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Ocean Associates Inc. (OAI) is seeking applicants for a Scientific and Technical Support Lead to provide support to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), West Coast Region Office. OAI is a Virginia corporation established in 2003 that provides consulting and technical services to the U.S. government, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, and the private sector. We specialize in scientific program and project management, strategic planning, professional and technical services, and stakeholder engagement, supporting government contracts. We are seeking applicants for these positions prospectively, which are dependent on award of contract.
Background
West Coast Region (WCR) of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) provides interagency consultation to federal agencies pursuant to the statutory authorities of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Magnuson‐Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), the Federal Power Act (FPA), the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (FWCA), and the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Federal agencies bring their project proposals, which may affect NMFS trust species and critical habitats, to NMFS for scientific, biological, and technical assistance in identifying effects and conservation measures. Through interagency consultation, WCR works closely with tribes, local, state, and Federal agencies, and partners (e.g., corporations, farmers and ranchers, homeowners, non‐profit organizations, trade groups) to find science‐based solutions to complex ecological issues. WCR has a significant interagency consultation workload including critical infrastructure construction, American seafood production, and timber harvest activities. WCR also conducts National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) assessments.
Several Executive Orders (EO) and Presidential Memos (PM) require support and action by WCR, including: EO 14154 Unleashing American Energy, EO 14156 Declaring a National Energy Emergency, EO 14181 Emergency Measures to Provide Water Resources in California and Improve Disaster Response in Certain Areas, EO 14225 Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production, EO 14241 Immediate Measures To Increase American Mineral Production, EO 14276 Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness, EO 14285 Unleashing America's Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources, EO 14303 Restoring Gold Standard Science, PM Stopping Radical Environmentalism to Generate Power for the Columbia River Basin, and PM Putting People over Fish: Stopping Radical Environmentalism to Provide Water to Southern California.
Tasks
Key tasks include the following:
- Review, gather, analyze, interpret, and synthesize scientific data and technical information for the purpose of determining environmental impacts on biological resources and aquatic habitats; evaluate the proposed project effects of human activities on fishery resources, protected species, and habitat.
- Write combined ESA Biological Opinions, ESA Letters of Concurrence, and MSA responses to action agencies related to their Biological Assessments for listed salmon and steelhead, designated critical habitat, and essential fish habitat under NMFS jurisdiction.
- Review biological assessments, permit applications, and/or consultation initiation packages from action agencies for listed salmon and steelhead, designated critical habitat, and essential fish habitat under NMFS jurisdiction and provide feedback and technical support to action agencies.
- Provide pre‐consultation technical assistance to action agencies, applicants, or their representatives in response to inquiries. Examples of feedback are sufficiency, accuracy, or completeness; requests for further information for consultation purposes; recommendation of conservation measures, compliance with technical design standards. Feedback shall occur through written or oral communications and in group meetings.
- Review applications from action agencies to enroll in existing programmatic consultations and draft letters or emails to enroll applications into existing programmatic consultations.
- Prepare environmental documentation pursuant to NEPA.
- Prepare draft incidental take permits and other necessary documentation for ESA section 10 activities.
- Revise the documents based on review comments received from WCR NMFS and General Counsel staff, technical comments received from the tribes and states, and based on substantive public review comments to complete final versions of the ESA, NEPA and other associated documents.
- Coordinate with NMFS fish passage engineers for reviews of proposed designs.
- Coordinate with NMFS’ Science Center and other federal, state, or academic researchers in evaluating the status of species and impacts from actions.
- Prepare appropriate documentation for each consultation and follow WCR protocols for quality assurance, electronic filing, and consultation tracking.
- Coordinate with Project Officer or Geographic Branch Manager on assignments, work products, and project schedule. Coordination calls and meetings as necessary with WCR Team Lead(s).
- Participate in WCR teams as necessary to complete the tasks in this contract.
- Follow recommendations from agency staff on legal, regulatory, or technical sufficiency and compliance.
- Assist in the development and implementation of mitigation banks
- Prepare appropriate documentation for each consultation, status review, or permit, including assembling and managing administrative records as necessary to provide adequate and proper evidence of agency business, timely response to requests for information, and compliance with NMFS internal directives. Assist with compiling responses to Freedom of Information Act requests.
- Participate in meetings with action agencies, applicants or permittees, special interest groups, state officials, and tribal representatives, as necessary.
Start Date: Contingent upon award of contract.
Location: Primarily remote/telework
Travel: Travel will be needed for day trips or overnight to coordination meetings for project proposals or Regional meetings, not to exceed on average two per quarter usually within the West Coast Region (ID, WA, OR, CA) for remote meetings or trainings.
Salary and Benefits: These are full-time positions with benefits. Salary, commensurate with experience, between $25.00 - $45.00 per hour.
Requirements
Applicants must have the following minimum requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree and three (3) years’ experience, or Master’s degree, from an accredited college or university in aquatic biology, conservation biology, fisheries management, wildlife management or related field of study
- Knowledge of salmonid general life cycles and habitat requirements
- Highly proficient English language composition and editing skills
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Working with diverse interagency teams
- Program planning and management in a team environment
- Developing performance metrics and milestones
- Skill in most common software applications, to include MS Office and Google Workplace
Additional preferred qualifications include:
- Implementation of ESA and MSA regulations and document preparation or experience writing Federal regulatory documents adhering to agency guidance
- Experience assessing the impacts of human activities on marine, estuarine, or anadromous species and their habitats as part of a regulatory program
- Experience working with tribal governments
If you are interested in being considered for this position, please APPLY THROUGH OUR ADP WEB PORTAL, AT THE LINK AT THE TOP RIGHT OF THIS PAGE.
Only qualified applicants that meet minimum experience or background requirements stated above need apply. When applying for this position you will be asked to upload your resume at the end of this online application.
Applicants should submit a resume that includes the following:
- Cover letter that briefly describes how you meet the required and preferred qualifications listed.
- Work history for past 10 years or since last full-time education.
- Education.
- Previous experience or training with similar requirements.
- Three professional references.
- Include your name in the document file name.
- Upload your resume in readable, not scanned, PDF or Word format (PDF is preferred).
In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States, complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire, and successfully complete a federal government background check. OAI does not discriminate on the basis of any status or condition protected by applicable federal or state law.
OAI is a government contractor and is required by law to invite applicants to voluntarily self-identify their disability status and veteran status. OAI's online application includes check boxes to either voluntarily self identify or decline to self identify. While the information is collected through your application, it is collected anonymously and is not connected to your application. OAI uses the information it collects to track its disability and veteran hiring progress, and to meet its obligations under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and under VEVRAA.
Note: If you are not selected, your materials may be retained for present or future opportunities. We may use your resume in bidding on a project and if we are awarded the work, we will contact you before seeking further applicants. If you do not wish us to retain or use your resume to seek work for you, please let us know in the "Notes" section on the second page of the online application.
