Life History, Health, and Endocrine Specialist

Lynker Corporation is seeking to hire a Life History, Health, and Endocrine Specialist to support a contract with NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC) Marine Mammal and Turtle Division (MMTD). This is a part-time position based at the SWFSC facility in La Jolla, California and is anticipated to begin on September 30, 2024.

The SWFSC MMTD's primary mission is to assess marine mammals and turtles relative to management objectives in U.S. waters, or oceans where the U.S. has a vested interest. The research feeding into our assessment science includes abundance estimation and monitoring of abundance trends, identification of units to conserve, assessing health and condition of individuals in the context of life histories and understanding ecosystem state (structure and function). Scientists at SWFSC MMTD conduct research on marine mammals and turtles to assess health, which is a key part of diagnosing and understanding population trends. To assess physiological and individual health, the MMTD evaluates hormone levels and other biochemical metrics in tissue samples from free-ranging marine mammals and turtles and examines stranded animals to diagnose the cause of death and other health issues. MMTD is seeking contractor support services for case-study review, biochemical analyses, and carcass examinations in order to understand life-history state, physiological status and whole-animal health of stranded and incidentally caught marine tetrapods.

Duties and deliverables for this position will include:

Task 1: Biochemical processing and measurements

o Description: Process marine tetrapod tissue samples (e.g., blubber, skin, serum, teeth, bones, and whale blow) for use in endocrine studies.

o Deliverables: Provide the NMFS Project Lead and COR with all laboratory records including full laboratory notes and data by the end of the Period of Performance.

Task 2: Database Maintenance

o Description: Aggregate data produced, enter data into the databases, and conduct data QA/QC protocols.

o Deliverables: Provide the NMFS Project Lead and COR with data additions to existing databases by the end of the Period of Performance.

Task 3. Whole animal health

o Description: Conduct examinations of stranded and incidentally caught marine mammals and turtles for health abnormalities, including use of X-ray machines or similar imaging equipment.

• Deliverables: Provide the NMFS Project Lead and COR with additions to NMFS necropsy and stranding reports by the end of the Period of Performance.

Task 4: Health data case study analysis

o Description: Review and compile data on health and Endocrine patterns in individual case studies of marine tetrapods and preserve them in assigned databases.

o Deliverables: Provide the NMFS project lead and COR with a written report outlining the content of these case studies and providing descriptions of summary findings suitable for peer review scientific publications.

Task 5. Participate in site specific informational meetings

o Description: Participate in periodic SWFSC and MMTD meetings with the Project Lead(s), NMFS staff, and Center leadership to exchange information and to stay informed.

o Deliverables: Provide the NMFS Project Lead and COR with a list of meetings attended by the end of the Period of Performance.

Task 6: Fieldwork and stranding response

o Description: Participate in fieldwork and stranding response on an as-needed basis including driving government vehicles when necessary to complete tasks.

o Deliverables: Provide the NMFS Project Lead and COR with a final report summarizing all field activities and stranding responses participated in by the end of the Period of Performance.

Task 7. Participate in offsite scientific meetings

o Description: Participate in scientific meetings to present their work on health and Endocrine patterns in individual case studies of marine tetrapods

• Deliverables: Provide the NMFS Project Lead and COR with a list of meetings attended by the end of the Period of Performance.

Requirements

Minimum required qualifications include:

• Bachelor's degree, or higher, from an accredited college or university with a major directly related in a field of study as related to the requirements of specific task order with emphasis in fisheries, oceanography, social science, natural science, mathematics, or hydrology, plus four (4) years of experience in related field or combination of such totaling eight (8) years combined education/experience. Master's or doctorate degree in a related may be substituted for experience.

Additional preferred qualifications include:

• Experience in laboratory procedures for endocrine biomarkers from marine mammal tissue, particularly cetacean blubber.

• Experience in quality control assessment and databasing of marine mammal endocrine data.

• Experience of identifying health abnormalities during whole-animal inspections of live and dead animals, including those associated with various endocrine regimes and nutritive states.

• Experience conducting marine mammal and/or turtle necropsies.

About Lynker

Lynker is a growing, employee owned, small business, specializing in professional, scientific and technical services. Our continually expanding team combines scientific expertise with mature, results-driven processes and tools to achieve technically sound, cost effective solutions in hydrology/water sciences, geospatial analysis, information technology, resource management, conservation, and management and business process improvement.

We focus on putting the right people in the right place to be effective. And having the right people is critical for success. Our streamlined organization enables and empowers our talented professionals to tackle our customers' scientific and technical priorities – creatively and effectively.

Lynker offers a team-oriented work environment, and the opportunity to work in a culture of exceptionally skilled and diverse professionals who embrace sound science and creative solutions. Lynker's benefits include the following:

• Comprehensive healthcare for the employee at no monthly cost
• Healthcare benefit covers medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision
• Personal Time Off (PTO) Policy plus paid holidays
• Highly competitive compensation plan regularly calibrated against industry and location benchmarks
• 401(k) retirement plan with company-matching
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) – we're all company owners!
• Flexible spending accounts
• Employee assistance program (EAP)
• Short- and long-term disability insurance
• Life and accident insurance
• Tuition assistance/Training/Workforce improvement reimbursement per year
• Spot bonuses for exceptional performance
• Annual Employee Recognition Awards with bonuses
• Employee Referral Program
• Free centralized, self-directed Learning Management System to learn at your own pace
• Personalized career growth plans for every employee

Lynker is an E-Verify employer.

Lynker is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans to apply.