Scientific & Technical Support Lead

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact Ocean Associates at 703-388-9548 to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

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: 

• Provide operational oversight of all tasks and projects assigned. 
• Distribute tasks and projects assigned to others, assist in developing specific tasks and timelines for each project. 
• Act as the primary liaison between employees and WCR staff, review contract deliverables prior to submitting, and ensure adherence to WCR protocols in all tasks and deliverables. 
• Regularly meet with or provide updates to WCR staff, as determined by WCR staff. 
• 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.