Staff Photographer (Full-Time, Part-Time, Seasonal)

Dolphin Research Center currently has a full-time opening for a Visual Communications Staff Member.  DRC is a nonprofit education and research facility dedicated to teaching, learning and caring for marine mammals and the environment we share. We are home to a family of dolphins, sea lions, tortoises, and birds.

Join our Visual Communications Department if you enjoy working outdoors around the water, interacting with people, and watching dolphins at play. Photograph program participants to provide lasting memories of their experiences. This is a team department, and most projects involve working closely with other V-C staff members and with co-workers from other departments.  Note: All photographs and videos are the sole property of Dolphin Research Center. Any photos taken with your own camera and your equipment during personal time are for your personal use and not to be sold or published.  This is NOT the position for someone hoping to transition to a marine mammal trainer.

Abilities and Skills

•  Ideal candidate must be a team player, self-motivated, dependable, flexible and have a positive attitude   
•  Must have physical agility, good balance, and be able to take steep steps while climbing on and off floating docks. 
•  Must also be able to squat and/or kneel to take photographs and/or shoot video.
•  Must be able to work long days in the Florida Keys heat.
•  Windows-based computer skills are required.
•  Familiarity with digital photography is required.
• Knowledge of Adobe Creative Cloud software is a plus.

Position Responsibilities

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Taking candid digital still photos of guests and dolphins during public programs.
• All phases of video recording and editing.  Types of projects include promotional, educational, documentary, narrative, and visual music montages.
• Photograph and video record DRC animals, programs, and events to support corporate-wide needs.
• Creating corporate publications, including advertisements and marketing pieces.
• Creating on-site informational and directional signage.
• Tracking and maintaining production schedules.
• Working directly with guests to select and process print and/or digital photos.
• Willing to train the right candidate.

Benefits

 DRC currently offers medical benefits, life and disability insurance plan, a 401(k)- retirement plan, health savings accounts, flexible spending accounts, employee assistance program, paid holidays, vacation, sick, and overtime, as well as personal growth and training opportunities.  DRC seeks to provide for the well-being of its employees and with our high benefits offers a competitive total package right for our environment. DRC is a 501(c)(3) qualifying employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. To see if you qualify for student loan forgiveness, please visit https://studentloans.gov/mydirectloan/pslfflow.action.

To Apply:

If interested, please submit a cover letter, resume, DRC application, and samples of work (including portraiture or photographs with people as well as any other type of work such as video) to Dolphin Research Center, Attention: Human Resources Department, e-mail at drc-hr@dolphins.org, 58901 Overseas Hwy, Grassy Key, FL 33050.

Dolphin Research Center is an equal opportunity employer

Facilities Maintenance Apprentice (Full-time, Permanent)

Dolphin Research Center (DRC) currently has a full-time opening for an Facilities Maintenance Apprentice.  DRC is a not-for-profit education and research facility dedicated to teaching, learning and caring about marine mammals and the environment we share.

Position Responsibilities:

Major duties of this position in our Animal Care and Habitat Department may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Maintenance of buildings, equipment, vehicles, and boats.
• Attend to plumbing, electrical, mechanical, and automotive needs.
• Assist with land and water construction projects.
• Cleaning, maintenance, and repair of floating docks and in water fencing.
• Maintain and repair filtration systems.
• Maintain records and systems.
• Maintenance and repair of netting and dive equipment.
• Assist with stocking fish within freezer.
• Participate on Manatee Rescue Team.
• Perform safe removal of sea life from lagoons.
• Support Medical and Animal Care and Training staff with care of dolphins, sea lion, exotic birds and other DRC animals, including but not limited to weighing animals, transferring to different lagoons/habitats, in-water medical check-ups, etc.

Qualifications:

• Successful candidate will be a flexible, responsible, organized, and motivated individual who demonstrates excellent “team player” skills.
• Must be physically fit, able to lift 75 pounds, and have a high comfort level in the water. Must be dedicated to the animals’ care, safety and well-being at all times.
• Will either be diver certified or be willing to become diver certified.
• Must possess general “handy-man” skills, knowledge of dive equipment maintenance is a plus.
• Must have a clean driving record.
• Must be able to work outdoors in the Florida heat and other extreme weather conditions.

