*Job Posting - Field Research Assistant and Database Manager – Wild Dolphin Project Florida USA * I am seeking a Research Assistant to work in my research group at the Wild Dolphin Project in North Palm Beach Florida. www.wilddolphinproject.org. WDP has an ongoing field study in the Bahamas, during summer months, and Florida offshore cetacean monitoring during winter months. We work in the Bahamas with Atlantic spotted and bottlenose dolphins to correlate underwater sound and behavior, track life history, collect noninvasive genetic materials, and monitor reproductive states and health. Our motto is “In Their World, On Their Terms”. We try to work carefully and respectfully with the dolphins to avoid any unnecessary disturbances. Founded in 1985, we are a small organization with a long history. We work directly with the dolphins (Bahamas and Florida) to shed light on their lives in the wild and use cutting-edge science to enhance our work. We have a 40-year history and hope to continue for a few more decades. Past employees have often been previous graduate students or field participants. Their love of the ocean and of marine life, and contributing to science, are often the most rewarding parts of the job. For serious scientists rewards come in the form of interesting research, creative publications, and interactions with colleagues on the boat and at scientific conferences. The R.A. is responsible for field data collection & management, and photo-identification work. May through September is for fieldwork in the Bahamas, October-April is for data analysis & writing and occasional day fieldwork in Florida. The individual must be willing and able to be at sea in remote locations, for 10 days at a time (4 days back home), from May – September, to lead field excursions to the Bahamas. Occasional day- work off of the Florida coast also occurs in fall/winter/spring months. The successful candidate must have a U.S. passport to work as crew on our research vessel and should be comfortable on a boat with 12 persons (6 crew, 6 passengers) during summer fieldwork months. The candidate should be able to work with colleagues, students, volunteers as needed, and leading projects on the boat and in the lab. Pay is commensurate with experience, between 40-45k. Health benefits, vacation time, sick days, comp-time for fieldwork, and retirement plan available. Non-summer work time is flexible for vacations. R.A. reports to, and works with, the Research Director and occasionally the Board of Directors. Job available starting Jan 1 2025 *Skills and Degrees* *Must haves* A Master degree, or PhD in the natural sciences, is required. Experience with Photo ID, video editing, database management, and previous field work with cetaceans. Interest and experience in sound analysis, and machine learning, is an extra plus. Experience with Apple computers and ipads. Experience in freediving, snorkeling, and water safety is required. Scuba is also desirable but not required. A few publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at professional conferences. *Nice to have skills* Social media – for occasional blogs and posts Event support – for fundraising events that are held Good personal communication skills for donors and team building Boat safety, CPR, AED, First Aid, EMT training. Drone – FAA license, GIS/Garmin systems experience Filemaker Pro, MS Office, Raven/Audacity, Adobe Photoshop, imovie Expectations for the R.A. are to learn about the dolphins, manage & improve the databases for ease of access, bring new ideas and technology opportunities, and to continue with a noninvasive approach for the work within the established protocols. This job is for someone who wants to learn, observe, and understand dolphin life in the wild, and apply scientific studies to the job. Work is a mixture of intense field time (4-5 months) and lab/office work (7-8 months). Candidate should be driven and committed to publishing the results of the science and be willing to work with existing staff and colleagues on papers and presentations. Ideas for new projects will also be considered. Main work location is the project office based in North Palm Beach, Florida. Preferences are for an R. A. who has a long-term career interest in this field. This is a permanent FT position offering. PhD candidates may also inquire about Co-Director opportunities in the near future or after training in the R.A. position for a couple years. Please send expressions of interest, a cv, and the names of two references to me at dlherzing@wilddolphinproject.org