Biological Technician

Job Description

Job Description

Biological Technician (Industry Engagement) Population Biology Branch (PBB) Falmouth, MA (WHOI); Pocasset, MA; and Narragansett, RI

This role focuses on coordination with recreational and commercial fishing communities to facilitate biological data collection for the North East Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC)

Join @Orchard in strengthening NOAA’s science-industry collaboration to support the sustainable management of U.S. marine resources. This opportunity supports the Population Biology Branch (PBB) of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), where data collection partnerships with commercial and recreational fishers are essential to advancing fisheries science.

The PBB’s work bridges laboratory research with field operations and industry outreach. As part of this team, you’ll contribute to biological data collection, specimen processing, and industry coordination that directly informs fish stock assessments and ecosystem research.

@Orchard is seeking a Biological Technician with strong interpersonal skills and biological field experience to support industry engagement efforts. In this role, you’ll serve as a liaison between NOAA scientists and fishing communities—helping collect and ship biological samples, organize tagging programs, and maintain productive working relationships with partners.

Whether processing finfish and invertebrate samples in the lab or coordinating specimen pickups with fishermen, your work will play a key role in ensuring accurate, science-based marine resource management. If you thrive in a collaborative, hands-on research environment and enjoy building trusted industry relationships, this position offers both purpose and professional growth.

Key Responsibilities

As a Biological Technician, your key responsibilities include:

• Working with the recreational and commercial fishing industries and other biologists to collect data and samples, including providing tagging materials, data summaries, and coordinating sample shipments and pick-ups
• Maintaining good working relationships with recreational and commercial industries and biologists at cooperating institutions
• Sorting, identifying, and preserving biological samples and data as required.
• Maintaining or continuing to process biological samples and data in the laboratory using routine methods
• Entering data and reporting to the Federal Program Lead regarding progress.
• Participating in resource survey cruises as needed, once to up to four times per year (5-50 days per year) to assist in the collection of oceanographic and biological samples and data. In the laboratory, they shall assist in the processing of biological specimens.
• Repetitive and routine technical support tasks to include assisting in the use of equipment, instruments, or software to carry out simple procedures, computations, and methods of reporting.
• Providing technical support for oceanographic and fisheries sampling including assistance with finfish, elasmobranch, and invertebrate sampling; associated biological, habitat, and oceanographic sampling; supply and equipment preparation; data entry, quality assurance and control; laboratory experiments on finfish; age, reproduction, and food habits processing; fostering a safe work environment and effectively using information technology resources.
• Performing special tasks regarding ensuring data quality and providing periodic written progress reports.
• Repetitive and routine assistance in the use of equipment, instruments, or software; carrying out standardized procedures and computations of varying complexity; and including basic, descriptive data analysis and regular communications of findings, including written summaries.
• Participating in task/project-specific workshops, scientific meetings, and outreach events.

Required Experience and Qualifications:

To be successful in this role, candidates must meet the following qualifications:

• High school degree with 1-2 years’ experience, or an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree
• Experience in the identification of finfish, elasmobranchs, shellfish, and other invertebrate species commonly encountered along the Atlantic coast from Nova Scotia to Cape Hatteras
• Aptitude but not necessarily experience with microscopes, image analysis systems, lapidary saws, or electronic data entry systems.
• Interested in going to sea aboard research vessels.
• Aptitude, but not necessarily experience, to dissect fish or work with live fish in aquaria.
• Experience with personal computers using word processing software, spreadsheets, and email.

Essential Conditions of Employment

• Sea-Readiness: Work in the field or the laboratory may occasionally involve extended hours or weekends, OT not to exceed 100 h per month.

This position includes authorized overtime, travel, and training as required by the project scope. If you are ready to contribute to a vital environmental mission, we encourage you to apply.

Established in 2010, @Orchard LLC has an exceptional reputation, providing staffing solutions to time-sensitive, talent scarcity issues to deliver better talent management ROI. Our specialty lies in the critical area of program talent acquisition and resource management, not in one narrow skillset, but across many areas of technical and functional delivery. To learn more about our other exciting opportunities, visit our Jobs Page at .