Overview

At Saltwater Inc., we believe that high-quality data is vital to the health of our fisheries and oceans: our mission is to provide that data. We are a Women-Owned Small Business and are constantly seeking new team members who share our passion for innovation and environmental wellness. We are currently recruiting an Environmental Specialist III for a federal contract we are bidding on in support of the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) in order to provide technical assistance with right whale recovery efforts, marine mammal and sea turtle conservation, stranding, and disentanglement response programs This position will start October 1, 2022 and end September 30, 2023 with the possibility of up to three one-year contract extensions.

If your dream job includes working with and protecting marine mammals, this may be a position for you. It will be located at GARFO in Gloucester, MA, and there may be opportunity to work at a mutually agreed upon remote work site. The selected candidate will work with the GARFO Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Conservation Program to develop and implements measures to respond to, conserve, and protect endangered and protected marine mammals and sea turtles.

Our ideal candidate is someone with experience working with marine mammals and sea turtles with emphasis on endangered species and protecting them from commercial fisheries interactions. This candidate’s work will be guided largely by requirements of the ESA, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and NEPA, and must have experience working under these requirements.

Duties

Right Whale Recovery efforts

  • Develop and assemble meeting materials
  • Conduct literature reviews
  • Provide administrative assistance to PRD Grant and Scientific Permit Review Programs by tracking incoming review requests for permits and projects
  • Provide administrative support for the Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Team
  • Provide assistance in conducting education and outreach pertaining to the MMPA and ESA
  • Assist team coordinators in drafting technical reports
  • Review right whale serious injury and mortality data
  • Coordinate analysis and curation of gear that has been removed from marine mammals and sea turtles

Stranding and Disentanglement program support

  • Provide policy and analytical support for the development of policies to reduce entanglements of marine mammals through the amendment of take reduction plans
  • Conduct data entry of various marine mammal and sea turtle stranding and disentanglement data
  • Perform audits and quality control to ensure accuracy of data
  • Compile large whale reports on serious injury/mortality determinations on a monthly basis
  • Provide coverage on regional stranding and disentanglement response hotlines
  • Provide administrative support including copying, mailing, filing, ordering supplies and equipment, and budget tracking
  • Provide assistance in conducting education and outreach pertaining to the MMPA and ESA
  • Create weekly and monthly data summary reports summarizing data generated from stranding or entanglement events
  • Coordinate analysis of gear that has been removed from marine mammals and sea turtles

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree or higher with an emphasis in marine biology, environmental science, natural science, or similar
  • Minimum of 1 year’s experience with marine mammal stranding and disentanglement
  • Experience working with NEPA, endangered species, and critical habitat
  • Experience in data collection and complex data analysis

Compensation

Salary commensurate with experience.