Chemical Tracer Analyst Jobs

At Saltwater Inc., we believe that high-quality data is vital to the health of our fisheries and oceans: our mission is to provide that data. We are a Women-Owned Small Business and are constantly seeking new team members who share our passion for innovation and environmental wellness. We are currently recruiting for a Chemical Tracer Analysis Support Specialist to assist in conducting studies on environmental factors affecting fishery resources, including exposure to pollutants, as it relates to the protection of NOAA trust resources including fish and marine mammals in support of the Environmental Fisheries Science Division/Environmental Chemistry Program of the Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC).

Are you passionate about sustaining the health of marine mammals and have experience with the collection and dissemination of data pertaining to chemical tracers in aquatic species and their habitats? If so, this position may be for you. Work will be performed on-site at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Seattle, WA. The contract has a one-year base period beginning September 1st and will have up to four (4) 12-month option periods.

Duties

• Homogenize, freeze dry, and help analyze marine fish and seafood samples (e.g., Pacific herring, salmonids, mussels), as well as the associated quality assurance samples, for carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios using analytical protocols established by the NWFSC.
• Archive any remaining tissue samples and sample extracts in the appropriate storage area and maintain freezer inventories of these samples and sample extracts.
• Assist NWFSC staff in operation and maintenance of accelerated solvent extractors (ASEs), HPLC, and GCMS systems used in chemical tracer analyses of marine organisms and their prey, using protocols established by the NWFSC.
• Help collect, prepare, extract, cleanup, and analyze samples of marine fish and seafood (e.g., Pacific herring, salmonids, mussels) and associated quality assurance samples for persistent organic pollutants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their metabolites, and lipid content using analytical protocols established by the NWFSC.
• Archive any remaining tissue samples in the appropriate storage area and maintain freezer inventories of these samples.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with a major with emphasis in chemistry, fisheries, oceanography, social science, natural science, mathematics, or hydrology, plus three (3) years of experience in related field or combination of such totaling seven (7) years combined education and experience.
• Experience in following performance-based laboratory quality assurance protocols, including following clean-laboratory practices for chemical tracer analyses.
• Experience in tissue sample preparation for analyses of stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen. This includes experience in freeze drying tissues.
• Experience operating and maintaining accelerated solvent extractors (ASEs), high-performance liquid chromatographs (HPLCs), and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry systems (GC/MS).
• Experience in preparation, extraction, and cleanup of tissues of marine organisms and their prey for determining trace levels (parts per billion) of chemical tracers using GC/MS, including persistent organic pollutants, petroleum-related polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, as well as gravimetric lipid determinations.

Salary range is dependent upon experience.

Saltwater Inc. is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and a VEVRAA Federal Contractor and does not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, parental status, veteran status, or disability status. We strive to create an inclusive workplace culture to attract the best talent and allow each member of our team to achieve their full potential and maximum productivity. Furthermore, Saltwater Inc. highly encourages qualified individuals with disabilities and protected veterans to apply for positions for which they are qualified and to notify us if there are any needs for accommodation throughout the application process and/or upon hire.

Only qualified applicants with the requisite experience need to apply.

Saltwater’s mandatory employee COVID-19 policy requires proof of Covid-19 vaccination to safeguard the health of our employees and their families.

We will honor all requests for application confidentiality.

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