NOAA Research & Programs Specialist — Remote

NOTE: We are seeking applicants for these positions prospectively, which are dependent on award of contract.

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact Ocean Associates at  to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Ocean Associates Inc. (OAI) is seeking applicants to provide Professional, Technical, & Management Services to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) Headquarters in Silver Spring, MD. 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.

The Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) is also known as “NOAA Research” which provides the research foundation for understanding the complex systems that support our planet. Working in partnership with other organizational units of NOAA, OAR provides better forecasts, earlier warnings for natural disasters, and a greater understanding of the Earth. OAR provides unbiased science to better manage the environment, nationally and globally.

OAR advances climate, weather and water, ecosystem, and mission service program goals.

OAR Headquarters has a recurring need for professional, technical, and management services for its office. The agency has experienced and will continue to experience changes which result in increased demands for these services. These changes are a result of changing government priorities, re-organizations, special programs, and emergencies. There are four separate positions listed below:

• Provide comprehensive operational, analytical, and administrative services for the NOAA Science Advisory Board (SAB) and its standing Work Groups (WG), and special subcommittees independently managed by the SAB Standing WG, to maintain NOAA science programs of the highest quality and provide recommendations on optimal resource management.
• Develop and submit Program Plans defining the specific operational timelines, task schedules, and working group assignments for the active subcommittees and work groups.
• Provide continuous coordination of meetings and the provision of resources for the SAB, its Work Groups, and specialized subcommittees.
• For each scheduled event, the contractor shall provide note-taking and facilitation services, tracking actions, and reporting on implementation.
• Drafting and editing of reports and meeting minutes, and finalizing deliverables without requiring external supervision or subsequent revisions.

• Provide daily general administrative and business oversight of various business items and processes to the R&D Enterprise Committee (RDEC) and associated NOAA research coordination activities under the guidance of OAR leadership.
• Performance includes reviewing, monitoring, and tracking correspondence, proposals, and deadlines, and conducting research that informs OAR and NOAA leadership as well as SAB Committee members.
• Prepare executive briefing packages (which includes background materials) for the RDEC meetings and OAR leadership engagements.
• Execute NOAA research portfolio management activities through customer service, technical writing, documentation development, conducting user training including for new and returning users on data entry and data extraction from portfolio management systems, and coordinating OAR activities internally with other NOAA line offices and with NOAA executive leadership.
• Liaise between the project management and development teams by administering a task tracking system using smart sheets or similar software tool.
• Lead and coordinate communication with users, including the management of the working group(s) by making announcements, drafting meeting agendas, taking meeting minutes, and responding to user questions.
• Coordinate communications with NOAA systems and stakeholders, including drafting announcements, facilitating working group activities, preparing agendas, documenting discussions, and executing stakeholder engagement activities.
• Conduct research, planning, and monitoring efforts throughout OAR and NOAA by conducting detailed queries of the data.
• Develop and write portfolio specific reports, presentations, and web content, including research reports, white papers, presentations, fact sheets, information bulletins, educational materials, field guides, briefing papers, and other programmatic guidance on a wide variety of coordination and administrative issues associated with portfolio management.
• Provide logistics and coordination services for national and/or regional meetings related to committee meetings and NOAA R&D activities; meeting logistics and…