Azura is looking for an experienced biological technician to support the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC). The technician will aid NMFS biologists in processing samples and data for supporting ongoing fisheries oceanographic research projects at the Kodiak Laboratory and during sea-based research surveys.    

The Kodiak Laboratory houses a state-of-the-art seawater laboratory where research is conducted on economically and ecologically important species, primarily commercial crab species, including golden king crab, Tanner crab, red king crab, and blue king crab. Research focuses on the effects that environmental conditions, such as temperature, salinity, and ocean pH, have on crab larval development, juvenile condition, and adult reproductive success. Researchers at the Kodiak Laboratory also conduct an annual crab survey in the eastern and northern Bering Sea.

Work is anticipated to be conducted full-time starting in June 2022. Work will be conducted at the Kodiak Laboratory in Kodiak, Alaska, during the normal operating hours of the facility. The technician will also assist with fieldwork on day trips aboard small vessels and on longer offshore trips aboard commercial research vessels. Anticipated tasks are listed below.

• Conduct various laboratory duties including (but not limited to) tank, floor, and general laboratory cleaning; maintenance and calibration of tools and instruments; and inventories
• Perform animal care tasks including feeding, tank cleaning, and monitoring and recording water quality data in a manner consistent with state and federal permits
• Assist with the set up and running of experiments. Duties include planning and designing experimental set ups, organizing and setting up experimental tanks and associated experimental systems, handling live animals of any life-history stage, introducing animals into the experimental tanks and holding containers, and establishing and maintaining experimental conditions in the tanks
• Record data, check for errors, maintain databases, input data into databases, and analyze digital images
• Assist with mobilization and demobilization of equipment and supplies for fieldwork. Duties include assisting in inventorying, testing, packing, and shipping of equipment and supplies prior to field work deployment and unpacking, inventorying, cleaning and testing of supplies and equipment upon return from the field.
• Conduct fieldwork at sea including sorting and measuring crab and fish species and collecting biological specimens

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university in fisheries, oceanography, social science, natural science, mathematics, hydrology, or a related discipline
• A minimum of 1 year of experience in laboratory or field research in fisheries or a related field. A higher education degree in science may be substituted for experience.
• Experience with review, validation, and certification of data collected from fisheries research and fisheries surveys

In compliance with federal law, all applicants must be able to prove that they are legally able to work in the United States and pass a security/background check.

Azura Consulting LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of any status or condition protected by applicable federal or state law. We strongly encourage all qualified persons to apply for this position.

If you are interested in this position and have all of the required qualifications listed above, please send your resume and cover letter to anna@azuraco.com. In your cover letter, please describe why you are a good fit for this position. In your resume, please describe how you meet all of the required qualifications. Please provide the names and contact information (e.g., phone and email) for a minimum of three professional references who can provide a knowledgeable assessment of your job-specific qualifications. Applications are due no later than 31 May 2022. You are encouraged to apply as soon as you can, as applications will be reviewed as they are received.

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Azura Consulting LLC is an economically disadvantaged woman-owned small business specializing in protected species conservation, management, and research.