At some point in the next few weeks, the Marine Mammal Laboratory of the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (NOAA/NMFS) will announce a vacancy for the position of Program Leader for the Cetacean Assessment and Ecology Program. The vacancy, which will be announced on USA Jobs, will be a permanent, full-time Band IV supervisory position in the federal ZP series; a general description of the Program and the position are given below. The Cetacean Assessment and Ecology Program (CAEP) is responsible for conducting studies and reviewing research to assess the status of whales in Alaskan waters, although program scientists frequently work in the broader North Pacific, and have collaborations with other researchers worldwide. Our recent studies have focused on North Pacific right, bowhead, gray, humpback, beluga and killer whales, as well as and Dall’s and harbor porpoise. Past studies have looked at blue, fin, sei, minke, sperm, and beaked whales, and the Pacific white-sided dolphin. We gather species-specific information on abundance, trends, stock structure, habitat, and feeding habits using aerial or vessel counts, acoustic studies, satellite telemetry, genetic studies, and photo-identification. CAEP currently has a total of 25 staff, including permanent employees, contractors and post-docs. The program is known for its innovative work in some areas (e.g. satellite tagging), and has a very strong publication record. Some of the Program’s scientists participate in international meetings, including representing the U.S. at the International Whaling Commission. The Program Leader is responsible for the administration and scientific direction of CAEP, as well as direct or indirect supervision of staff. We will be looking for someone with demonstrated leadership skills, supervisory experience, and a broad scientific vision. A Ph.D. in biology (or a related field) and a strong publication record are considered essential. Since this is a federal permanent hire, the position will be open only to U.S. citizens. Qualified candidates are encouraged to send a message to nmfs.afsc.cetacean@noaa.gov to ensure that they are alerted to the job announcement, whenever that happens (the federal hiring process doesn’t happen overnight!) Please include in your message a brief description of your interest, experience and qualifications. Please note that this is NOT an announcement of the position itself - just a heads-up to potentially interested individuals that the vacancy announcement will be coming soon. Please also pass this on to individuals who you think may be interested. We look forward to hearing from anyone who would like to lead a great research team at the Marine Mammal Laboratory in Seattle! John L. Bengtson Director, Marine Mammal Laboratory Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Seattle Email: nmfs.afsc.cetacean@noaa.gov (No phone enquiries, please)