describe research methods, data, results, interpretations, and conclusions.

Compliance & Quality Support:

• Knowledge of sedimentologic methods, core-processing methods, laboratory analysis techniques, and associated quality-control practices required.

• Demonstrated ability to create publication-quality figures, graphs, maps, and visual data products required.

• Ability to prioritize assignments, manage multiple research tasks, meet project deadlines, and maintain high standards for scientific integrity and data quality.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Doctoral degree in geology, marine science, environmental science, coastal science, oceanography, geomorphology, or a closely related field required.

• Multiple years of post-graduate research experience in coastal, marine, geologic, geomorphic, oceanographic, or related environmental research required.

• Demonstrated specialized knowledge of coastal morphology and morphodynamics required.

• Experience planning and conducting coastal or marine fieldwork required.

• Ability to travel and safely perform fieldwork in coastal, marine, and barrier-island environments.

• Ability to successfully complete a Federal background investigation and maintain required access credentials.

• Ability to work independently with limited oversight while collaborating effectively with scientists, technical staff, and research partners.

• Must be a US Citizen.

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer; may occasionally require standing or moving about the office for extended periods.

• Must pass pre-employment qualifications of Cherokee Federal.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with Python packages for scientific computing, numerical modeling, data processing, geospatial analysis, or automation preferred.

• Experience using RTK-GNSS equipment for field surveying, elevation data collection, or geospatial data acquisition preferred.

• Experience supporting ground-penetrating radar surveys or processing marine/coastal geophysical data preferred.

• Familiarity with scientific-data documentation, metadata development, data-release processes, and Federal scientific-review standards preferred.

Work Environment:

Work is performed primarily in a climate-controlled environment.