Hydrologist at Lynker Technologies – Portland, Oregon

Lynker Technologies
Hydrologist

US-OR-Portland

Job ID: 2026-1498
Type: Full-Time
# of Openings: 1
Category: Geospatial Analyst/Developer
NOAA - Portland, OR

Overview

Lynker is seeking a highly experienced and strategic Senior Operational Hydrologist to serve as
the Research-to-Operations (R2O) Lead, embedded within the NOAA National Weather Service
(NWS) Northwest River Forecast Center (RFC) in Portland, OR.

This Contract is contigent on Lynker winning the contract award

This is a high-impact role supporting Lynker’s partnership with the Center for Western Weather
and Water Extremes (CW3E), the NOAA Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in
Hydrology (CIROH), the Office of Water Prediction, and NWS RFCs. As the senior technical
authority on site, you will spearhead the experimental implementation of Forecast-Informed
Reservoir Operations (FIRO), transforming mature research into operational protocols. You will
act as a primary architect for bridging the gap between scientific innovation and real-time flood
forecasting, while also mentoring junior staff and influencing future R&D directions through the
Operations-to-Research (O2R) feedback loop.

Support & Collaboration:

While this role is embedded at the NWS, you will be backed by a robust
support network. You will have direct access to the technical resources and subject matter
experts at Lynker. This ensures you have the institutional backing, data access, and
collaborative power needed to succeed in this high-visibility R2O initiative.

Responsibilities

Duties of the Hydrologist selected will include the following:

Strategic Leadership & R2O Implementation

• Spearhead R2O Initiatives: Lead the design, testing, and operational deployment of
  advanced hydrologic models and forecasting techniques (specifically FIRO) within the
  RFC environment.
• Strategic Liaison: Serve as the authoritative liaison between CIROH researchers, Lynker
  management, and Northwest RFC leadership; successfully negotiate and align research
  capabilities with operational constraints.
• Model Architecture & Integration: Oversee the technical integration of new modeling
  systems into the NWS Community Hydrologic Prediction System (CHPS), ensuring
  robustness and reliability for critical public safety forecasts.
• Advanced Analysis: Direct high-level data analysis and visualization efforts to validate
  model performance, ensemble forecast generation, and reservoir inflow predictions.

Mentorship & Technical Oversight

• Technical Mentorship: Act as a subject matter expert and mentor to junior hydrologists
  and forecasting staff, fostering a culture of continuous learning and technical
  excellence.
• Workflow Optimization: Evaluate existing operational workflows and author
  recommendations for modernization that enhance efficiency and forecast accuracy.
• Publishing & Thought Leadership: Lead the preparation of high-impact annual scientific
  reports and peer-reviewed journal articles; represent the project as a keynote or primary
  presenter at national scientific conferences.

Qualifications

The Hydrologist selected should have the following:

• Education & Experience:
  • A Ph.D. in Hydrology, Civil Engineering, Atmospheric Science, or a related
    discipline, and 3+ years of experience; OR
  • A Master’s Degree in a related discipline with at least 7+ years of specialized
    professional experience in operational hydrology or hydrologic modeling.
• Operational Systems Expertise: Deep technical proficiency with operational forecasting
  systems and hydrologic modeling suites (e.g., SAC-SMA, HEFS, physically-based
  models).
• Advanced Technical Skills: Expert-level capability in programming (Python, R) and data
  management for large-scale hydrologic datasets.
• Leadership capability: Proven track record of leading complex technical projects,
  managing stakeholder relationships, and driving consensus across multi-agency teams.

The Ideal Hydrologist selected will have the following:

Subject Matter Expertise: Recognized authority in Forecast-Informed Reservoir
Operations (FIRO) or similar adaptive management strategies.Ensemble Forecasting: Extensive experience with hydrologic ensemble forecast services
(HEFS), probabilistic verification, and risk-based decision support tools.Software Engineering: Familiarity with modern software development practices (version
control, containerization) to streamline model deployment.Mentoring Experience: Demonstrated success in supervising or mentoring junior scientists, with specific examples of guiding professional development.

Candidate Consideration: Research suggests that candidates from underrepresented
backgrounds may self-select out of applying if they do not meet 100% of the listed
requirements. At Lynker, we value the unique perspectives and specialized expertise you bring.
If you meet the core education and experience requirements but are unsure about every item on
the Preferred's list, we strongly encourage you to apply. We are interested in your potential to
lead and innovate.

About Lynker

Lynker is a growing, employee owned, small business, specializing in professional, scientific and technical services. Our continually expanding team combines scientific expertise with mature, results-driven processes and tools to achieve technically sound, cost effective solutions in hydrology/water sciences, geospatial analysis, information technology, resource management, conservation, and management and business process improvement.

We focus on putting the right people in the right place to be effective. And having the right people is critical for success. Our streamlined organization enables and empowers our talented professionals to tackle our customers' scientific and technical priorities – creatively and effectively.

Lynker offers a team-oriented work environment, and the opportunity to work in a culture of exceptionally skilled professionals who embrace sound science and creative solutions. Lynker's benefits include the following:

• Personalized career growth plans for every employee

Lynker is an E-Verify employer.

Lynker is an equal opportunity employer and makes all employment decisions based on merit, qualifications, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other legally protected status under federal, state, or local laws.