Career Opportunities at Dolphin Research Center

Medical Department Assistant  (Full-Time, Permanent)

Position Summary

The Medical Department Assistant supports the delivery of high-quality medical care to marine mammals and birds at the Dolphin Research Center. Reporting directly to the Medical Director, this role assists the Assistant Medical Director, Senior Medical Technician, and the Habitat & Conservation Medical Technician in providing preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic, and conservation-related medical support. 

This position requires strong organizational skills, attention to detail, physical stamina, and a deep commitment to animal welfare, conservation, and the DRC's mission of education and research.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

Animal Care & Medical Support

• Assist with routine health assessments, physical exams, and medical procedures.
• Prepare and maintain medical equipment, instruments, and treatment areas.
• Support diagnostic procedures, including sample collection (blood, urine, fecal), radiographs, and laboratory processing. 
• Assist with emergency response and critical care situations.

Habitat & Conservation Support

• Collaborate with the Habitat & Conservation Medical Technician in supporting water quality monitoring and biosecurity protocols. 
• Assist with medical support for rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation initiatives.
• Help maintain sanitary standards in animal habitats and medical spaces.
• Assist with habitat maintenance.

Record Keeping & Compliance

• Maintain accurate and detailed medical records.
• Assist with inventory tracking and ordering of medical supplies.
• Ensure compliance with USDA, state, and organizational standards.

Team Collaboration

• Communicate effectively with medical, animal care, and research staff.
• Participate in training sessions and continuing education.
• Support educational programming when appropriate, representing the veterinary department professionally.

Qualifications:

Required:

• Associate or Bachelor's degree in Animal Science, Marine Biology, or related field (or equivalent experience). 
• Previous experience in veterinary or animal care setting.
• Ability to lift 50+ lbs and work outdoors in varying weather conditions.
• Strong organizational and communication skills. 

Preferred:

• Experience working with marine mammals and/or avian species.
• Familiarity with aquatic animal health and water quality, and life support systems.
• Basic knowledge of laboratory procedures and diagnostic equipment.
• Dive certification.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to work in outdoor marine environments.
• Comfortable working in and around water and in heat.
• Capable of bending, lifting, and prolonged standing.

Work Schedule:

• Full-time position.
• Will be expected to work weekends and some holidays.

Core Competencies:

• Commitment to animal welfare and conservation.
• Attention to detail.
• Team-oriented mindset.
• Adaptability in fast-paced medical environments.
• Professionalism and discretion.

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. DRC is a dog-friendly workplace!

Dolphin Research Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer

MEMBERSHIP & DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT (Full-time, Permanent)

Position Summary

The Membership & Development Assistant supports the growth and stability of Dolphin Research Center. The ideal candidate for this position is a people person that is passionate about connecting with others to share our mission of conservation. This is a fundamental role in our nonprofit organization that is responsible for building relationships with the public, managing donations, support fundraising campaigns, and planning events to ensure we can continue to provide the best possible care to all the animals that call Dolphin Research Center home.

Major duties of this position in our Membership & Development department may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Maintain donor records with timely and accurate data entry.
• Process donations in the form of a check, cash, credit card, ACH, DAF, QCD, etc.
• Send formal acknowledgements following current IRS regulations and verbiage.
• Help donors daily in a professional manner in person, over email, or on the phone.
• Prepare mailing lists for renewals, special appeals, newsletters, compaigns, etc.
• Oversee waiver inventory for specialty programs and record contact information.
• Send out follow-up emails to specialty program guests to claim complimentary benefits.
• Engage with guests and give private tours around the facility to major donors as needed.
• Represent Dolphin Research Center at events and community outreach opportunities.
• Support campaigns related to membership and development efforts throughout the year.
• Assist in planning and coordination of fundraising events periodically each year.
  • Our largest fundraiser is known as Founders' Weekend and is held biennially
  • On the opposite years of Founders' Weekend, an online auction is held.

Qualifications:

• An eagerness to learn new topics.
• Experience with mass data entry.
• Friendly and outgoing personality.
• Interest in event planning and preparation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills and an attention to detail.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel, as well as Google.
• Ability to manage multiple projects at once and meet deadlines.
• Self sufficient, with the ability to work with limited supervision.
• Commitment to the mission and values of Dolphin Research Center

Job Requirements:

• Primarily office-based work environment.
• Occasional evenings or weekends for special events.

Benefits:

In addition to seeing the dolphins, sea lions, seals, tortoises, and birds daily: 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. DRC is a dog-friendly workplace!

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 $29,120. 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

Dolphin Research Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer

If you require assistance completing the application, please email drc-hr@dolphins.org.