Job Details

Marine Fisheries Acoustic Telemetry Scientist (Temporary)

Position Number: 6379705
Location: West Long Branch, NJ
Position Type: Science - Biology

Marine Fisheries Acoustic Telemetry Scientist (Temporary)

Job Category: Temporary or On-Call
Requisition Number: MARIN001116
Posted: July 10, 2025
Full Time
On-site
Rate: $74,263 USD per year

Monmouth University Main Campus
West Long Branch, NJ

Monmouth University is seeking applications for a Marine Fisheries Acoustic Telemetry Scientist in the Biology department, which is part of the School of Science. This is a one-year, grant-funded position through a contract with Monmouth University for fisheries monitoring related to offshore wind development off the New Jersey coast. Subsequent years are contingent upon yearly project renewal and with funding agency. The incumbent will work as part of a fast-paced team in the research labs under the direction of Professors Dunton and Adolf at Monmouth University, working on non-extractive monitoring of fisheries related to various offshore wind development lease areas, and will lead the acoustic telemetry project goals.

With this exciting opportunity, this incumbent will coordinate, direct, manage and lead field research using acoustic telemetry to assess potential changes in marine fish communities and behavior related to the development of offshore wind leases.

This position is part of a team that already includes two additional acoustic telemetry staff dedicated to this project. The incumbent hired in this position will primarily be responsible for leading this team in maintaining a large offshore (up to 50 miles offshore) Innovasea acoustic telemetry array and acoustic tagging multi-species (300+ per year); which includes a variety of species such as Atlantic sturgeon, sharks, tuna, blackfish, striped bass, flounder, skates, dogfish, and horseshoe crabs. The incumbent will independently lead fisheries tagging and receiver maintenance/deployment seasonally in offshore conditions, and work with various partner commercial/recreational fishing industries, as well as other academic institutions is a must.

The incumbent will also be expected to lead report and manuscript writing, data analysis, presentations at national meetings, and contribute to outreach and education. Additionally, incumbents are also free to develop or explore other related research that suits their interests, especially in the areas of acoustic telemetry or that may be synergistic with other fisheries or eDNA sampling efforts currently being conducted (including mentoring undergraduate research projects). In addition to salary, regular travel to conferences will also be provided to disseminate results.

Applicants will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Interviews will occur immediately on a rolling basis with an anticipated immediate start date because this is an active, ongoing project.

This is an in-person, on-campus, non-remote position.
Duties and Responsibilities:

Coordinate, supervise, and manage the Acoustic telemetry/marine fisheries lab at Monmouth University, including managing workflow, ordering supplies, completing purchase requisitions, organizing vessels and field sampling, conducting invoicing as needed, and securing and maintaining all necessary permits and permitting requirements.
Work on various offshore vessels sampling a variety of fish species.
Collect biological data and tag various marine fishes.
Deploy and maintain an extensive array of acoustic telemetry receivers.
Surgically implant acoustic transmitters into marine fishes.
Organize and analyze acoustic telemetry data.
Maintain and calibrate sampling and field equipment.
Coordinate and lead fisheries sampling trips with partner institutions, commercial/recreational fishers and attend regular project meetings.
QA/QC of acoustic telemetry data.
Write, analyze and communicate results through reports, presentations, and publications.
Assist with outreach and education of marine ecology of fishes of the Mid-Atlantic ocean.
Prepare/pack for sampling trips.
Prepare brief post-sampling trip reports and yearly project reports.
Attend and present at regional and national scientific meetings.
Other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in Biology, marine biology, marine science, environmental science, or related fields.
Experience working with fish, fisheries monitoring, or related areas of marine science.
Demonstrated ability to analyze and disseminate research (e.g. presentations, publications, other)
Experience working on boats offshore.
Physically able to lift up to 50 lbs. and, on occasion, may be expected to lift up to 100 lbs.
Ability to work a flexible schedule which includes potential work early mornings, nights, weekends, and long days as well as the ability to adapt to scheduled work windows due to changes in weather and other circumstances that may occur during sampling seasons.
A valid driver's license in your state of residence and have had no serious violations (Type A) within the past five (5) years and no more than three (3) moving violations (Type B) in the past three (3) years. University Policy found here: Monmouth University Vehicle Use Policy.

Preferred Qualifications:
The preferred candidate will have advance degree with various experiences collecting fisheries biological data and will be able to lead sampling efforts. The preferred candidate should also have some demonstrated experiences in animal telemetry research including data analyses. Specifically the ideal candidate will have a combination of these preferred qualifications including:

Advanced degree in marine biology, marine science, or related field; PhD Preferred or MS with additional relevant work experience
Demonstrated experience in animal telemetry research (experience with acoustic telemetry of marine animals and/or surgical implantation of acoustic transmitters preferred).
Experience independently leading field research projects including project management (e.g. scheduling and implementing sampling to meet project objectives; working with teams; supervising and organizing field crews)
Proficiency in analyzing acoustic telemetry data in R, ARCGIS, or equivalent programs.
Experience with maintaining and working with large datasets and database management (R preferred).
Experience using a variety of techniques to sample fishes including but not limited to gillnetting, trawl, long-line, pots/traps, rod-reel.
Experience downloading, maintaining, and troubleshooting acoustic telemetry equipment.
Ability to independently generate peer-reviewed manuscripts and scientific presentations from collected data.
Have strong problem-solving skills with the ability to adapt and make decisions in a remote field environment.
Prepared to work in challenging field conditions (working on boats, hot and cold days, wavy offshore conditions, handling marine animals)

Additional Application Material Required:
Monmouth University requires all applications and supporting documents to be submitted via the university's career portal. In addition to the application, candidates should upload the following:

Resume or Curriculum Vitae
Cover Letter
Professional References

Optional Documents:

Other Document

Questions regarding this search should be directed to:
Barbara Santos at bsantos@monmouth.edu or 732-263-5629

Note to Applicants:
For full consideration, applicants should provide a C.V. and cover letter expressing their interest and qualifications for this position, as well as contact information for 2-3 professional references.

Applicants will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Interviews will occur immediately on a rolling basis with an anticipated immediate start date because this is an active, ongoing project.
Please keep in mind that a job posted as “Open until filled” may close at any time without notice. As such, we encourage you to submit your application and all required documentation as quickly as possible to ensure consideration for the posted position.
Working at Monmouth University perks:

403(b) Retirement Plan (8% employer contribution)
Generous Paid Time Off
Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance Benefits
Tuition Remission for employee upon hire
Tuition Remission for spouse or civil-union partner and IRS dependent
after one-year of full-time continuous employment
Generous Paid Time Off
Employer paid Short & Long-Term Disability
Employer sponsored Life Insurance
Employee Assistance Program (EAP), FSA, Telehealth and more

To view a full list of benefits, visit our benefits page at: Employee Benefits Information | Human Resources | Monmouth University

Department:
Biology
Work Schedule:
Monday through Friday
Total Weeks Per Year
52
Hours Per Week:
36.25
Expected Salary:
$74,263
Union:
N/A
Job Posting Close Date
Open until filled

To apply, visit https://recruiting.ultipro.com/MON1000MON/JobBoard/d4da5ea7-24db-4f02-a484-7497ffffb76d/OpportunityDetail?opportunityId=e83ad93c-91ba-417f-9563-ba344103aa57

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.