Environmental Monitoring and Data Technician
The Marine and Terrestrial Sciences (MTS) Section provides technical and operational support for marine and terrestrial research at OIST and for the broader research community. MTS operates the Marine Science Station and sea neXus facilities, supports experimental planning and implementation, and delivers fieldwork logistics across Okinawa. The section also provides environmental monitoring, equipment and dataset management, permitting and stakeholder coordination, and data support (including GIS and sensor workflows), alongside biological collections support and safety training.
The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University was established in 2011 to contribute to the development of science and technology worldwide and to serve as a hub of innovation in Okinawa. OIST is a dynamic new graduate university of science and technology in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan which offers a 5-year PhD program and brings together outstanding researchers from across the country and across disciplines to conduct cutting-edge scientific research.
The university is located on 85 hectares of protected forestland overlooking a beautiful shoreline and coral reefs. The campus is striking architecturally, and the facilities are outstanding. To facilitate multidisciplinary research, there are no academic departments. Outstanding resources and equipment are provided and managed to encourage easy access and collaboration.
English is the official language of the University, and the university research community is fully international, with more than 50 countries represented. OIST is rapidly gaining recognition in the worldwide academic community as a model for excellence in education and research, and our unwavering commitment to scientific and technological innovation is dedicated to generating progress that will fuel Okinawa's economic growth.
- Participate in field surveys across Okinawa (terrestrial, coastal, and marine adjacent sites as needed), including setup, operation, and retrieval of monitoring equipment.
- Manage research datasets from multiple sources (field logs, sensors, cameras, sound recorders, weather stations), including file organization, metadata, QC, and backups.
- Conduct routine data processing and analysis, and produce clear summaries/figures for internal reporting and project decision making.
- Work with acoustic and sound recording data (e.g., data handling, spectrogram review, annotation, and assisting with automated detection workflows where applicable).
- Support development and improvement of analysis workflows (e.g., scripting, templates, SOPs) and learn new methods as project needs evolve.
- Communicate regularly with the team and collaborators via email and Microsoft Teams.
(Required)
- Ability and willingness to participate in fieldwork across Okinawa, including physically demanding work outdoors in variable weather and terrain.
- Demonstrated ability to manage and analyse research datasets, including file organization, metadata, and quality control.
- Experience with basic data processing and statistical analysis (e.g., R or Python) and willingness to learn new analytical methods as project needs evolve.
- Strong English communication skills and ability to coordinate work digitally
- Comfortable working in a multicultural, multinational environment.
- Provide operational support for broader MTS field and facility activities.
(Preferred)
- Experience handling acoustic/sound recording datasets
- Experience with GIS or spatial analyses
- Experience deploying and maintaining field monitoring equipment
- Experience with reproducible workflows and collaboration tools (e.g., Git, scripted pipelines)
- Communication skills in Japanese
- Japanese driver’s license
In accordance with the OIST Employee Compensation Regulations
Benefits:
- Relocation, housing and commuting allowances
- Annual paid leave and summer holidays
- Health insurance (Private School Mutual Aid)
- Welfare pension insurance (kousei-nenkin)
- Worker's accident compensation insurance (roudousha-saigai-hoshou-hoken)
- Access to Child Development Center
- Access to Schooling Options
- Language Education
- Resource Center (Daily Life Support in Okinawa)
- Remote Work System
- Cover Letter ideally in both English and Japanese
- Curriculum vitae in ideally both English and Japanese
- Names and contact information of 2 referees, one of which should be a previous employer
* Applicants whose native language is Japanese are required to submit both documents in English and Japanese.
* Please be sure to indicate where you first saw the job advertisement.
* Up to 2 references may be requested during the final interview stage.
* Prior to the start of employment all new hires are required to successfully complete a background check. Personal information including employment history and academic background should be submitted to third-party administrators after a conditional offer of employment.
- OIST Graduate University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action educator and employer and is committed to increasing the diversity of its faculty, students and staff.
- Information provided by applicants or references will be kept confidential in accordance to the OIST Privacy Policy; documents will not be returned.
- Recruiting Organization: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology School Corporation
- Prevention of Passive Smoking: No smoking indoors
- Please view our policy for rules on external professional activities: Rules for Concurrent Appointment.
- Further details about the University can be viewed on our website.
Full-time, fixed term appointment for 2 years. Contract initially with 6-month probationary period (inclusive). This contract may be renewed.
Scheduled Working hours: 9:00 – 17:30
Rest period: 12:00 – 13:00
Flextime (core time 10:00-15:00) 7.5hrs per day (Multiplied by prescribed working days per month)
Holidays
Saturday, Sunday, National holidays, and Year-end and New Year holidays (Dec. 29 – Jan. 3)
Leave
Annual Paid Holidays, Summer Leave, Sick Leave, and Special Leave
Thank you for your application. Please note that only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.