Field Research Assistant: Marine Mammal Lab & Field Ops

OSU Rec Sports - Sport. Leadership. Wellness.; Newport (RI); On-site; USD 30,000 - 42,000; Part time

Job summary

The Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University invites applications for an hourly or salaried part-time (0.60 FTE), 12-month fixed-term Faculty Research Assistant position based in Newport, Oregon. The GEMM Lab will host this role supporting research activities, field operations, and lab management.

The successful candidate will operate small boats, conduct marine mammal surveys, manage equipment, and assist with data management and sample archiving.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in natural sciences with 2 years of significant research experience.
• Experience as a marine mammal observer.
• Extensive experience as a small boat driver around cetaceans.
• Experience in ecological data collection including cetacean photo-ID, behavioral observations, drone operations, suction-cup tagging, biopsy.
• Must have a valid driver’s license and clean driving record.

Responsibilities

• Operate small boat (e.g., RHIB, Zodiac) around cetaceans for ecological data collection
• Perform routine maintenance tasks on research vessel, truck, and trailer, and coordinate specialized maintenance and repairs as needed
• Conduct marine mammal survey observations aboard US Coast Guard helicopters and mid-size and large research vessels
• Oversight of equipment (cameras, drones, sensors, etc.) maintenance, storage, organization
• Data management and sample storage/archiving
• Process and organize photo-ID images

Skills

Bachelor’s degree in natural sciences

Marine mammal observer experience

Small boat operation around cetaceans

Data collection and field operations

Strong organizational skills

Clear communication skills

Collaborative teamwork

Independent and creative work

Education

Bachelor’s degree in natural sciences

Master’s degree in natural sciences (preferred)

Tools

Microsoft Access

ArcGIS

MATLAB

R programming

Job description

The Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University invites applications for an hourly or salaried part-time (0.60 FTE), 12-month fixed-term Faculty Research Assistant position based in Newport, Oregon. The GEMM Lab will host this role supporting research activities, field operations, and lab management.

The successful candidate will operate small boats, conduct marine mammal surveys, manage equipment, and assist with data management and sample archiving.