Lead ESA Section 7 Consultation Scientist

The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), a division of the Department of Commerce (DOC), is responsible for the stewardship of the nation's living marine resources and their habitat. The Southeast Regional Office (SERO) is located in St. Petersburg, Florida. SERO also has Field Offices in Galveston, Texas; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; West Palm Beach, Florida; St. Croix, USVI; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Beaufort, North Carolina; and Charleston, South Carolina. This task order will provide professional and scientific support services across multiple programs managed by SERO within the Southeast Region.

SFI is seeking a Lead Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 7 Consultation Scientist to support NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office (SERO) in St. Petersburg, Florida. Will conduct scientific literature reviews to obtain background information necessary to conduct and write up credible, legally, and biologically defensible, project-effect analyses for Section 7 consultation documents.

This is a senior-level technical and leadership position supporting high-visibility and mission-critical ESA Section 7 consultation activities. The Lead ESA Section 7 Consultation Scientist will independently perform complex and highly specialized consultation work and provide technical leadership, quality oversight, and guidance to less-senior ESA Consultation Scientists assigned to Section 7 activities.

Work Location: This position is fully remote and must be worked during east coast business hours.

Responsibilities

• Serving as a senior technical resource for complex, high-visibility, and/or mission-critical ESA Section 7 consultations, independently evaluating complex biological, regulatory, and project-specific issues.
• Providing technical leadership and oversight to less-senior ESA Consultation Scientists, including assigning or coordinating consultation activities as appropriate, providing technical direction, and supporting staff in resolving complex consultation issues.
• Mentoring and training junior ESA Consultation Scientists in SERO practices, ESA Section 7 theory and implementation, analysis of effects, consultation document development, and applicable quality standards.
• Conducting QA/QC reviews of consultation documents prepared by less-senior staff consistent with the PRD QA Plan and providing technical feedback necessary to ensure biological accuracy, consistency, legal sufficiency, and adherence to established SERO practices.
• Participating in Section 7 QA/QC meetings and supporting the development and review of complex biological opinions, including preparation or review of technical sections such as environmental baseline, effects analyses, and climate-related considerations.
• Coordinating with consulting biologists, PRD reviewers, species recovery coordinators, Office of General Counsel, federal action agencies, applicants, and other stakeholders to resolve complex consultation issues and facilitate timely completion of Section 7 consultations.
• Ensuring that informational requirements for completing Section 7 consultation are met for incoming consultation requests.
• Collaborating with others to ensure that consultations are consistent, biologically accurate and defensible, legally sufficient, achieve conservation goals.
• Discussing project methodologies and designs with applicants and federal agencies and recommending reasonable approaches, alternatives, and/or modifications to the proposed action, to reduce impacts to listed species and their habitats and to streamline the consultation process.
• Drafting agency response documents using Microsoft programs, including requests for additional information letters (RAIs, LOCs, and BO's).
• Providing meeting and conference coordination and support.
• Supporting data management, documentation and analysis for Section 7 consultations

• Education: Master’s degree or higher in Marine Science, Marine Biology, Biology, Oceanography, Marine Policy, or a closely related discipline.
• Years of Experience: Minimum of 5 years of directly related professional experience, including substantive experience applying ESA Section 7 consultation requirements. Experience should demonstrate progressively responsible work involving complex scientific or regulatory analysis, independent judgment, technical review, and/or leadership of less-senior staff.
• Demonstrated ability to independently perform complex or highly specialized ESA Section 7 consultation work with minimal supervision.
• Demonstrated experience providing technical leadership, guidance, mentoring, and/or oversight to less-senior scientific staff.
• Demonstrated ability to review the work of other consultation scientists, identify technical or regulatory deficiencies, and provide actionable guidance to support biologically defensible, legally sufficient consultation products.
• Ability to exercise sound independent judgment and serve as a senior technical resource when addressing complex, sensitive, high-priority, or high-visibility consultation issues.
• Experience related to the application of ESA Section 7 consultation requirements.
• Knowledge of Southeast US species-related habitats (ocean, nearshore marine, estuarine, or rivers where species occur).
• Strong technical writing skills, strong organizational and communication skills, and the ability to work and adapt to standard operating procedures that change frequently.
• Strong understanding of the coastal ecology and marine biology of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic and knowledge of aquatic habitat restoration or aquatic habitat impact assessment, preferred.
• Current knowledge of the ESA, including Section 7 consultation requirements, MSA, and SERO species-related habitats.
• Demonstrated experience conducting substantive technical QA/QC reviews of ESA Section 7 consultation documents prepared by other consultation scientists and applying established quality-assurance procedures.
• Ability to mentor and train junior ESA Consultation Scientists in SERO practices, ESA theory/implementation, and analysis of effects.
• Ability to serve in a senior consultation role, coordinate with PRD reviewers, species recovery coordinators, and legal counsel, and communicate with federal agencies and non-governmental organizations.
• Experience with consultation data management, quality control, administrative records, and NMFS tracking systems (e.g., ECO), as applicable.
• Ability to analyze data and prepare clear scientific and plain-language reports, summaries, graphs, maps, and interpreted information products for varied audiences.

Desired Qualifications

• Ability to handle multiple simultaneous high priority issues accurately and professionally.
• Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to manage short- and long-term priorities.
• Excellent organizational skills with an ability to work in a fast-paced environment, while maintaining a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Proficient in Microsoft office products including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Google enterprise platform including Gmail, Calendar and Hangout.
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize a diverse workload and meet established deadlines with minimal supervision.
• Good judgment, tact, and initiative to make effective independent decisions when necessary.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.

Additional Information

• In order to meet the clearance requirements for this opportunity, candidates must be US Citizen and/or Current Green Card Holder.
• All candidates will be subject to a complete background check to include, but not limited to Criminal History, Education Verification, Professional Certification Verification, Verification of Previous Employment and Credit History.
• Public Trust background investigations can take approximately four to eight weeks and requires fingerprinting.

Other Information

• The salary for this position is $60,000 - $75,000 annually
• For information on SFI's benefits please visit http://www.spatialfront.com/pages/career.html
• This is a full-time W2 position.
• Please no agencies, third parties, or corp-to-corp.
• Spatial Front Inc. is an Equal-opportunity Employer, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.
• Spatial Front Inc. participates in E-Verify.