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Posting Closing Date: 10/19/2025
Salary: $41,000 Annually
Minimum Qualifications:
5 years professional experience in a closely-related biological field or laboratory program is required.
A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major in one of the biological sciences and one year of professional biological experience in a field or laboratory program; or
A master's degree from an accredited college or university in one of the biological sciences can substitute for the required experience.
Preferred Qualifications:
Preference may be given to candidates with the following qualifications:
Experience assisting with safe and efficient manatee captures and live marine mammal transports.
Experience assisting with conducting high quality marine mammal necropsies and collect the necessary samples and data to determine cause of strand/death.
Experience with necropsy report writing and editing.
Experience with State of Florida purchasing policies and procedures.
FWC boat operator certification.
FWC trailer certification.
Requirements:
Employment in this position is contingent upon a satisfactory Level 1 background check at no cost to the candidate.
Office hours are from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday. Not eligible for Telework. Serves in local on-call status on occasional weekend days and holidays and serves in statewide on-call status between 5pm and 8 am Friday evening through Friday morning in a weekly rotation with other FWRI field staff.
Responses to qualifying questions should be verifiable by skills and/or experience stated on the profile application/resume. Information should be provided regarding any gaps in employment.
Position Overview and Responsibilities:
Leads or assists in coordinating timely responses to marine mammal carcass reports for the Southeast Field Lab (SEFL) stranding coverage region covering St Lucie County to Monroe County and inland Okeechobee County. Responses include but are not limited to carcass verifications, tows, recoveries, and transports to designated workup and/or disposal sites including the Marine Mammal Pathobiology Laboratory in St. Petersburg, FL. Leads or assists in conducting consistent, high-quality necropsies on marine mammals to determine cause of death and collects samples and data per protocols in a manner consistent with safe practices (handling sharp instruments, appropriate PPE and appropriate biohazardous waste practices). Records data and related information in necropsy reports and on data sheets per established protocols. Responsible for carcass disposal, and cleaning of equipment and instruments. Leads or assists with safe and efficient manatee rescue operations in the SEFL region including open water captures using a manatee capture boat. Leads live manatee transports to and from manatee critical care and secondary holding facilities. Leads or assists with other live or dead marine mammal stranding responses, rescues, and transports. Assists other FWC manatee laboratories with rescue and transport support as needed. Assists with other marine mammal section priority research projects including but not limited to photo ID, genetics sampling, temperature probes, and aerial surveys. Serves in regional on-call status between 8am and 5pm on holidays in rotation with other SEFL staff members and on occasional weekend days as needed for the purpose of responding to manatee emergencies. Serves in statewide on-call status between 5pm and 8 am Friday evening through Friday morning in a weekly rotation with other FWRI-Marine Mammal Section field staff. Responds to manatee strandings outside of normal work schedule as needed or assigned. Responsible for SEFL vehicle, vessel, and trailer maintenance on weekly and monthly schedule as well as addressing issues as they arise in addition to managing and upkeeping manuals. This position will also train new staff and volunteers on maintenance, trailering, and boat operations, and supervise one seasonal staff member, including recruitment and scheduling. Maintains state purchasing credit card. Responsible for monitoring, purchasing, and restocking laboratory and field consumables at the SEFL. Responsible for purchases as assigned by SEFL supervisor. Performs other duties as assigned. Participates in public outreach events as appropriate
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Knowledge of: methods of data collection; principles and techniques of research and analysis; marine mammal anatomy and necropsy techniques; live and dead marine mammal stranding response techniques.
Skills: use of database, spreadsheet, word processing, and graphics software such as Microsoft Word, Access, Excel, and PowerPoint; use of scientific biomedical field equipment such as portable ultrasound, PIT tags, and biopsy equipment.
Abilities to: prepare written necropsy and rescue reports; utilize problem-solving techniques; understand and apply applicable rules, regulations, polices and procedure; write high quality manatee necropsy reports; lead or assist with marine mammal necropsies; establish and maintain effective working relationships with supervisor, internal and external partners, and the public; communicate effectively verbally and in writing; swim with sufficient skill to save oneself in the event of an emergency; safely operate vehicles, trailers and boats up to 26', including manatee capture boat; effectively and safely lead or assist live and dead marine mammal stranding teams and responses; organize and coordinate work assignments for direct report and work in on-call status on a rotational basis.