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1099 consultant · ~400–800 hrs per funded award · $30–$50/hr · Remote (U.S.)

Fisheries Field Technician & At-Sea Observer, Puerto Rico

Go to sea with commercial fishers in Puerto Rico to sample reef fish for a NOAA Fisheries life-history study: lengths, otoliths and gonad tissue, recorded to protocol and delivered clean. Two positions, bilingual.

About Precision Federal

Precision Federal is a Christian-owned small business building AI and software systems for federal agencies through the SBIR program. The founder is a Christian, and the company is run on Christian principles: every number we publish is real, every claim we make is verifiable, and the work is done with excellence as service to God. Every proposal we submit is backed by working prototypes built before we ask for a dollar.

How this role works

  1. You join the bench. We name you (with a short bio) as a proposed consultant on proposals that match this role. Consent costs you nothing and commits you to nothing until an award funds.
  2. A contract is awarded. Federal SBIR awards fund the team named in the proposal. Your engagement begins, at an hourly rate agreed before you were ever named.
  3. You work remote, paid from the contract. ~40–80 hrs per funded award — and if no award ever funds, you owe nothing and lose nothing.

What you'll do

  • Ride along on commercial trips and sample the catch to the NOAA protocol
  • Extract and label otoliths and gonad tissue, measure and photograph fish, and keep the chain of custody
  • Enter and check field data the same day and flag anything odd
  • Keep good relations with captains and crews so the trips keep coming

Required qualifications

  • Field experience in fisheries biology or at-sea observing, including otolith and gonad extraction
  • Fluent Spanish and English, and comfortable working long days on small commercial vessels
  • Based in Puerto Rico or able to relocate for the season
  • Willing to be named on a federal proposal with a one-page resume, and to sign a short letter of commitment

Preferred qualifications

  • NOAA or Caribbean Fisheries Management Council project experience
  • Familiarity with Puerto Rico's commercial fishing communities and landing sites
  • Boating safety, first-aid and CPR certifications

Compensation & structure

1099 consulting engagement. $60–$100 per hour, confirmed in writing before you are named on any proposal. Hours are funded by federal contract awards — engagements on this bench have ranged from roughly 130 to 710 hours across a period of performance, fully remote. Work and pay begin only if the contract is awarded — no award, no hours, no obligation.

Apply — Fisheries Field Technician & At-Sea Observer, Puerto Rico

Every application is read personally by the founder. We respond to every serious one.

Five questions

These are the substance of the application. Answer from your own experience — a few sentences each is plenty, and “this never came up” is a real answer we want.

Questions before applying? contact@precisionfederal.com · See all open roles