Coastal Ecology Research Staff

The University of Georgia (UGA), chartered in 1785, is the birthplace of public higher education in America and Georgia’s flagship university. Ranked among the top 20 public universities by U.S. News & World Report, UGA’s main campus is in Athens, with extended campuses across Georgia. The university employs approximately 3,100 faculty and over 7,700 full-time staff, serving more than 41,000 students.

About the Department

For over 50 years, UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant has promoted the responsible use and stewardship of Georgia’s coastal resources through integrated research, education, and extension programs. As a bridge between scientists, local governments, and marine industries, the department strengthens the economic vitality and resilience of coastal communities. Education staff enhance environmental literacy, while the research program supports applied studies addressing pressing environmental challenges. Managed through a federal-state partnership with NOAA’s National Sea Grant College Program, Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant is part of a network of 34 Sea Grant programs nationwide.

About the Role

This position is for a staff researcher in the Coastal Ecology Lab with Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, located at the UGA facility in Brunswick, Georgia. The role involves diverse and dynamic responsibilities across multiple extramurally funded projects, focusing on ecological surveys and research—primarily on wildlife, particularly reptiles—and general assessments of habitat health and change in Georgia’s Coastal and Coastal Plain regions.

Overnight travel for fieldwork (1–4 nights/week) is expected, especially from September to April, due to field sites across multiple counties. The position requires flexibility in work schedules, including occasional longer days or weekends, depending on project needs.

Responsibilities

• Conduct and assist with coordination of surveys for gopher tortoises and indigo snakes, including line transect distance sampling and burrow scoping.
• Use pre-development data to project impacts and develop plans for avoidance or relocation of impacted species on industry lands (e.g., utility-scale solar, mineral surface mining) in collaboration with project sponsors and natural resource agencies.
• Execute mitigation actions, such as relocations and exclusion fence/recipient pen monitoring.
• Develop and implement local stewardship, habitat management and restoration, and staff/contractor education initiatives with project sponsors.
• Conduct research on post-translocation status of gopher tortoises, including vegetation assessments using transects and UAVs/drones, to inform adaptive management and process improvement.
• Perform fieldwork at multiple locations, including radio tracking, checking game cameras, and seasonal trapping of tortoises to swap equipment and download data.
• Manage and analyze datasets for sponsor reports, natural resource agency permits, peer-reviewed publications, and professional presentations.
• Produce maps using ArcGIS and engage in data management and analysis with self-initiative, while collaborating with supervisors on interpretation and dissemination.
• Assist with public communications, including content development for social media, project promotion, public or classroom education events, and staff trainings (e.g., wildlife identification for new miners).
• Participate in husbandry of captive education and research animals at the Brunswick facility.
• Undergo and maintain task-specific training, including safe venomous snake handling, state vehicle and computer use, and compliance protocols for field sites (e.g., MSHA certification).
• Contribute to new and ongoing projects, including proposal development as time allows.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent (required).
• Undergraduate degree in Biology, Ecology, Wildlife Management, or a related field OR 3 years of relevant experience in field research and wildlife (preferred).
• Dedicated interest in the conservation and management of wildlife and ecologically viable habitats.
• Experience with ArcGIS, statistical analysis, and data management.
• Field experience with surveying for Gopherus spp., including burrow scopes.
• Experience driving 4WD trucks on challenging unpaved roads (e.g., muddy, sandy).
• Experience with ecological survey and monitoring methods, including transect surveys, visual encounter surveys, and trapping.
• Knowledge of southeastern habitats and upland sandhills plant and animal communities.
• Experience with field and analytical aspects of animal movement research (GPS and/or VHF systems).
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, with opportunities for leadership and coordination.
• Strong organizational skills and professionalism.
• Willingness to commit to a minimum of one year, with annual extensions based on performance and funding.

Additional preferred skills include experience working on development sites or with industry partners, Trimble GPS units and Terraflex, and UAVs/data analysis.

Skills

• Initiative: Proactively communicate with supervisors about task progress, hurdles, and timelines.
• Drive for Knowledge: Seek out resources (peers, supervisors, literature, networking) to conduct work effectively and meet contracted timelines.
• Innovation: Contribute to novel equipment and statistical advancements in the field.
• Scheduling: Take initiative in organizing internal meetings for upcoming tasks.
• Multitasking: Manage multiple projects and responsibilities simultaneously.

Benefits

• Dental, vision, and life insurance.
• Retirement investment options.
• Paid leave for federal holidays, accrued vacation, and sick leave.

Note: Employees are responsible for their own housing, cell phone, and transportation (reimbursable for fieldwork when UGA fleet vehicles are unavailable).

Pay

Advertised salary range: $40,000 – $46,464.

Schedule

• Full-time position (40 hours/week).
• Typically 5 days/week (Monday–Friday), with 3–4 field days and 1–2 office days.
• Schedule may vary (e.g., shorter/longer days, weekends) depending on project needs.