Field Biologist

Employment Type: Full-Time, Salary, Exempt
Temporary/Permanent: Temporary, Not to Exceed January 28, 2025
Rate of Pay: Begins at $28.00

Job Purpose

Provides field support for Bishop Museum’s mesophotic research project in American Samoa, including: conducting fieldwork, research, publishing scholarly work, and developing a foundation for future funding support.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Conducts field research in support of Bishop Museum’s mesophotic research project in American Samoa.
• Works within area of specialization to improve and enhance the collections; analyzes specimens and provides identifications within specialized scientific discipline.
• Conducts original research related to the Museum’s mesophotic research project in American Samoa, within specialized scientific discipline.
• Serves the Museum’s public programs goals of collections-based education through planned participation in field trips and through provision of technical information and assistance to Museum and clients.
• Supports the development of scholarly publications.
• Designs, coordinates, or participates in field studies, surveys and expeditions related to specific research program. This may involve surveying, sampling, collecting, and travel to locations that may be remote from medical facilities and other urban infrastructure, and may involve activities such as hiking, camping, climbing, rope work (such as rappelling and use of rope bridges), transport via helicopter and other small aircraft, working from boats (ships and small craft), submersible diving, snorkeling, scuba diving and other similar activities necessary to fulfill the objectives of the associated research activities.
• Interacts with staff and Museum clients with tact, courtesy, and respect. Stays motivated and projects a positive and professional attitude towards fellow workers and clients. Cooperates and supports teamwork.

Qualifications

• PhD degree in biology or related field (experience working in remote Pacific Island Countries and Territories preferred).
• Certification to 100 meters as a mixed-gas Inspiration Vision rebreather diver (experience diving to 100 meters in Pacific Island Countries and Territories preferred).
• 18 years of documented field, lab, or related science/museum work.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the basic principles of taxonomic nomenclature; specimen curation; anatomy, systematics, and ecology of marine organisms

Other Requirements

• Availability to work in American Samoa for up to three weeks at a time.
• Ability to depart from/return to Honolulu at the beginning/end of a field trip.
• Willingness to perform a variety project-oriented tasks while diving as deep as 100 meters.
• Tolerance of crowded living quarters while in the field.
• Experience working on and diving from small craft.
• Professional and appropriate dress for the job at hand (office, laboratory, field)
• Works in a safe manner so as not to endanger fellow staff members, volunteers, and visitors. Complies with safety rules and regulations and establishes safe work practices. Reads all safety materials received.
• Promptly reports unsafe conditions and unsafe acts or accidents to appropriate individual. Maintains assigned work area and equipment free of accident-producing conditions.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the PI of the American Samoa mesophotic project to accomplish the goals of the Museum.
• Flexibility in schedule to meet deadlines
• Able to communicate verbally with co-workers and others, both in person and over the phone.
• Read and process information, as well as communicate in writing.
• MS Word / Excel / Access as well as familiarity with internet and e-mail programs.

Direct Reports

None

Working Conditions

Lab and typical office settings, Field settings

Physical Requirements

Approximately 10% light work with periods of sitting, walking, reaching, lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling. A high degree of hand-eye coordination required in using a microscope, hand tools and light power tools to mount and prepare specimens which range in size from small and delicate to very large and heavy. Long periods of handling and manipulating specimens and storage containers. Long periods of data entry and keyboard use. Visual requirements include 20/20 corrected vision, depth perception, a wide field of vision and the ability to distinguish colors. Must be able to lift at least 25 lbs.

Approximately 90% more strenuous work including field duties may involve exposure to high altitudes and wet conditions. Laboratory work environment may involve exposure to fumes, noxious odors, and gases from the mounting and preservation media, as well as dust and mold from the specimens themselves.