Senior Underwater Acoustics, Bioacoustics Consultant

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Canada.

📋 Description

• Offer technical guidance in assessments, modeling, monitoring, and advisory services related to underwater acoustics for marine projects.

• Create and operate underwater sound propagation and exposure models for both continuous and impulsive sound sources.

• Establish modeling assumptions, environmental inputs, sensitivity analyses, uncertainty assessments, and quality assurance protocols.

• Anticipate underwater noise footprints and assess behavioral disturbances, auditory injuries, masking, stress responses, and cumulative effects on marine life.

• Plan, manage, and implement underwater acoustic monitoring programs.

• Deploy, retrieve, calibrate, and maintain hydrophones and underwater acoustic recording equipment.

• Assess ambient and anthropogenic underwater noise from shipping, construction, dredging, seismic surveys, and offshore activities.

• Collaborate on offshore and coastal monitoring initiatives with multidisciplinary project teams and engage in fieldwork as necessary.

• Assist in studies related to marine animal acoustics, passive acoustic monitoring, marine mammal observation, and controlled exposure experiments.

• Process, analyze, and interpret extensive underwater acoustic datasets utilizing Python, MATLAB, or similar software.

• Create spectrograms, frequency analyses, and time-series visualizations; detect, classify, and catalogue acoustic events.

• Prepare technical documentation for environmental assessments, permitting applications, regulatory submissions, and compliance reports.

• Formulate and assess underwater noise mitigation strategies, including bubble curtains, exclusion zones, timing restrictions, ramp-up procedures, operational limitations, quieter technologies, and adaptive management practices.

• Compile technical reports, figures, modeling documentation, and appendices.

• Collaborate with project managers on scope, timelines, budgets, technical resources, and deliverables.

• Conduct QA/QC reviews and optimize modeling, data processing, and reporting workflows.

• Mentor junior staff and assist with proposals, scope development, budgeting, client presentations, and business development.

• Cultivate client relationships and contribute thought leadership through publications, conferences, workshops, and industry engagement.

⛳️ Requirements

• At least five years of consulting experience in underwater acoustics for environmental assessments, permitting, compliance, or marine infrastructure projects.

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Physics, Acoustics, Ocean Engineering, Marine Science, or a related field.

• Professional registration (P.Eng., PE, or equivalent), or eligibility for registration.

• In-depth knowledge of underwater sound propagation, acoustics theory, source characterization, frequency-domain analysis, exposure assessment, and environmental acoustics.

• Experience in developing underwater sound propagation models and documenting assumptions, sensitivity analyses, uncertainty assessments, and reproducible modeling workflows.

• Proven experience in designing and executing underwater acoustic monitoring programs, including hydrophone deployment, calibration, instrumentation, and field data collection.

• Proficient in processing large underwater acoustic datasets using Python, MATLAB, R, or similar software.

• Skilled in generating spectrograms, time-series analyses, signal processing, automated detection, acoustic classification, and statistical analyses.

• Experienced in applying passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) techniques and marine mammal acoustic detection systems.

• Understanding of the behavior of marine fauna and their responses to underwater sound.

• Familiarity with impact criteria for marine mammals, fish, and sea turtles, as well as environmental assessment frameworks.

• Experience in integrating species distribution, hearing sensitivity, and biological datasets into acoustic evaluations.

• Proven ability to prepare technical reports for environmental assessments, peer reviews, and regulatory submissions.

• Experience developing underwater noise mitigation strategies.

• Ability to work effectively with multidisciplinary teams.

• Experience collaborating with regulators, Indigenous communities, government agencies, and industry stakeholders is highly desirable.

• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.

• Strong organizational, problem-solving, and project management skills.

• Demonstrated mentoring and technical leadership capabilities.

• Proven experience in client relationship management and business development, including proposal preparation and scope development.

• Must have legal authorization to work in the country of hire.

• Willingness to travel across North America, including offshore work and cross-border travel as necessary.

🏝️ Benefits

• Competitive total compensation package encompassing comprehensive benefits, vacation, and wellness initiatives.

• Full-time permanent position.

• Opportunities for professional growth and career advancement.

• Development of subject-matter expertise and career growth.