Washington Aquaculture Support

Responsibilities

• Support the Oregon Washington Coastal office (OWCO) of the National Marine Fisheries Service in providing ESA section 7 and MSA consultations developed according to Regional procedures.
• Prepare consultation documentation adhering to Regional standards.
• Provide technical expertise primarily related to aquaculture activities in OWCO, but also for additional activities as needed.
• 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 and MSA responses to action agencies related to their Biological Assessments for listed species, designated critical habitat, and essential fish habitat under NMFS jurisdiction, i.e., salmon, steelhead, rockfish, whales, sea stars, other listed-species.
• Write combined ESA Letters of Concurrence and MSA responses to action agencies related to their Biological Assessments for listed species, designated critical habitat, and essential fish habitat under NMFS jurisdiction, i.e., salmon, steelhead, rockfish, whales, sea stars, other listed-species.
• Provide pre-consultation technical assistance to action agencies, applicants, or their representatives in response to inquiries.
• 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.
• Prepare draft incidental take permits and other necessary documentation for ESA section 10 activities.
• Cook with NMFS fish passage engineers for reviews of proposed designs.
• Prepare appropriate documentation for each consultation and follow West Coast Region and OWCO protocols for quality assurance, electronic filing, and consultation tracking.
• Review habitat restoration proposals to implement Recovery Plans.
• Cook with Project Officer or Geographic Branch Manager on assignments and work products.
• Follow recommendations from agency staff on legal, regulatory, or technical sufficiency and compliance.
• Develop reasonable schedules and meet timelines and completion dates.
• Occasional site visits to proposed project locations.
• Attendance at regional shellfish growers meetings for partner, applicant, or action agency representative communication and engagement to accomplish key tasks including pre-consultation technical assistance; Washington Sea Grant Conference for Shellfish Growers; Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association Annual Conference.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and four (4) years’ experience, or Master’s degree, from an accredited college or university in aquatic biology or related field of study with two (2) years of experience relating to the specific task order.
• Knowledge of salmonid general life cycles and habitat requirements.
• Experience with, or knowledge of, shellfish, finfish and seaweed aquaculture.
• Highly proficient English language composition and editing skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Working with diverse interagency teams.
• Program planning and management in a team environment.
• Developing performance metrics and milestones.
• Skill in most common software applications, to include MS Office and Google Workplace.

About Lynker

Lynker is a growing, employee-owned business specializing in professional, scientific, and technical services. Our team combines scientific expertise with mature, results-driven processes and tools to achieve technically sound, cost-effective solutions in hydrology/water sciences, geospatial analysis, information technology, resource management, conservation, and management and business process improvement. We focus on putting the right people in the right place to be effective. Lynker offers a team-oriented work environment, and the opportunity to work in a culture of exceptionally skilled professionals who embrace sound science and creative solutions. Lynker's benefits include comprehensive healthcare, personal time off (PTO) policy, paid holidays, highly competitive compensation plan, 401(k) retirement plan with company-matching, Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), tuition assistance/Training/Workforce improvement reimbursement per year, a personalized career growth plan for every employee, and more. Lynker is an E-Verify employer and an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other legally protected status under federal, state, or local laws.