Fish Biologist

We are seeking a highly skilled Fish Biologist to join our team at Saltwater Inc. As a Fish Biologist, you will play a critical role in supporting the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Oregon-Washington Coastal Office (OWCO) in implementing the Endangered Species Act (ESA), Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), and Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation Act (MSA).

The successful candidate will work closely with the OWCO to provide program support in conducting interagency consultations under ESA section 7(a)(2), MMPA section 101(a)(5)(D), and MSA section. This will involve conducting technical assistance, documentary review, site visits, and associated documentation.

• Conduct ESA, MMPA, and MSA program consultation and document preparation activities for the Oregon/Washington region.
• Respond to inquiries from action agencies, applicants, and their representatives, and provide pre-consultation technical assistance during regular business hours.
• Review consultation initiation packages for accuracy and completeness, and develop requests for further information as needed.
• Consult with action agencies and their representatives or applicants to ensure compliance with each statute.
• Prepare appropriate documentation for each consultation and follow West Coast Region protocol for quality assurance.

• Completion of technical assistance, documentary review, site visits, and associated documentation.
• Provide feedback in the form of further information requests or confirmation of consultation initiation.
• Preparation of consultation documentation, including ESA letters of concurrence, ESA biological opinions, MSA essential fish habitat consultations, programmatic responses, and MMPA incidental harassment authorization letters.

• Bachelor's degree or higher in biological sciences, engineering, or natural resource management, with a focus on fisheries, oceanography, social science, natural science, mathematics, or hydrology.
• Five years of experience in a related field, or a combination of education and experience totaling nine years.
• Experience with or knowledge of the requirements of ESA section 7(a)(2), MMPA section 101(a)(5)(D), or MSA section, and their respective consultation processes.
• Excellent writing and editing skills in English-language composition.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• High proficiency in common software applications, including MS Office and Google Suite.

• Experience providing biological, economic, or social analyses to support recommendations for natural resource conservation measures.
• Experience assessing the impacts of human activities on marine, estuarine, or anadromous species and their habitats as part of a regulatory program.
• Experience developing policy or procedures for the management and conservation of protected species, including marine fish, mammals, or sea turtles.

Saltwater Inc. offers a competitive salary range of $32-$36 per hour, as well as medical insurance, holiday pay, PTO, sick pay, and 401K benefits. We are an equal opportunity employer and a VEVRAA Federal Contractor, and we do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, parental status, veteran status, or disability status.