Benefits:

DRC currently offers medical benefits, life and disability insurance plan, a 401(k) retirement plan, flexible spending accounts, employee assistance program, paid holidays, vacation, sick, and overtime, as well as personal growth and training opportunities. Pay is based on experience.  DRC seeks to provide for the well-being of its employees and our wage combined with our generous benefits creates a competitive total package that is right for our environment. DRC is a 501(c)(3) qualifying employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. To see if you qualify for student loan forgiveness, please visit https://studentloans.gov/mydirectloan/pslfflow.action.

To Apply:

If interested, please submit a resume and a DRC application to drc-hr@dolphins.org or mail to Human Resources, Dolphin Research Center, 58901 Overseas Highway, Grassy Key, FL  33050.

Dolphin Research Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Postdoctoral Researcher

Dolphin Research Center (DRC) invites applications for a postdoctoral researcher to join our research group studying dolphin cognition, behavior, and welfare. DRC is a not-for-profit education and research facility, home to a family of dolphins and sea lions, located in the Florida Keys.

The successful candidate should hold a PhD in comparative psychology, zoology, animal behavior, or a related field. The specific area of specialization is open to negotiation. This postdoctoral position will be responsible for coding, analyzing and publishing studies using existing long-term data sets, and will also have the opportunity to collaboratively design and conduct novel research projects in their area of interest. 

Our ideal candidate will have:

• a proven track record of peer-reviewed publications
• the ability to communicate scientific concepts and arguments clearly and compellingly, both orally and in writing
• an excellent understanding of study design and statistics
• the ability to work well both independently and as part of a team

The position is for one year initially, with a possibility of renewal contingent on performance and mutual satisfaction. Starting date is flexible. 

To apply, please submit the following to drc-hr@dolphins.org, with the subject line “Postdoc application”:

• a cover letter describing your motivation, research interests, experience, and goals
• your CV
• pdfs of up to 2 of your key publications or submitted manuscripts
• contact information for 2 academic references

Dolphin Research Center is an equal opportunity employer

SALARY & BENEFITS

The cost of living in the Keys tends to be high and salaries, for the most part, are not competitive with the national average. This is particularly true at DRC, which is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation. Starting salaries vary according to an applicant's educational background, experience, and particular job responsibilities. The starting annual salary for an entry-level employee at DRC averages $26,000. Many staff members find it necessary to supplement their income through other means.

DRC seeks to provide for the well being of its employees and our salary combined with our generous benefits creates a competitive total package that is right for our environment.

DRC offers an excellent benefits package including health insurance, a 401(k) plan, paid holidays, paid vacation, paid sick leave, gift shop discounts, work clothing, and complimentary Dolphin Encounters. However, the most important benefits are the extraordinary rewards employees encounter on a daily basis: feeling the elation when a dolphin demonstrates a new behavior for the first time, watching a child grin in excitement when she sees a dolphin burst out of the water into a flip, sitting quietly on a dock observing the fluid grace of dolphins, experiencing the sense of satisfaction when a student grasps a new concept, witnessing the magical moment when a learning-disabled child utters his first word. Moments such as these are the true rewards, the unique benefits of working at Dolphin Research Center.

Transparency in Coverage Rule Compliance

Under the Transparency in Coverage Rule, issued in 2020 by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Department of Labor, and Department of the Treasury and enforced beginning 7/1/22, health insurance issuers must publish two separate machine readable files (MRFs) as follows:

• In Network: Negotiated rates for all covered items and services between the plan or issuer and in-network providers
• Out of Network: Allowed amount paid to, and billed charges from, out-of-network providers for all covered services within a 90-day period

These MRFs are available for you to read here.

HOW TO APPLY

If you are interested, please send your resume and completed application by email to drc-hr@dolphins.org or fax them to the Human Resources Director at (305) 289-8902. You may also mail them to Dolphin Research Center, Human Resources Director, 58901 Overseas Highway, Grassy Key, FL 33050 or stop by the center and complete an application in person.

Dolphin Research Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer.