ESA Support Services

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Ocean Associates Inc. (OAI) is seeking an applicant to provide Environmental Safety Act (ESA) support services for the Pacific Island Regional Office (PIRO) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (Fisheries), headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii.  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 this position prospectively, which is dependent on award of contract.

Background:

PIRO’s Protected Resources Division (PRD) is dedicated to protecting and recovering endangered and threatened species of sea turtles, monk seals, cetaceans, corals, and other species in the Pacific Islands Region as mandated by the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).  PIRO is responsible for implementing actions under Section 4 of the ESA, which includes rulemaking, critical habitat designations, species listings, recovery planning, and recovery implementation. PIRO also has requirements for conducting inter-agency consultations under Section 7 of the ESA, whereby federal agencies consult with Fisheries to ensure their actions avoid jeopardizing listed species or destroying critical habitat. Under the authority of the MMPA, PIRO is responsible for developing and implementing take reduction programs (i.e., False Killer Whale Take Reduction Plan), List of Fisheries, MMPA rules (i.e., spinner dolphin protective regulations), and implementing actions as required under the MMPA for the protection and conservation of protected marine mammals.

Tasks:

Key tasks include the following:

• Assist PIRO staff in recovery planning activities, drafting recovery plans and supporting documents, implementing recovery actions, reviewing species status information and consolidating information to support recovery activities, and monitoring species recovery trends and progress. 
• Assist PIRO in developing critical habitat designations, including preparing proposed and final rules, supporting public hearings, organizing public comments, and other duties specific to critical habitat designations under Section 4 of the ESA. 
• Respond to listing petitions, contribute to proposed and final listings, and prepare ESA-Section 7 documents for informal and formal consultations. 
• Support protected species outreach. 
• Design, develop, and produce effective outreach and educational materials, displays, graphic design, and presentations (i.e., posters, PowerPoint presentations, brochures, placards, workshop/meeting handouts, regulatory summaries). 
• Support, develop, and implement outreach and education programmatic functions of projects on protected species, habitat, and ecosystem-based marine resource conservation. 
• Review and edit documents and materials for compliance with Section 508 requirements. 

Start Date: Contingent upon award of contract

Location: Remote/Telework but located in Hawaii 

Travel: Travel is anticipated.  The employee will need to travel to sites to conduct surveys and conduct meetings or outreach activities.

Salary and Benefits: This is a full-time position with benefits. Salary, commensurate with experience, $32 - $40 per hour.

Requirements:

Applicants must have the following minimum requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
• One (1) year of experience working with marine mammal resources programs and/or threatened and endangered species (ESA) programs. 
• One (1) year of experience in marine natural resource planning. 
• One (1) year of experience working on ESA and/or MMPA actions in Hawaii, Guam, CNMI, American Samoa, and/or PRIAs. 
• Interdisciplinary expertise related to program and project management, business processes, best practices and procedures, database management, and meeting facilitation. 
• Knowledge and expertise of NOAA Fisheries policies and programs, as well as experience with planning, and Federal financial management and operations.
• Basic computer skills (MS Office, etc.).
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively both individually and collaboratively in a team/group setting.
• Ability to receive constructive feedback and implement