Conservation Field Supervisor

Sea Turtle Inc, is looking for a Conservation Field Supervisor to join their dynamic team! Sea Turtle Inc, is proud to be opening its brand new hospital soon, which will be the largest fully enclosed sea turtle hospital in the world that will include a fully dedicated research center!

The Conservation Field Supervisor is an integral part of research, field work, management, and administration within the conservation and research departments at Sea Turtle Inc. Reporting directly to the Chief Conservation Officer, the Conservation Field Supervisor will be responsible for both field-based and laboratory duties, including work with the critically endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle throughout nesting season, oversight of seasonal personnel, grant writing, identification of funding sources, and execution of research-based projects. The ideal candidate is flexible, dependable, experienced in the changing nature of conservation-based work, and a team player. This is a full-time, year round position with benefits. 

Key Year Round Responsibilities

Training and Education

• Aid in selecting, training, and oversight of seasonal personnel
• Training and educating seasonal staff and the general public
• Supervising and accountable for interns learning experience
• On Call stranding response
• Conducting necropsies
• Proactively problem solve and always looking for ways to improve

Research/Regulatory

• Collaborate on research projects, including actively participating in experiment design and execution, including locating and securing research funding
• Accountable for sourcing, writing, and securing grants
• Collaborate on manuscripts and publications, including data analysis, writing, and editing
• Data entry and preparing federal/state permit reports

Key Seasonal Responsibilities: Nesting (April-August)

• Nesting/hatching response, including overnight shifts, after-hours, and holidays
• Active tagging, nest excavations, nest relocations, and beach patrols
• Overseeing beach patrols, which are conducted by volunteers, interns, and staff
• On-call nesting response
• June/July/August nesting season months are a combination of days/nights, primarily overnight shifts
• Cold stun response (winter season, typically December-February)

Qualifications and Skills

• Minimum two years experience in supervising personnel
• Bachelor’s degree in biological sciences, zoology, marine biology, or similar field; Masters degree preferred
• Demonstrated grant writing experience
• Prior experience with sea turtle nesting; experience with permit guidelines, reporting cadence, patrol coordination, training, and scheduling preferred
• Participation in collaborative research projects; experience with experimental design, lab protocols, integrity-driven data collection, and a clear understanding of reporting guidelines and expectations preferred.
• Prior experience with volunteer management is preferred
• Demonstrated experience in proactively problem-solving
• Adept at communicating scientific concepts to a general audience
• Ability to effectively communicate both verbally and written to a wide audience, including co-workers, volunteers, and the general public

Requirements

• Valid US driver’s license
• Must pass a background check
• Have valid documents to work in the United States

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements

• STI operates around the clock in response to animal emergencies, strandings, nestings, and other unplanned activities that occur when dealing with wildlife
• Much of the work at STI is done outdoors, under varying conditions
• Due to the nature of the work with sea turtles, this position will be required to assist in the rescue of turtles. This would require lifting of turtles on their own or providing assistance to others in lifting more than 50 pounds

Rewards of joining the Sea Turtle Inc. team

• Full-time position
• Health, Life, Dental, and Ancillary benefits available
• Paid vacation time that increases with tenure
• Employee discount at gift shop