Seagrass Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Job Requisition:

JR101574 Laboratory & Research Specialist (Open)

Job Posting Title:

Laboratory & Research Specialist

Department:

CC00500 VIMS1 | RADV | Coastal & Ocean Processes

Job Family:

Staff - Lab & Research Support

Worker Sub-Type:

Regular (benefited)

Job Requisition Primary Location:

Andrews Hall (VIMS)

Primary Job Posting Location:

Andrews Hall (VIMS)

Job Description Summary:

The mission of William & Mary's Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences & Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) is to seek and broadly communicate knowledge in marine and coastal science to the Commonwealth of Virginia, the nation, and the world through research, education, and advisory service. The Batten School & VIMS make seminal advances in understanding coastal and marine systems through research and discovery, translate research findings into practical solutions to complex issues of societal importance, and provide new generations of researchers, educators, problem solvers, and managers with an education of unsurpassed quality.
The Laboratory & Research Specialist is part of the SAV program in both the Seagrass Restoration and Field Monitoring component as well as the Aerial Monitoring component, which together work to monitor, restore, and advance the management of underwater grasses to ensure they continue to benefit marine life and coastal communities.

Job Description:

The Laboratory & Research Specialist is part of the SAV program in both the Seagrass Restoration and Field Monitoring component and the Aerial Monitoring component, which includes execution and management of grant and state-funded research projects under the direction of senior staff.

Core Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Conducts directed GIS mapping tasks including delineation of benthic features including but not limited to oyster aquaculture activities, image acquisition from public sources, image orthorectification and orthomosaicing frames.

• Participates with field work in various parts of the Chesapeake Bay and Virginia Eastern Shore, including collections of flowering shoots, distribution of seeds, seedling establishment surveys, faunal surveys, biological data, and maintenance of hydrographic data loggers.

• Assists with processing seagrass and invertebrate samples, seed storage and processing, and laboratory experiments as needed.

• Assists as needed with collection of seagrass epifauna samples, seagrass samples, biomass and core samples, trawl and seine samples, water samples, and seed samples.

• Enters, curates, and manages data for various projects with appropriate QA/QC.

Required Qualifications:
EDUCATION

• BS/BA in biology or marine science or related field or the equivalent combination of education and experience.

COMPETENCIES

• Familiarity with ArcGIS Pro. Knowledge of aquatic ecosystems research. Knowledge of lab and field sample collection and processing techniques and ability to adhere to detailed safety and experimental protocols.

• Ability to perform comfortably in the field and on the water in all weather conditions.

• Experience working on and around small vessels.

• Familiarity with snorkeling with the ability to snorkel comfortably in a wet suit.

• Proficiency in a variety of software applications to include MS Office Suite, with strong data management skills. Effective interpersonal and oral and written communication skills with the ability to work independently as well as collaboratively as part of a team.

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and projects concurrently.

EXPERIENCE

• Experience working in aquatic science program performing scientific sample processing.

• Experience conducting laboratory and field research.

• Experience participating in field work on the water. Experience with data analysis and producing figures.

• Experience using ArcPro

Preferred Qualifications:

EDUCATION

• Two years of professional experience or a relevant master's degree, preferably in Aquatic or Marine Science, Data Science, GIS, or a closely related field.

• Boating Safety Course or similar certification SCUBA certified

COMPETENCIES

• Demonstrated skills in microscopy with the ability to process and record data.

• Knowledge of invertebrate taxonomy with the ability to use dichotomous keys.

• Atlantic coast seagrass species identification

• Extensive knowledge of Chesapeake Bay and Virginia Eastern Shore ecosystem ecology including flora and fauna is highly preferred.

• Knowledge of maintaining and monitoring seawater systems (e.g. water tables, tanks, aeration)

• Demonstrated skills in sonde (YSI, exo, etc) calibration, deployment, and maintenance.

• Familiarity with operating small vessels including trailering and launching.

• Strong skills in data management.

• Faunal sampling including bag seines, and small trawls.

• Estuarine fish identification in the field. Coding and data analysis in R using R Studio and modern data management libraries (e.g tidyverse, dplyr) Coding and data analysis in Python, particularly with applications in ArcPro Familiarity with aquaculture industry and practices in Virginia

EXPERIENCE:

• Experience working on the water in estuarine and marine waters of Virginia. Experience conducting SAV surveys for identification and coverage estimation

Conditions of Employment:

• This is a full-time, non-exempt position eligible to receive overtime in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act, and University policy.

• This position may be subject to over-time during high peak times as preapproved by supervisor.

• Occasional overnight work required during field season. Adverse (but safe) weather conditions are possible. Hours outside of 9-5 are likely during some days of field season. Physical fitness consistent with small boat operations and swimming are necessary for this position.

Salary- $40,000.00

Core Duties and Responsibilities:

20% Field Operations:

• Participates in field work in various parts of the Chesapeake Bay and Virginia Eastern Shore, including collections of flowering shoots, distribution of seeds, seedling establishment surveys, faunal surveys, biological data, and maintenance of hydrographic data loggers.

• Assist as needed with collection of seagrass epifauna samples, seagrass samples, biomass and core samples, trawl and seine samples, water samples, and seed samples.

• Make and manage reservations as needed for trucks, vessels, and dive operations to support field research.

• Assist with supervision of volunteers, interns, and undergraduate technicians

35% Laboratory Operations:

• Assist with coordination and planning of concurrent grant-funded research projects, including field and laboratory studies in weekly meetings

• Assist with processing seagrass and invertebrate samples, seed storage and processing, and laboratory experiments. Identify and quantify invertebrates in infaunal and epifaunal samples.

• Assist with training (staff, students, and volunteers) on proper lab and field protocols.

• Communicate with supervisors on a weekly basis on how field and lab responsibilities are proceeding.

• Assist with purchasing and management of program supply and equipment inventory.

10% Data & Sample Management:

• Entering data into a database, QA/QC, managing and curating data, and extracting summary statistics from the database.

Additional Job Description:

Job Profile:

JP0035 - Laboratory & Research Specialist I - Nonexempt - Salary - S05

Qualifications:

Compensation Grade:

S05

Recruiting Start Date:

2026-04-14

Review Date:

Position Restrictions:

Restricted Funds

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Background Check: William & Mary is committed to providing a safe campus community. W&M conducts background investigations for applicants being considered for employment. Background investigations include reference checks, a criminal history record check, and when appropriate, a financial (credit) report or driving history check.

Remote Work Disclaimer: Remote work eligibility is not guaranteed and is subject to approval. Employee eligibility depends on the likelihood of the employee succeeding in a remote work arrangement and the supervisor's ability to manage remote workers. Departments and/or Human Resources may amend, alter, change, delete, or modify eligibility.