NOAA Internship Opportunities and Hiring Tips Webinar, Wednesday, 11/13, 11am-1pm, Virtual

Webinar Registration Link and flier attached.

NOAA Fisheries has several internship opportunities that are currently accepting applications. On Wednesday, November 13, 2024, NOAA Fisheries will be hosting a virtual event that will: Let you hear directly from each program manager detailing specifics on their internship program’s experience, requirements, and how to apply.

Environmental Careers in the Private Sector, Thursday, 11/14, 12pm-3pm, UW Kelly ECC Unity Suite

Register on Handshake and flier attached.

Come connect with employers tackling environmental challenges in a variety of fields. We will have representatives from environmental business, consulting, and professional services organizations and this is a great way to learn about jobs, internships, and career opportunities in the field. This is an open, meet and greet style event so stop by any time during the event time window. As we confirm employer attendees, we will add them to this event.

Marine Tech Society Monthly Meeting, Thursday, 11/14, 5:30-7:30pm, Maritime Blue at Fisherman’s Terminal, Suite 301

LinkedIn event post, RSVP using this link. Attendance is free, like snacks will be served.

Maritime Blue is a strategic alliance propelling the Pacific Northwest toward global leadership in ocean-based innovation. We foster collaboration among industry, government, academia, communities, and investors to create sustainable maritime and ocean industries. Come learn how Maritime Blue accelerates innovation in the Blue Economy and participate in an MTS social hour and hors d’oeuvres!

Position Supervisor: Dr. Corey Garza, Taylor Triviño*

*Graduate student on project

Department/Lab: Marine Landscape Ecology Lab

Description: In this project, we aim to learn more about how people from disadvantaged and severely disadvantaged communities (as defined by the US Census), and Tribal communities access, use, relate to, and/or value the ocean. Additionally, we plan to investigate the ability of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to amplify or diminish such benefits for people across different demographics, locations, and user groups as climate change progresses. The ultimate goal of this effort is the co-development of local strategies for increasing equity in ocean access and MPA management in a changing climate. Our research collective (UCSC, UCSB, California Marine Sanctuary Foundation) has conducted interviews, administered surveys, and is planning to hold focus group discussions in January 2025. Interested candidates will be working alongside a graduate student to help develop results from survey data and aid with focus group materials.

More information can be found here. (https://www.californiaoceanaccessandmpas.com/)

Required Skills:

-Familiarity with R

Desired Skills:

-Collaborative (comfortable working in a large team)

– Adaptable/Persistent

Start/End dates: October 2024 – June 2025(dates subject to change)

Weekly Time Commitment: 10-15 hours Wage: $21.57/hr

How to apply: Send resume and cover letter to tay16@uw.edu & cgarza2@uw.edu

Deadline to apply: Position open until filled, looking to hire asap.

full job posting (link expires when filled)

[MB advising: see link above to full job posting and application details (will expire when position is filled). The following are excerpts from the full position description, do not necessarily include full details, and are provided for the purposes of career exploration.]

FULL-TIME/PERMANENT
NEARSHORE BIOLOGIST
FISH & WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST 2 (IN-TRAINING)

Habitat Program – Science Division

Olympia, Washington – Thurston County

Come be our expert in the biology, behavior, ecology, conservation, and management of marine nearshore habitat and species!

Work to address uncertainties in nearshore ecosystems including, forage fish habitat, eelgrass, kelp, and other priority species and habitats.

We are recruiting to hire at the Fish & Wildlife Biologist 1 or 2 level, and we will train a Fish & Wildlife Biologist 1 up to the Fish & Wildlife Biologist 2 level. Depending on which level you are hired at, your monthly salary range will be as follows:
Fish & Wildlife Biologist 1 – $3,537.00 – $4,723.00
Fish & Wildlife Biologist 2 – $4,282.00 – $5,756.00

 With your experience you will ensure accurate sampling and records collection, maintenance, storage, and analysis.

