Electrical Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Electrical Engineer – Ecosystem Survey Branch (ESB) Support Services

Falmouth, MA (WHOI); Pocasset, MA; and Narragansett, RI

This role supports advanced fisheries sampling instruments and is a blend of engineering innovation and hands-on survey participation for the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC)

Join @Orchard in supporting a critical national mission with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC). This opportunity places you at the intersection of ocean science and marine technology, working within the Population and Ecosystems Monitoring and Analysis Division (PEMAD), specifically the Ecosystem Surveys Branch (ESB).

Our team relies on innovative electronic and optical sampling systems to gather essential data for understanding fish populations and ecosystem conditions in the Northwest Atlantic. These technologies are vital to the success of fisheries-independent surveys and habitat monitoring efforts.

@Orchard is actively seeking an Electrical Engineer to advance marine instrumentation aboard NOAA research vessels. In this role, you’ll maintain and develop cutting-edge electronic devices, support the HabCam v4 system, and lead troubleshooting and fiber optic work for towed and uncrewed vehicles.

You’ll collaborate closely with scientists, survey leads, and technicians to ensure seamless deployment and data collection at sea. This is the perfect opportunity for a Marine Electrical Engineer who is hands-on in electronics, fiber optics, and field operations to contribute directly to NOAA’s ecosystem-based fisheries management mission.

Key Responsibilities

As an Electrical Engineer Support team member, your responsibilities will include:

• Assisting with the preparation and maintenance of the NEFSC’s HabCam v4 system, and/or for the development and maintenance of electronic devices as used for fisheries sampling activities.
• Participating in ESB research cruises when support for electronic fisheries sampling devices is required.
• Leading the development of electronic fisheries sampling instruments and associated software that are to be deployed during survey operations.
• Conducting maintenance and installation of electronic fisheries sampling instruments that are to be deployed during survey operations, including fiber-optic connections as required.
• Testing all primary and secondary systems, ensuring that electronics are ready for deployment during survey operations.
• Prepping and configuring any interfacing software associated with electronic instruments before at-sea data collection.
• Serving as a member of the scientific party, standing watch for up to 12 hours per day.
• Leading troubleshooting of electronic data acquisition systems.
• Assisting with or leading general shipboard sampling activities, organization, and clean-up.
• Leading fiber optic termination of towed optical vehicles for communication between sampling equipment and survey vessels.
• Troubleshooting fiber optic or additional electronic and wiring issues for towed or uncrewed vehicles.
• Designing vehicle machinery and materials required for the proper maintenance of advanced technology sampling tools. This can include producing CAD drawings for machine work.

Required Experience and Qualifications:

To be successful in this role, candidates must meet the following qualifications:

• Experience with the use and maintenance of oceanographic instruments as deployed from research vessels.
• Experience independently leading fiber optic terminations.
• Experience in diagnosing and repairing common hardware and electronics problems at sea.
• Significant experience with wiring of marine electronics, including fiber optics.
• Familiarity with electronic data acquisition systems
• Current MS Office skills.

Essential Conditions of Employment

• Sea-Readiness: Capable of working at sea for extended periods (trips range from 5 to 17 consecutive days at sea).
• Medical Clearance: Meet OMAO health criteria for sea duty on NOAA vessels.
• Driver's License: Must hold a valid real ID state driver’s license with the ability to operate a Federal motor vehicle.

This position includes authorized overtime, travel, and training as required by the project scope. If you are ready to contribute to a vital environmental mission, we encourage you to apply.

Established in 2010, @Orchard LLC has an exceptional reputation, providing staffing solutions to time-sensitive, talent scarcity issues to deliver better talent management ROI. Our specialty lies in the critical area of program talent acquisition and resource management, not in one narrow skillset, but across many areas of technical and functional delivery. To learn more about our other exciting opportunities, visit our Jobs Page at .