Habitat Restoration Specialist (Remote)

ERT, Inc. is seeking a Habitat Restoration Specialist to perform the following tasks in support of customers at the NOAA Office of Habitat Conservation (OHC), Restoration Center (RC). This is a remote position with limited travel to the Northeast region.

Restoration Planning:

• Support the identification, design, implementation, and monitoring of restoration projects that align with NOAA RC program priorities, such as Community Based Restoration Program (CRP) and Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program (DARRP).
• Lead Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) restoration planning in collaboration with New Jersey trustees, including the identification, selection, design, negotiation, scaling strategies, and implementation planning of projects.
• Coordinate restoration planning and implementation, gathering information from state and federal trustees, local governments, and the public to understand regional priorities and interests.
• Develop restoration plans and evaluate individual restoration projects, including drafting project concepts, budgets, and monitoring/evaluation and adaptive management plans.
• Conduct independent literature and expert opinion research and provide reports addressing case strategy and decisions.

Habitat Restoration Implementation:

• Provide knowledge of marine and physical sciences, program management, coordination, and technical leadership in restoration project planning and implementation.
• Coordinate technical professionals on conceptual designs, project feasibility, construction, budget and schedule development and maintenance, funding awards management, contracting tasks coordination, and project monitoring plans development.
• Serve as a senior advisor to identify, evaluate, and implement priority restoration projects for CRP and/or NRDA cases in the New York/New Jersey region.
• Maintain ongoing contact with local partners and co-trustees, oversee project implementation, and manage the development of implementation, monitoring, and adaptive management plans.

Content Development:

• Develop, review, and edit content for case documents such as programmatic environmental impact statements, environmental assessments, restoration plans, and other scientific and strategy documents.
• Draft and review sections of these documents, considering ecological and legal relevance, and conduct independent research to inform case strategy and decisions.
• Coordinate with regulatory agencies to ensure restoration projects comply with applicable federal, state, and local regulations.
• Develop and complete necessary NEPA environmental compliance documentation, including Categorical Exclusions (CATEX), Environmental Assessments (EA), and tiered Programmatic Environmental Impact Statements (PEIS).
• Draft appropriate permit and consultation requests to ensure compliance with applicable regulations and support technical development of EAs and EISs.
• Assist in coordinating public meetings, press releases, events, and other outreach activities to publicize NRDA case efforts and engage the public meaningfully.
• Lead public engagement processes to solicit restoration project ideas and prepare draft press releases, project fact sheets, and briefing packets.
• Participate in and document public meetings as needed.

Data Management:

• Maintain and input specific restoration project data, ensuring accurate and timely tracking and reporting progress.

Required Minimum:

• 8-10 years of specialized experience with demonstrated ability to plan and implement aquatic habitat restoration.
• Advanced knowledge and scientific/technical skills related to freshwater, coastal, and marine habitats, and fishery habitat restoration in the Northeast region.
• Experience coordinating and planning complex restoration projects with diverse stakeholders.
• Knowledge of environmental compliance requirements for restoration project types and geographic areas in the Northeast Region.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, including project scheduling, budgeting, and handling multiple, concurrent, and competing projects and responsibilities.
• Ability to perform field assessment activities to identify and evaluate habitat restoration projects.
• Familiarity with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to work independently, reliable, self-starter, self-motivated, and detail-oriented.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Willingness for occasional travel.
• Current or ability to obtain 24-hour Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard (HAZWOPER) certification, with maintenance through annual 8-hour refreshers.
• Experience with government document retention requirements.
• Experience with Natural Resources Damage Assessment (NRDA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), and Oil Pollution Act (OPA).
• Experience with GIS.
• Experience working in a litigation-sensitive environment.
• Must be a US Citizen or Permanent Resident (Green card) and be able to pass a background investigation to obtain a security badge to access applicable government systems and facilities.

Education:

• BA/BS degree in coastal or aquatic sciences, fishery biology, ecology, hydrology, water resources, earth science, engineering, or a related field. MS degree preferred.

Location:

• Periodic on-site meetings at the NOAA Fisheries, Highlands, NJ office and/or regional site visits and meetings with partners in the New York/New Jersey area may be required with regular off-site work acceptable.

Benefits:

• All full time employees are eligible for the following benefits upon starting: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(k), Paid Time Off, and 11 Paid Federal Government Holidays.

Salary:

• The salary range for this position is approximately $85,000 - 90,000/year.

ERT is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor and Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer - All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or protected Veteran status.