Natural Resource Economist

Entarian is seeking a Natural Resource Economist to provide economic analysis, ecosystem service valuation, strategic planning, and technical support for the NOAA Office of Habitat Conservation, Restoration Center (RC). This position will support efforts to quantify and communicate the economic and societal benefits of habitat protection and restoration, guide investments in economic monitoring, and incorporate socio-economic considerations into program planning and policy development.

Periodic on-site meetings in Silver Spring, MD may be required, with regular off-site work acceptable. The contractor may be required to travel for meetings, workshops, trainings, and conferences.

Duties include:

• Provide technical expertise in natural resource and environmental economics, including valuation of ecosystem services and estimation of the local, regional, and national economic impacts of habitat protection and restoration activities.
• Provide recommendations regarding investments in economic monitoring and help develop strategies for demonstrating the economic and societal benefits of habitat conservation.
• Analyze existing program and publicly available data to support economic evaluations, policy development, strategic planning, and program decision-making.
• Design and conduct economic studies using appropriate survey, experimental, program evaluation, and non-market valuation methods.
• Develop socio-economic and economic metrics for habitat restoration projects, including estimates of job creation and local economic impacts using IMPLAN or similar economic impact models.
• Establish linkages between ecological and socio-economic measures to evaluate the benefits of habitat conservation activities.
• Support development of economic analyses, case studies, reports, presentations, and outreach materials for technical, management, partner, and public audiences.
• Coordinate with economists, social scientists, program staff, federal and state agencies, and external partners to incorporate socio-economic monitoring and reporting into habitat conservation activities.
• Support integration of socio-economic considerations into RC, OHC, and NOAA policies, programs, and initiatives.

Periodic on-site meetings in Silver Spring, MD may be required, with regular remote work acceptable. The contractor may be required to travel for meetings, workshops, trainings, and conferences.

The salary for this position is approximately $80,/year.

• Master’s degree in natural resource economics, environmental economics, or a closely related field, with six to eight years of professional experience related to the economic aspects of habitat and natural resources.
• Demonstrated experience providing technical expertise in economic and ecosystem service valuation.
• Demonstrated experience evaluating the economic impacts and benefits of natural resource, habitat protection, or restoration activities.
• Demonstrated experience providing recommendations regarding economic monitoring investments, priorities, or strategies.
• Experience with economic survey design, data analysis, experimental design, and/or program evaluation methods.
• Experience with non-market valuation methods such as stated or revealed preference analysis, travel cost models, hedonic valuation, or benefit transfer.
• Strong quantitative data management and analytical skills, including data preparation, QA/QC, documentation, visualization, and presentation.
  
  Proficiency with statistical or numerical analysis software such as R, Python, or SAS.
• Ability to clearly communicate economic analyses and findings to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident and be…