Gulf Habitat Restoration Specialist

Overview/ Job Responsibilities

Entarian is seeking a Gulf Habitat Restoration Specialist to provide technical, programmatic, environmental compliance, outreach, and restoration planning support for the NOAA Office of Habitat Conservation, Restoration Center. This position will support fishery habitat restoration and related NOAA programs and initiatives in the Northern Gulf of America, with an emphasis on wetland and coastal habitat restoration, restoration planning, environmental compliance, and project management. 

Duties include:

• Support fishery habitat restoration planning and implementation, including the evaluation, identification, prioritization, design, implementation, and monitoring of restoration projects, with particular emphasis on habitats and biological resources of the Northern Gulf of America.
• Support restoration projects involving wetlands and coastal habitats, including living shorelines, salt and tidal marshes, oyster habitat, and barrier islands, and apply ecological principles to habitat restoration planning, implementation, and monitoring.
• Provide technical and programmatic support for restoration planning and DARRP cases, including coordination with NOAA staff, local partners, state and federal trustees, responsible parties, technical professionals, and other stakeholders to support project development, implementation planning, monitoring, adaptive management, and reporting.
• Support project solicitation, review, and tracking activities, including distribution of requests for proposals, review and scoring of proposals, participation in technical review discussions, development of monitoring plans, participation in implementation planning, review of progress reports, and tracking of project accomplishments.
• Provide technical management and oversight of trustee or responsible-party restoration projects, including coordination of draft restoration plans, assessment reports, environmental compliance documents, monitoring and evaluation plans, permit requests, project budgets, adaptive management plans, and restoration scaling activities.
• Support Natural Resources Damage Assessment (NRDA) restoration planning and related activities, including gathering information from state and federal trustees, supporting case strategy and decisions through literature and expert-opinion research, preparing topic papers, and supporting the identification, selection, planning, and implementation of restoration projects.
• Provide programmatic and project management support, including project scheduling, budgeting, tracking project milestones and deliverables, coordinating field activities and subcontractor oversight, and managing multiple concurrent and competing projects and responsibilities.
• Develop and support environmental compliance documentation and permitting, including NEPA documentation using established NOAA and CEQ methods and guidance; Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act; and documentation needed to support compliance with applicable federal, state, and local requirements, including the Endangered Species Act and Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
• Coordinate and communicate with federal, state, local, and non-governmental partners and stakeholders, including navigating competing priorities and communicating complex technical and restoration issues.
• Develop outreach and communication products, including draft press releases, project fact sheets, briefing packets, maps, story maps, and other materials; and support public meetings, events, and other outreach activities as needed.
• Perform data management and reporting activities, including compiling and inputting project data into the Restoration and Conservation Database (RCDB), DARRTS, and other reporting databases; coordinating information requests; and working with the IT team on potential process improvements.
• Provide subject matter expert support to other NOAA programs and initiatives, including independent environmental resource and management studies, meeting participation and reporting, document development, engagement with topic experts, and literature reviews.

The position will support activities throughout the Northern Gulf and requires the employee to be located within the Gulf of America region. The contractor may be required to travel for site visits, meetings, workshops, trainings, and conferences.

The salary for this position is approximately $74,000 - 94,000/year.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree in natural resources, environmental science, fisheries, biology, ecology, marine science, or a related field, with a minimum of 8–10 years of specialized professional experience in applicable field activities, methods, and practices.
• Knowledge of the habitats and biological resources of the Northern Gulf of America.
• Significant experience with fishery habitat restoration and the application of ecological principles to habitat restoration.
• Previous restoration project experience involving wetland and coastal habitat restoration, with experience in one or more of the following: living shorelines, salt or tidal marsh restoration, oyster restoration, or barrier island restoration.
• Experience with Natural Resources Damage Assessment (NRDA), the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), and the Oil Pollution Act (OPA).
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local regulations related to living marine resources and habitat restoration projects.
• Demonstrated ability to perform field monitoring and habitat assessment activities to identify and evaluate habitat restoration projects.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, including project scheduling, budgeting, tracking, reporting, and handling multiple concurrent and competing projects and responsibilities.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate effectively with federal, state, local, and non-governmental partners and stakeholders, navigate competing priorities, and communicate complex issues.
• Familiarity with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
• Experience with government document retention requirements.
• Experience working in a litigation-sensitive environment.
• 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, as well as routine computer use including email, electronic file management, and calendaring.
• Willingness for occasional travel throughout the Gulf of America region.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident and be able to pass a background investigation to obtain a security badge to access applicable government systems and facilities.

Desired Qualifications

• Extensive experience with living shoreline and salt/tidal marsh restoration.
• Experience with oyster habitat and barrier island restoration.
• Public speaking and technical writing skills and experience.
• Experience working in a government office.
• Experience with restoration project databases such as RCDB and DARRTS.

About Us

CompensationEntarian considers several factors when extending an offer of employment, including the location, scope, and associated responsibilities of the specific position, as well as a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills.

BenefitsAll full-time employees are eligible to participate in our flexible benefits package, which includes:

• 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

Formed through the strategic union of Sev1Tech and ERT, Entarian is a premier provider of mission-critical engineering and technology solutions. Founded on a legacy of excellence dating back to 1993, Entarian is a product of an evolved and fully diversified engineering and federal technology leader. From deep space to defense and civilian missions, Entarian delivers secure, mission-aligned digital solutions that drive national resilience and operational effectiveness. We don't just support modernization; we define it.

Join the Mission and Start your Career Journey: Apply Directly via our Careers Portal  Connect, Referrals & Inquiries? Email the team: [email protected]

Entarian is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status, or disability status.