Professional Drifting Jobs (NOW HIRING)

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact Ocean Associates at 703-388-9548 to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Ocean Associates Inc. (OAI) is seeking an applicant to provide Bioacoustician services to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC), Marine Mammal and Turtle Division (MMTD) in Miami, FL. OAI is a Virginia corporation established in 2003 that provides consulting and technical services to the U.S. government, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, and the private sector. We specialize in scientific program and project management, strategic planning, professional and technical services, and stakeholder engagement, supporting government contracts.

The Southeast Fisheries Science Center’s Marine Mammal & Turtle Division’s (MMTD) primary mission is to assess marine mammals and turtles relative to management objectives in U.S. waters, or oceans where the SEFSC or U.S. has a vested interest. The overarching goal is to provide scientific support for the conservation and recovery of marine mammal populations guided by the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act requirements, regulatory policies, and Guidelines for Assessing Marine Mammal Stocks (GAMMS). Broadly, the program is focused on understanding the health, ecology, population status, and dynamics of approximately 90 marine mammal stocks within our jurisdiction (Gulf of America, South Atlantic, and the Caribbean) including 3 endangered large whales: Rice’s whale, sperm whales in the Gulf of Mexico, and the North Atlantic right whale and five species of endangered sea turtles. The research feeds into MMTD’s assessment science, including abundance estimation and monitoring of abundance trends, identification of units to conserve, life history (including quantification, condition, and health), and understanding ecosystem state (structure and function). In addition, MMTD provides technical support for monitoring and evaluating restoration activities being implemented to address the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) impacts.

Research & Data Analysis

• Develop and manage passive acoustics research projects focusing on key cetacean species (North Atlantic right, Rice’s, and sperm whales) to support stock assessments and habitat protection.
• Process, analyze, and interpret passive acoustic data to detect, localize, and classify biological and anthropogenic sound sources.
• Investigate spatiotemporal distribution, core habitats, and migratory routes to assess and mitigate risks from human activities.
• Synthesize findings into technical reports, peer-reviewed manuscripts, and professional presentations for management counterparts and leadership.

Fieldwork & Laboratory Operations

• Construct, service, and maintain acoustic hardware (moored/drifting hydrophones, towed arrays) and oceanographic gear, while overseeing lab infrastructure and data storage.
• Plan and participate in field missions to deploy, retrieve, and operate drifting/moored hydrophones, towed arrays, sonobuoys, and oceanographic gliders.
• Conduct real-time acoustic monitoring, visual observations, and standard oceanographic data collection, operating government vehicles as needed.
• Manage acoustic data pipelines by uploading metadata and maintaining deployment and detection databases on SEFSC servers.

Program Administration & Collaboration

• Support project planning, daily lab administration, and operational workflows across the Passive Acoustic Ecology Program.
• Represent the acoustics team in periodic SEFSC, Marine Mammal and Turtle Division (MMTD), and center leadership meetings to align goals and share program updates.

Start Date: September 30, 2026, or as soon as possible.

Location: Southeast Fisheries Science Center in Miami, FL.

Travel: Travel is anticipated, including to participate in fieldwork, meetings, workshops, and conferences.

Salary and Benefits: This is a full-time position with benefits. Salary, commensurate with experience, between $52.00 - $62.00 per hour.

Applicants must have the following minimum requirements:

• Ph.D from an accredited college or university with a major directly related to a field of study related to the requirements with emphasis in acoustics, fisheries, oceanography, natural science, or mathematics.
• 10 years of experience in the related fields
• Experience analyzing anthropogenic noise in the marine environment using acoustic metadata databases and scientific bioacoustics software programs, such as Pamguard or Raven, to analyze cetacean sounds.
• Experience programming in MATLAB and/or R programming languages.
• Experience with building, maintaining, & repairing real-time acoustic hydrophones (e.g. towed hydrophone arrays, sonobuoys) and autonomous hydrophones (drifting and/or moored)
• Experience with the implementation of legislative mandates, such as the Marine Mammal Protection and Endangered Species Act for highly endangered marine mammal species, e.g., Rice’s whales or North Atlantic right whales.
• Experience in NOAA Fisheries cetacean bioacoustics research is preferred.

Applicants should submit a resume that includes the following:

• Cover letter that briefly describes how you meet the required and preferred qualifications listed.
• Work history for past 10 years or since last full-time education.
• Education.
• Previous experience or training with similar requirements.
• Three professional references.
• Include your name in the document file name.
• Upload your resume in readable, not scanned, PDF or Word format (PDF is preferred).

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States, complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire, and successfully complete a federal government background check. OAI does not discriminate on the basis of any status or condition protected by applicable federal or state law.

OAI is a government contractor and is required by law to invite applicants to voluntarily self-identify their disability status and veteran status. OAI's online application includes check boxes to either voluntarily self identify or decline to self identify. While the information is collected through your application, it is collected anonymously and is not connected to your application. OAI uses the information it collects to track its disability and veteran hiring progress, and to meet its obligations under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and under VEVRAA.

Note: If you are not selected, your materials may be retained for present or future opportunities. We may use your resume in bidding on a project and if we are awarded the work, we will contact you before seeking further applicants. If you do not wish us to retain or use your resume to seek work for you, please let us know in the "Notes" section on the second page of the online application.