[Hiring] Sea Turtle Data Analysis and Research Support @Padre Island National Seashore

Role Description

Make an impact while you learn. The Semester of Service Program offers students a volunteer project-based opportunity to support real Federal missions, gaining hands-on experience and valuable career-ready skills. The government-wide "Semester of Service" Student Volunteer Program enables Federal agencies to engage students in unpaid, project-based assignments of limited duration aligning with each agency's strategic priorities.

• Work Schedule and Flexibilities: 20 hours per week, part-time, Remote (100% work off site)
• Number of Positions: 2
• Term: Spring 2027 (90 day term between mid-January and mid-June)

This vacancy will be open until Thursday, October 29th, 2026 at 11:59pm ET or until 50 applications have been received. The vacancy will close on whichever day the first of these conditions are met. Candidates are encouraged to read the entire announcement before submitting their application packages.

Two student volunteers will collaborate with the Chief of the Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery (STSR), a renowned Kemp's ridley sea turtle expert, and a secondary Supervisor to organize and analyze specified endangered species data and draft a scientific manuscript for submission in a peer-reviewed journal. The students will utilize a backlog of previously collected data to disseminate the results of decades of research and monitoring by the STSR program. The students will utilize R, ArcGIS, and statistical modelling to analyze and process large datasets. In return, the STSR Chief and a secondary Supervisor will provide the endangered species data, share their scientific and federal career expertise, foster the students' scientific writing development, provide historic context for the project, and fund the manuscript's submission. Due to the confidentiality of the endangered species data, a signed data sharing agreement will be required. The STSR Division Chief will be lead author on any resulting publications, posters, and presentations. The students' co-authorship positions will be ranked according to contributions.

• Data Entry and Management
• Statistical Analysis
• Scientific Writing
• Monitoring a Government Email

Qualifications

• Possess a Bachelor's degree in Biology or related field and be pursuing a Master's degree in Biology or related field
• Proficiency in R, ArcGIS, and statistical modelling
• Experience with Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Experience with Microsoft Outlook and Teams
• Experience in scientific or technical report writing

Requirements

• Must be enrolled not less than half-time in an accredited college, university, or other accredited educational institution
• Must be in good academic standing as defined by your institution
• Attach a copy of your transcripts to your application package for verification