Ocean Associates Inc. is seeking a candidate who will provide professional support to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. Ocean Associates Inc. conducts research, offers policy advice, and provides personnel support services to government and industry clients for marine fisheries, protected species, and habitats.
Duties
* Coordinate Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Program: The NMFS Pacific Island Regional Office (PIRO) receives notices of proposed federal actions that will impact EFH resources within the Region. This triggers the need for EFH consultation. This requires building and maintaining partnership with permitting agencies such as the US Army Corps of Engineers as a permitting authority to comply with EFH requirements before issuing permits. This position coordinates EFH reviews, developing draft responses and draft consultation documents, meeting with applicants to clarify proposed activities for the Hawaiian Islands and when needed doing site visits. These reviews require a working knowledge of coral reef resources, the knowledge to evaluate if the proposed work and method being proposed have appropriately defined the expected impacts and have taken all measures to first avoid, then minimize and as a last step offset the replacement of lost resources. This is an iterative process and may require the inclusion of additional subject matter experts, confirming resource assessments. In the case where formal consultation is required, the process will require the development of conservation recommendation that will be presented by the Federal EFH administrator. Defines EFH program protocol and trains individuals on EFH consultation and program requirements. EFH consultation requires regular training updates and managing the Regions template for maintaining consistency in the consultation process. This requires managing the living nature of this process and the need to ensure that individuals completing consultations are adequately trained.
* Oversee data records management for EFH. NMFS uses various data management systems for tracking consultations nationally. This position coordinates required data management records for these systems.
* Drafts consultations, completes reviews, prepares correspondence for self and drafts for others. This position drafts documents for the agency’s review for completing consultation response to federal action agencies. This individual also provides informal guidance, technical input and communicates information to partners on the EFH program.
* Coordinate consultation with other staff. This program covers the Western Pacific Region. There are individual staff in Guam, CNMI and American Samoa in addition to Hawaiʻi. This position coordinates consultation completed by other staff and will complete or delegate reviews in the Hawaiian Islands.
* Serves as technical lead on West Hawaii Habitat Focus Area for the PIRO Habitat Conservation Division. This position participates as a technical expert in regular partner meetings in contributing to the development and implementation of strategies to accomplish measurable coastal resource benefits in 3 to 5 years. This includes developing management approaches for addressing degraded coastal resources, abating coastal resource threats, engaging other agencies and communities in identifying priorities and working with the agency to developing opportunities to implement such efforts. This can include developing technical approaches, delivering project efforts or proposals, regular participation in team meetings and working with outside experts and communities to move efforts forward.
* Travel is required to conduct site visits for completing EFH consultation and/or formulating coral impact determinations. This may include SCUBA diving, snorkeling or general site investigation. Travel may also be required for community engagement meetings for West Hawaiʻi Habitat Blueprint Habitat Focus areas.
Required Knowledge and Experience
Selected individual(s) must have the following qualifications:
* Master Degree or higher in biological Sciences.
* Five years of proven technical and scientific writing experience.
* Five years of work experience coordinating permit compliance or consultation or environmental issues.
* SCUBA Certified and able to become NOAA certified.
* Demonstrated experience in conducting scientifically sound in-water coral reef marine fauna surveys.
* Experienced in effectively working in teams or with partners to complete tasks.
* Demonstrated experience with threat management in tropical watersheds and experience in developing and implementing strategies to improve coastal coral reef ecosystems.
* Demonstrated regulatory experience working in tropical Islands on environmental issues.
In addition to the above required qualifications, there are additional preferred qualifications:
* Work experience includes work on EFH consultation or as a second choice, experience with complete federal environmental consultations.
* NOAA certified Diver
* Experience conducting in-water surveys of fauna in the Western Pacific Islands.
* Experience with West Hawaii watersheds, communities and environmental threats.
* Has a PhD with a coral reef affiliation.
* Has regulatory experience working in Western Pacific Islands on environmental issues.
Place of Performance: Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
Work schedule: full-time (average 40 hours per week)
Period of Performance: 1 year with potential to continue based on performance and funding.
Preferred start date: 10/1/2015
Compensation: commensurate with experience + benefits
Excellent employee benefits are provided including paid medical insurance, and holiday, vacation and sick leave.
The position requires access to Federal office buildings or ships and communication networks. The position would require an escort for a foreign national throughout the entire building. 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.
If you are interested in being considered for this position, you MUST APPLY ONLINE THROUGH OUR ADP WEB PORTAL (no emails)
https://home2.eease.adp.com/recruit2/?id=18708222&t=1
- Include your name in your CV/resume file name.
- PDF format is preferred.
- If you can see this posting, then we are accepting applications.
