Scientist-ESA Support
Ocean Associates, Inc.
Lacey, Washington

Ocean Associates, Inc. (OAI) is seeking a Scientist to provide support to the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) West Coast Region (WCR) Oregon Washington Coastal Office (OWCO). OAI supplies personnel support services on contract to government and industry clients for marine fisheries and protected species.

The WCR OWCO responsibilities focus on protecting species and their habitats along Washington and Oregon coasts, including Puget Sound and the lower Columbia and Willamette rivers. OWCO works to protect species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), by evaluating the impacts of proposed federal actions, developing and implementing recovery plans, seeking conservation partnerships with local governments and landowners, ensuring safe fish passage through federal and some private dams, and designating critical habitat. The OWCO has a significant ESA section 7 interagency consultation workload. Consultation workload is highly varied and requires contract assistance to conduct ESA section 7 and EFH consultations, and to document consultations in accordance with WCR procedures. In some instances, the OWCO relies on programmatic consultations to account for an extremely high number of repetitive consultations on similar actions in certain parts of the Office’s geography. Contractor support services are required to provide an ESA section 7 and EFH consultation support and in reviewing submissions under existing programmatic consultations with a variety of Federal action agencies and other partners.

The person filling this position will be part of a dynamic team, working on sometimes contentious issues, under tight timelines.  Evidence of experience in that type of setting will be considered and evaluated.  Logical thinking and clear, straightforward writing skills are considered to be important for this work.

Duties

  • Respond to inquiries from action agencies and their representatives or applicants, providing pre-consultation technical assistance to action agencies and their representatives or applicants during regular business hours.
  • Review consultation initiation packages for completeness and develop requests for further information sufficient to support initiating consultation under each statute, as needed.
  • Consult with action agencies and their representatives or applicants as required ensuring action agency compliance with each statute, as needed. Communicate with the Geographic Branch Chief for the assigning Branch in the OWCO, depending on location, to coordinate NMFS response to each consultation.
  • Prepare appropriate documentation for each consultation and follow West Coast Region protocol for quality assurance.
  • Regular coordination with NMFS Geographic Branch Chief regarding assignments and work products.

Other Duties Include:

  • Completion of technical assistance, documentary review, site visits with and for action agencies and associated documentation.
  • Providing feedback in the form of further information requests or initiating consultations.
  • Preparing appropriate consultation documentation including, but not limited to ESA letters of concurrence, ESA biological opinions, MSA EFH consultations, and MMPA incidental harassment authorization letters.
  • Preparing related documentation, including assembling administrative record documents, NMFS internal process documents, and memos to file as needed to comply with West Coast Region quality assurance process.

Start Date: ASAP

Location: Lacey, WA (work will be performed remotely until at least April, 2021)

Salary and Benefits: Commensurate with experience. Comprehensive benefits package.

Minimum Required Knowledge and Experience

  • Bachelor’s degree, or higher, for 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 five (5) years of experience in related field or combination of such totaling nine (9) year combined education/experience. Master’s Degree in related field plus one (1) year experience or Ph.D. may be substituted for experience.
  • Basic computer skills (MS Office, etc.)
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Submissions of writing examples are encouraged.

Additional required qualifications include:

  • Experience with, or knowledge of, the requirements of the ESA, MMPA, and/or MSA and the consultation processes described above.
  • Background in biology, natural resource management, and salmonid and/or marine mammal species.
  • Significant Endangered Species Act Section 7 experience.
HOW TO APPLY

If you are interested in being considered for this position, APPLY THROUGH OCEANASSOC.COM, ADP WEB PORTAL.

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.
  • 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.  Ocean Associates Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not unlawfully 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 self-identify their race, gender, national origin, disability status and veteran status. OAI is required to use the information it collects as part of its future affirmative action efforts in hiring. The information is collected anonymously by computer and is not connected to your application. You will see a place to check certain boxes in OAI’s online application. Even though the information is anonymous, self-identification is voluntary. You can always check the box that says you decline to self-identify.

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.