Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Specialist

About the role

The Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Specialist supports fishery habitat restoration planning and implementation, provides technical and programmatic support for Great Lakes restoration projects, develops and supports technical, scientific, outreach, and environmental compliance documentation, performs data management, GIS, and reporting activities, and coordinates with stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Support fishery habitat restoration planning and implementation, including the evaluation, identification, prioritization, design, implementation, and monitoring of restoration projects that support NOAA Restoration Center priorities, including CRP and DARRP.
• Provide technical and programmatic support for Great Lakes restoration projects, including coordination with NOAA staff, co-trustees, local partners, responsible parties, technical professionals, and other stakeholders to support project development, implementation planning, monitoring, and reporting.
• Support project review, tracking, and contract-related coordination, including technical review of project proposals and progress reports, support for field activities and subcontractor oversight, identification of potential contract deviations, and coordination with the NOAA Project Lead and COR as appropriate.
• Develop and support technical, scientific, outreach, and environmental compliance documentation, including restoration planning materials, NEPA and permitting documentation, project fact sheets, briefing packets, draft press releases, maps, story-maps, and other products.
• Perform data management, GIS, and reporting activities, including maintaining and inputting project data in office systems; supporting mapping and geospatial analysis; coordinating information requests; and preparing monthly progress reports that correlate cost, level of effort, activities, and accomplishments.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in coastal or aquatic sciences, fishery biology, fish ecology, hydrology, water resources, ecology, environmental science, biological sciences, or a related field.
• One year of additional relevant experience may be substituted for each year of degree deficiency, consistent with contract requirements.
• Minimum 5–8 years of professional experience in applicable field activities, methods, and practices related to habitat restoration, fisheries, ecology, aquatic sciences, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to support fishery habitat restoration planning, implementation, monitoring, and project evaluation.
• Knowledge of biological sciences and techniques pertaining to ecology, marine and anadromous fisheries, offshore and coastal aquatic habitat, invasive species, and Great Lakes habitats and resources.
• Ability to apply ecological principles to habitat restoration.
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local regulations related to living marine resources and habitat restoration projects, including the Clean Water Act, Essential Fish Habitat guidelines, Estuary Restoration Act, Endangered Species Act, Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
• Ability to perform field monitoring and habitat assessment activities to identify and evaluate habitat restoration projects.
• Experience coordinating with technical professionals, local partners, co-trustees, responsible parties, agencies, and other stakeholders.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, including project scheduling, budgeting, tracking, reporting, and handling multiple concurrent responsibilities.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to work independently; reliable, self-starter, self-motivated, and detail-oriented.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Applications, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Qualifications

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience with GIS mapping and analysis.
• Technical writing skills and experience.
• Experience working in a government office.

Benefits

Compensation: Approximately $70,000 - 94,000/year. Benefits: Medical, Rx, Dental, and Vision Insurance; 401(k) retirement plan with company-matching; 11 Paid Federal Government Holidays; Paid Time Off (PTO); Basic Life & Supplemental Life; Health Savings Account, Flexible Spending and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts; Short-Term & Long-Term Disability; Employee assistance program (EAP); Tuition Reimbursement, Personal Development & Learning Opportunities; Skills Development & Certifications Professional Membership Reimbursement; Employee Referral Program; Competitive compensation plan; Discretionary variable incentive bonuses based on factors such as individual performance, business unit performance, and/or the company’s performance.