Nighttime Field Technician

Inwater Research Group, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Jensen Beach, Florida whose mission is to foster marine and coastal conservation through integrated research and education.

Period

Full-time (40 hours/week), seasonal position, March 23rd, 2026 – September 30th, 2026

Job Summary:

The nighttime field technician position is a full-time, seasonal position responsible for the nighttime monitoring and tagging of sea turtles on South Hutchinson Island, Florida. Field technicians will participate in nighttime patrols from approximately 9pm-5am five days a week (including weekends). For more information on all the work we do click here. 

Primary Responsibilities:

• Conduct nightly surveys on all-terrain vehicles (ATV) on a high-density section of beach to identify and tag nesting loggerhead, green, and leatherback sea turtles
• Tag nesting turtles with flipper and Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags, and record any existing tags
• Take morphometric measurements on nesting sea turtles
• Collaborate with team members to ensure the safety and well-being of sea turtles and each other during tagging and monitoring activities
• Communicate with daytime team as needed using designated Slack channels
• Be fast-thinking, attentive, and responsive to changing weather conditions to ensure safety during patrols
• Operate an ATV in a safe manner that does not impact nesting turtles or hatchlings
• QA/QC data following patrol each night with focus on limiting errors
• Enter and validate data collected in the field into a computer database
• Perform basic maintenance and upkeep of field equipment
• Opportunistically educate the general public about turtle nesting behavior
• As needed, assist with stranding and recovery of sick, injured, or deceased sea turtles
• Assist with data collection for additional secondary research projects with potential for greater involvement in future research endeavors

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a biology field
• Must have the ability to remain awake and alert for overnight shifts (9pm – 5am)
• Must have experience identifying crawls for loggerhead, green, and leatherback turtles
• Must have experience tagging and handling nesting sea turtles
• Experience verifying, marking, and excavating loggerhead, green, and leatherback turtle nests to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission INBS standards is highly preferred
• Experience working on medium to high-density sea turtle nesting beaches (~800 crawls/km in a season) is highly preferred
• Experience using ATVs is highly preferred
• Must have the ability to work well with others in a small team and have excellent communication skills
• Must be very comfortable working alone on a beach at night and around local wildlife
• Capacity to work independently with minimal supervision
• Must have experience working under pressure and under circumstances that may require quick and independent decision making  
• Must be safety conscious
• Must be able to work a flexible schedule, including weekends and holidays
• Must have a valid driver’s license
• Flexibility to work weekends, holidays, and non-traditional hours
• Open to US citizens and permanent residents only

Benefits:
Pay will be $22 an hour with opportunities for overtime. This position is not benefit-eligible.