Ocean Career: OAI Fisheries Biologist—Aquaculture

Job Title

Interagency Consultation Support Specialist

The objective of this position is to provide program support in conducting interagency consultations under ESA section 7(a)(2), MMPA section 101(a)(5)(D), and MSA section 104-297, including document preparation activities in the North Puget Sound, Central Puget Sound, or Lower Columbia River/Washington Coast Branch.

Respond to inquiries from action agencies, applicants, and their representatives, and provide pre-consultation technical assistance to action agencies, applicants, or their representatives during regular business hours. Examples of technical assistance likely to be provided include:

• Initial contact with consulting agency, applicant, or non-federal representative
• Explanation of consultation process and information requirements, if necessary
• Preparation or review of species lists
• Recommendation of conservation measures to minimize adverse effects to listed species
• Feedback on draft documents submitted by action agencies
• Review of designs or coordination with engineer review of designs
• Site visits to potential project areas

Review consultation initiation packages for accuracy and completeness, and develop requests for further information sufficient to support initiating consultation, as needed.

Consult with action agencies and their representatives or applicants as required to ensure action agency compliance with each statute, as needed. Communicate with Geographic Branch Chief to coordinate NMFS response to each consultation.

Prepare appropriate documentation for each consultation and follow WCR protocol for quality assurance.

Work cooperatively with North Puget Sound, Central Puget Sound, and Lower Columbia River/Washington Coast Branches and OWCO Division members as necessary to ensure efficient completion of work and consistency across the Division.

Completion of technical assistance, documentary review, site visits with and for action agencies (or representatives or applicants) and associated documentation. 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.

Preparation of appropriate consultation documentation including, but not limited to, ESA letters of concurrence, ESA biological opinions, MSA essential fish habitat consultations, programmatic responses, and MMPA incidental harassment authorization letters.

Preparation of related documentation, including assembling and managing administrative records as necessary to provide adequate and proper evidence of agency business, timely response to requests for information, and NMFS internal process documents as needed to comply with NMFS internal directives, including memos to the file that show compliance with West Coast Region quality assurance process.

Applicants must have the following minimum requirements:

• Bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university with a major in biological sciences, engineering, or natural resource management, and an emphasis in fisheries, oceanography, social science, natural science, mathematics, or hydrology, plus five (5) years of experience in a related field or combination of such totaling nine (9) years combined education/experience. Master's Degree in related field plus one (1) year experience or Ph.D. may be substituted for experience.
• Experience with or knowledge of the requirements of ESA section 7(a)(2), MMPA section 101(a)(5)(D), or MSA section 104-297 and their respective consultation processes.
• Excellent writing and editing skills for English-language composition.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Computer skills in the most common software applications, including Microsoft Office, Excel, PowerPoint, Google Suite, and email.
• Experience with, or knowledge of, the requirements of the ESA, MMPA, NEPA and/or MSA and the consultation processes described above.
• Experience with, or knowledge of, shellfish, netpen and seaweed aquaculture.
• Valid driver's license.

Additional preferred qualifications include:

• Experience providing biological, economic, or social analyses to support recommendations for natural resource conservation measures.
• Experience assessing the impacts of human activities on marine, estuarine, or anadromous species and their habitats as part of a regulatory program.
• Experience developing policy or procedures for the management and conservation of protected species including marine fish, mammals, or sea turtles.
• Background in biology, natural resource management, and salmonid and/or marine mammal species.
• Endangered Species Act Section 7 experience, including programmatic consultations
• Experience working with tribal governments

Salary and Benefits:
This is a full-time position with benefits. Salary, commensurate with…