 This is an opportunity to assist and lead environmental monitoring activities including data collection and management, sample processing, and project management.

 We are seeking a candidate to assist with forage fish survey training for the public and department.

Duties

Here is some of what you will be doing:

 Assist the Nearshore Ecologist and other Science Division staff in data collection and implementation of ecological studies of nearshore habitats and species: 

• Conduct surveys to collect physical, biological, and permit information.

1. Surveys may include, but are not limited to, forage fish egg surveys; nearshore habitat/species characterization (e.g., beach profile, beach wrack, sediment characterization, LWD accumulation), nearshore biological community characterization (e.g. eelgrass, kelp/algae, invertebrates, and fishes), measures of the physical environments (e.g., temperature, salinity, nutrients), and HPA implementation and effectiveness surveys.
2. Assist with and lead project logistics and management.

Perform laboratory and office tasks supporting studies of nearshore habitats and species: 

• Processing, analysis, recording and QA/QC of field-collected samples including forage fish egg detection and identification, sediment grain size composition, invertebrate species identification, submerge aquatic vegetation, and permit information analysis.
• Communicate with internal WDFW and external project partners.

 Assist with regulatory forage fish egg survey trainings and management:

• Demonstrate proper forage fish egg survey methods to training attendees.
• Monitor and respond to forage fish survey report emails.
• Maintain records of reported forage fish egg surveys and approved biologists.

 Perform data management tasks in support of ecological studies of nearshore habitats and species:

• Ensuring that data is collected, processed, and stored accurately and efficiently, prepared and QA/QC conducted for data entry into various new and established databases, and compiled for statistical analysis.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Work Setting, including hazards:
  • Shared time in a field, office, and lab setting collecting and processing scientific data and samples.
  • Field setting may include adverse environmental conditions (e.g., rain, snow, wind, and heat) where one may be required to carry up to 50 lbs., traverse uneven terrain, and frequently bend, stoop, and climb in and out of boats.
  • Office hazards include working under fluorescent light, repetitively entering data into a computer, looking at a computer monitor for long periods, and sitting or standing for long periods.
  • Must conduct field studies in potentially adverse conditions (e.g., inclement weather, uneven terrain, 8+ hours).
  • Must be able to negotiate water in emergency situations.
• Schedule:
  • Typically, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday – Friday, however field activities may alter this schedule including variable daily hours accumulating to at least 40 hours per week.
  • Position is eligible for partial telework, but attendance of in-person meetings and field work is necessary and the schedule for such events is difficult to predict.
  • Schedule may include overnight trips, extended out-of-town field work and alternative work schedules.
  • Work may include alternative work schedules including early mornings, nights, and weekends, and overnight travel.
• Travel Requirements:
  • This position requires travel throughout Puget Sound and Coastal Washington.
  • Long field days and overnight stays are expected. An agency vehicle is provided for work-related travel.
• Tools and Equipment:
  • Operate vehicle while towing a trailer.
  • Standard field and laboratory equipment including GPS units, water quality samplers, sieves, digital devices, shovels, and microscopes.
  • Computers and software such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and Access. Internal and external databases.
• Customer Interactions:
  • Interacts (in person, over the phone, and through email) with the public and scientific community to conduct research on public and private lands.
  • Must represent the agency in a professional, well-spoken, and non-confrontational manner.

Qualifications

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

 Required Qualifications for the Fish & Wildlife Biologist 1 level:

Or

  Required Qualifications for the Fish & Wildlife Biologist 2 (goal class) level:

Or

Please note:

• Closely related qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-by-year basis.
• A Master’s degree in the applicable science will substitute for one year of the required experience.

For ALL of the above:

License:

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:

• Successful completion of agency training and/or certification for assigned watercraft is dependent on supervisory direction, position need and training availability.
• Obtain Washington State Boater Education Card within first year of employment.

 PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

In addition to those required qualifications, our ideal applicant will also have some or all of the following: 

 Experience in/with:

• One (1) year of experience and knowledge of nearshore marine habitats and species including related field and laboratory work, data tasks, and project management.
• Document review, particularly HPA permits, peer-reviewed literature, and technical reports.
• Field collection of physical and biological data, especially in WA state marine/nearshore or similar environment
• Operation and deployment of field sensors and meters including RTK GPS systems, temperature/conductivity/dissolved oxygen sensors and meters.
• And proficient in processing and analysis of marine beach spawning, i.e. forage fish, and sediment grain size samples desired.
• Research project management including logistics, planning, and communication with partners and collaborators.
• Taking on ad hoc and time-sensitive project tasks and prioritizing workload.
• And proficient in data entry and QA/QC, including data directly collected and that assigned by others.

 Knowledge of:

• Knowledge of and ability to follow general laboratory safety procedures and perform work under both moderate and close supervision.
• Knowledge and ability to safely operate small craft in marine waters during inclement conditions and experience safely using vehicles to transport boats.
• Working knowledge of MS Office, e.g., Word, Excel and Access, R, and ArcGIS applications.

 Ability to:

• Ability to work efficiently and effectively during extended office and laboratory-based tasks.
• Ability to use problem solving and logic to effectively execute project assignments when unforeseen difficulties arise.
• Ability to communicate effectively in words and in writing.

Supplemental Information

Please note: Failure to follow the instructions below may lead to disqualification.

Experience and education selected, listed, and detailed in the Supplemental Questions must be verifiable in the application.

 In order to successfully apply for this position, you MUST complete your profile at www.careers.wa.gov and attach the following to your profile before completing the online application:

• A cover letter describing how you meet the qualifications of this position (Generic cover letter will not be accepted).
• A current resume. 
• Three professional references.

I’m pleased to notify you of our vacancy announcement for two career-ladder Fish Biologists (ZP-II/III-482) working on offshore wind projects.  One position will be in our Protected Resources Division and the other position will be our California Coast Division.  The duty locations include Arcata, CA, Long Beach, CA, Santa Cruz, CA, Santa Rosa, CA, or Seattle, WA.  The announcement will be open tomorrow for 15 days, from 10/30/23 to 11/14/23 (an extra day was added to recognize Veterans Day).  You can preview the announcement now at:

Job Announcement # (MAP):  NMFS WCR-24-12172704-ST

https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/757480100

Please pay close attention to the “Required Documents” section of the announcement, especially all of the information that must be included in your resume.  If you do not include all of the required documents and all of the required information in your application, you will not be referred for the position.  Please be sure to carefully review this section of the announcement.  Your resume must include: 

• job title(s) (including job series and grade, if federal); 
• description of duties or work performed; 
• education; 
• starting and ending dates (month and year); 
• and hours worked per week and/or full-time or part-time. 

[MB advising: see link above to full job posting and application details (will expire when position is filled). The following are excerpts from the full position description, do not necessarily include full details, and are provided for the purposes of career exploration.]

Summary

This position is located in the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), West Coast Region (WCR), with two vacancies in either Arcata, CA, Long Beach, CA, Santa Cruz, CA, Santa Rosa, CA, or Seattle, WA.

This position is also announced under vacancy number NMFS WCR-24-12172706-DE, which is open to all US Citizens or Nationals. You must apply to both announcements if you want to be considered for both.

Duties

As a Fish Biologist, you will perform the following duties:

• Demonstrate knowledge of various fish species ecology, biology and habitat requirements, and aquatic habitats for managed species. aquatic habitats associated with programs and funded projects.
• Perform recurring tasks using standard methods and techniques, identifying and resolving problems, evaluating requests for access and use of public lands, and preparing routine reports and presentations, providing technical advice to laymen.
• Interact with a variety of communities, local government representatives, nongovernmental organizations, and the scientific community on fisheries or water resource management.
• The duties above are described at the full performance level of ZP-3; the ZP-2 is developmental leading to such performance.

