Inwater Research Group is hiring one full-time Research Technician to start 8/11/26. The position will focus primarily on conducting sea turtle behavioral trials in a controlled setting and performing associated life support systems tasks.For more details, please see the information below and the attached document.

 

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.

Title

Research Technician

 

Location

St. Lucie County, Florida, USA

 

Period

Full-time Hourly (overtime eligible) Position, start date 08/11/2026

 

Job Summary:

The Research Technician is a full-time, hourly position focused on conducting and analyzing experimental trials to identify deterrents that reduce sea turtle take at the St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant. Responsibilities include conducting behavioral trials across day, dusk, and nighttime treatments, reviewing and coding animal behavior in recorded trials, maintaining the testing facility, managing data, and occasionally assisting with other onsite projects. Learn more about our work at this site here.

 

Primary Responsibilities:

●        Conduct behavioral trials in an outdoor test tank with wild-caught sea turtles during day, dusk, and nighttime testing periods

●        Systematically review video footage of behavioral trials to evaluate efficacy of tested deterrents

●        Enter recorded data into Access or similar databases

●        Summarize and document behavioral data for project updates and regulatory reporting

●        Monitor, operate, and maintain life support systems to ensure continuous operational readiness          (e.g. pumps, heater, filtration, etc.)

●        Perform daily maintenance on tanks and equipment (e.g., cleaning holding tanks, anti-corrosion practices, camera maintenance, monitoring water quality)

●        Organize both physical hard drive and cloud-based data storage systems

●        Release turtles after trials have concluded

●        Adhere to safety guidelines when working in industrial and aquatic environments

 

Secondary duties could include:

●        Assist with data collection (morphometrics & tagging) and health assessments for captured sea turtles

●        Assist other projects onsite as needed

●        Participate in sea turtle stranding and recovery operations

●        Participate in offshore boat surveys to collect sea turtle abundance data

 

Requirements:

●        Bachelor’s degree or higher in biology or a related field

●        Ability to work outdoors in challenging conditions (inclement weather, heat, humidity, insects, etc.)

●        Ability to comply with site-specific safety, access, and training requirements

●        Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Access, Word, etc.)  and Google Suite (Sheets, Docs, etc.)

●        Must be able to swim

●        Must be safety conscious

●        Must have the ability to work with others and have excellent communication skills

●        Must have the capacity to work independently while exercising critical thinking, maintaining situational awareness, and adapting to changing environmental and operational conditions

●        Must be able to lift 60lbs and assist moving animals exceeding 100lbs

●        Flexibility to work weekends, holidays, and non-traditional hours

●        Must have a valid driver’s license

●        Must be authorized to work in the US

Preferred Qualifications

●     Experience handling live, healthy sea turtles

●     Experience or certification in life support systems

●     Experience using hydrophones or other bioacoustic devices

●     Experience reviewing video footage for animal research studies

●     Experience using statistical methods to summarize large biological datasets

●     Proficient in the safe operation of hand and power tools

●     Experience trailering, driving ATVs and driving trucks

 

Compensation

This is a full-time, hourly (overtime eligible) position, beginning at $20/hour.

 

Benefits:

After the initial introductory period (3 months), the position will be eligible for paid holidays, paid sick and vacation time, and a company partially matched SIMPLE IRA.

How to Apply:
Please submit a cover letter, resume/CV, and three (3) references to testtank@inwater.org.
Clearly indicate the position title (e.g., “Research Technician”) in the subject line of your email.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled or through July 15, 2026.

Applications missing the required materials, the specified job title in the subject line, or lacking adequate experience will not be considered.