Marine Habitat Protection Specialist

Overview/ Job Responsibilities

Entarian is seeking a Marine Habitat Protection Specialist to provide technical, environmental compliance, restoration planning, data management, programmatic, and outreach support for the NOAA Office of Habitat Conservation, Restoration Center. This position will support the evaluation of complex development projects and their potential impacts on coastal and marine habitats and fisheries resources and assist in developing conservation recommendations to avoid, reduce, or offset those impacts. The position will also support habitat restoration projects and related NOAA programs and initiatives. 

Duties include:

• Evaluate complex development projects and their potential impacts on coastal and marine habitats and fisheries resources and assist in developing effective conservation recommendations to avoid, reduce, or offset those impacts.
• Support environmental review and compliance activities, with particular emphasis on the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) and Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) provisions, as well as the Endangered Species Act (ESA), Clean Water Act (CWA), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
• Develop and support NEPA environmental compliance documentation, including Environmental Assessments and documentation tiered to Programmatic Environmental Impact Statements, using established NOAA and CEQ methods, procedures, and guidance.
• Coordinate with NOAA staff, NOAA General Counsel for Natural Resources, and applicable regulatory agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, state agencies, and other partners, to support appropriate permits and consultation requests and ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations.
• Support the technical development of environmental compliance and consultation documentation under the MSA and ESA, including requests for EFH and ESA consultations.
• Support fishery habitat restoration planning and implementation, including the evaluation, identification, prioritization, implementation, and monitoring of habitat restoration projects.
• Provide technical and programmatic support for CRP and DARRP restoration projects, including coordination with NOAA staff, local partners, responsible parties, technical professionals, and other stakeholders to support project development, implementation, monitoring, and reporting.
• Provide geospatial and data support for restoration planning and DARRP cases, including tools and analyses used to identify and prioritize restoration actions.
• 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 programmatic management support by coordinating and inspecting field activities and contract deliverables; supporting subcontractor oversight; identifying potential contract deviations; and providing technical input to the NOAA Project Lead and COR without exercising technical direction or final contract acceptance authority.
• Develop outreach and communication products, including draft press releases, project fact sheets, briefing packets, maps, story maps, and other materials; and support public meetings and other outreach activities as needed.
• Perform data management and reporting activities, including compiling and inputting project data into RCDB, DARRTS, SharePoint, RIBITS, and other reporting databases and systems; coordinating information requests; and working with the IT team on potential process improvements.
• Provide support to other NOAA programs and initiatives, including environmental resource and management studies, meeting participation and reporting, document development, engagement with topic experts, literature reviews, and geographic prioritization and project planning.

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

The salary for this position is approximately $69,000 - 89,000/year.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree in water resources, natural resources, environmental science, fisheries, biology, marine science, or a related field, with a minimum of four (4) years of specialized professional experience in applicable field activities, methods, and practices.
• Knowledge of coastal and marine habitats and fisheries resources.
• Demonstrated ability to understand complex development projects, assess their potential impacts on marine and coastal habitats, and develop conservation recommendations to avoid, reduce, or offset those impacts.
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations related to living marine resources and habitat protection, including the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and Essential Fish Habitat provisions.
• Knowledge of biological sciences and techniques pertaining to ecology, marine and anadromous fisheries, offshore and coastal aquatic habitats, and invasive species.
• Ability to apply ecological principles to habitat restoration and habitat protection.
• Demonstrated ability to perform field monitoring and habitat assessment activities to identify and evaluate habitat restoration projects.
• 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.
• 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

• Familiarity with deep and/or shallow coral ecosystems.
• Experience developing NEPA documentation, including Environmental Assessments and documentation supporting
• Environmental Impact Statements.
• Experience with ESA consultations and other federal environmental permitting and consultation processes.
• Advanced GIS skills and capabilities, including model development, mapping and analysis, geodatabase creation, web-based GIS interfaces, and data management.
• Technical writing skills and experience.
• Experience working in a government office.
• Experience with restoration and environmental project databases such as RCDB, DARRTS, and RIBITS.

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.