scientist senior

The South Florida Water Management District is seeking a data-driven professional to help modernize how environmental and hydrologic data is analyzed, visualized, and shared.

As a Data Scientist within the Water Quality Office's Compliance Assessment and Reporting Section, you'll design and maintain data pipelines, dashboards, and automation workflows that power the District's core water quality reporting systems. You'll work at the intersection of science, engineering, and IT, collaborating with environmental scientists, environmental engineers, and database administrators to improve permit reporting through enhanced data integration. Your work will directly inform decision-making for water management, permitting, and environmental compliance across South Florida.

Key Responsibilities

• Leverage data tools (Microsoft Excel, Python, R, SQL) to extract, transform, analyze and visualize environmental datasets
• Partner with scientists and engineers to automate data pipelines and enhance water quality monitoring and reporting efficiency
• Design and maintain dashboards, visualizations, and interactive reports that clearly communicate insights to internal teams and external stakeholders
• Respond to time-sensitive data request or support inquiries, including technical guidance and training assistance
• Summarize and present findings through permit reports, presentations, and fact sheets for diverse audiences, translating data into actionable insights

Why Join Us?

• Impactful Work: Contribute to sustainable environmental solutions and help shape water resource management strategies.
• Professional Development: Opportunity to work with leading experts in the field and develop your technical and leadership skills.
• Collaborative Culture: Join a team of passionate professionals committed to making a difference through teamwork and innovation.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in data pipeline development, database queries, and report automation
• Proficient in Python/R and SQL for data analysis, automation, visualization, and integration with databases and APIs (e.g., pandas, matplotlib, tidyverse, pyodbc)
• Proven experience in environmental data analysis, water quality monitoring, watershed assessment, or hydrologic modeling, especially in regulatory compliance reporting
• Familiarity with Southern Florida water quality regulations and hydrological processes (Florida Statutes, F.A.C., Clean Water Act, NPDES, TMDLs)
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to convey technical insights to managers, regulatory agencies, and diverse stakeholders

The available position may be filled as any of the following:

Engineer Series: Senior Engineer, Staff Engineer, or Engineering Specialist 4

Scientist Series: Senior Scientist, Scientist 4, or Scientist 3

Please refer to the following table for Education, Professional Licensure, and Experience requirements:

Position

Degree

Professional Licensure*

Relevant Experience (years)

Senior Engineer

Engineering

PE

6

Staff Engineer

Engineering

PE

4

Engineering Specialist 4

Engineering

EIT

4

Senior Scientist

Non-Engineering

None

6

Scientist 4

Non-Engineering

None

4

Scientist 3

Non-Engineering

None

2

• License for Senior Engineer and Staff Engineer:

Requires a valid State of Florida Professional Engineer (PE) License and keeps licensure status current OR ability to obtain Florida PE License within six months of employment by reciprocation of Professional Engineer License from another state.

• License for Engineering Specialist 4:

Requires a valid Engineer-In-Training certification, and candidate must work towards and attain a State of Florida Professional Engineer (PE) License.

Physical Requirements/ Working Environment:

Due to the District's response role and in the total scope of emergency management, this position may at times, be required to provide support before, during and after major storm events and emergency situations, such as hurricanes or other declared emergencies.

Veterans' Preference

Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans' Preference will receive preference in employment for vacancies and are encouraged to apply. Candidates claiming Veterans' Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code. All documentation is due by the close of the job posting.

Americans with Disabilities Act:

The South Florida Water Management District is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in the selection process, please contact the Human Resources Bureau at

Salary Minimum

$68,952.00

Salary Midpoint:

$98,737.60

Organization

WQ COMPLIANCE PROJ MGMT UNIT

Salary Maximum

$128,502.40