Conditions of Employment

This position will be filled under the DOC Alternative Personnel Systems (CAPS). This system replace the Federal GS pay plan and structure. Under CAPS, positions are classified by career, pay plan, and pay band.

The ZP-2 is equivalent to the GS-07/09.

• Salary for Long Beach, CA: $54,067 to $94,679
• Salary for Arcata, CA: $46,696 to $81,771
• Salary for Santa Rosa, CA: $57,778 to $101,179
• Salary for Santa Cruz, CA: $57,778 to $101,179
• Salary for Seattle, WA: $51,934 to $90,945

* A one year probationary period may be required.

* Payment of relocation expenses is not authorized.

* Payment of relocation/recruitment incentives may be authorized.

* This position is not in the bargaining unit.

Qualifications

Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcements are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the Office of Personnel Management’s website located at: https://www.opm.gov/policy.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: This position has a positive Education Requirement in addition to at least one year of Specialized Experience OR substitution of education for experience OR combination (if applicable) in order to be found minimally qualified. Transcripts must be submitted with your application package. You MUST meet the following requirements:

EDUCATION:

Degree: Major in biological science that included:

• At least 6 semester hours in aquatic subjects such as limnology, ichthyology, fishery biology, aquatic botany, aquatic fauna, oceanography, fish culture, or related courses in the field of fishery biology; and
• At least 12 semester hours in the animal sciences in such subjects as general zoology, vertebrate zoology, comparative anatomy, physiology, entomology, parasitology, ecology, cellular biology, genetics, or research in these fields. (Excess course work in aquatic subjects may be used to meet this requirement when appropriate.)

OR

Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in biological science (i.e., at least 30 semester hours), of which a minimum of 6 semester hours were in aquatic subjects and 12 semester hours were in the animal sciences, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

AND

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the next lower grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience need not have been in the federal government.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations e.g., professional; philanthropic, religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies; knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

To qualify at the ZP-2 or GS-07:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, applicants must also possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to the ZP-1 or GS-05 in the Federal service. Specialized experience MUST include all of the following:

• Collecting field data on aquatic ecosystems; and
• Preparing raw data for use in final reporting documents; and summarizing/presenting survey findings for management use.

OR

SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION: 1 year of graduate-level education or superior academic achievement (S.A.A).

S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade-point average, or (3) honor society membership.

1. Class standing — Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses.
2. Grade-point average (G.P.A.) — Applicants must have a grade-point average of:

• 9 or higher out of a possible 4.0 (“B” or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or
• 5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 (“B+” or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.

3. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society in one of the national scholastic honor societies recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies.

Position:

The University of Washington Whale and Dolphin Ecology lab and the Genetics and Evolution lab at NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center are seeking to hire a Research Scientist/Engineer II – Molecular Genetics Technician to support projects assessing marine mammal and fish population genetics using a wide variety of molecular genetic approaches. The position will primarily support the genetic analysis of killer whale diets using fecal samples, with additional opportunities to work on various fish and marine mammal genetics projects expected.

The position will require the use of a wide range of molecular genetic techniques, as well as some bioinformatic sequence processing and data summary analyses, with opportunities to contribute to reports and manuscripts. Maintaining an inventory of archived biological samples and generated data (and metadata) will require strong organizational skills, familiarity with relational databases and the ability to work collaboratively as part of a diverse team.  This position is primarily laboratory based but may involve limited fieldwork.

The desired start date is January 2024, and the position is funded for 12 months with additional time based on availability of funding, through the School of Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences at the University of Washington. The successful candidate will work in Seattle, WA at NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center.

Salary range: $5,772 – $6,642/month, depending on experience

Location: Seattle, WA (not a remote position)

Time Period: Jan – Dec 2024, with option to renew dependent on funding

Visit the job posting at UW for more information and to apply.

Feel free to contact me Kim Parsons (kim.parsons@noaa.gov) or (avancise@uw.edu) orwith any questions about the position.