Coastal Management Specialist - Pacific Coral Liaison

Coastal Management Specialist - Pacific Coral Liaison

Lynker Corporation is a leading provider of innovative solutions in weather and climate science. With a commitment to excellence and a passion for innovation, Lynker leverages cutting-edge technologies and scientific expertise to support the creation and delivery of improved operational weather forecasts. As part of our ongoing growth and expansion, we are seeking a dynamic and experienced Coastal Management Specialist - Pacific Coral Liaison, to join our growing team.

The incumbent will liaise with other NOAA Pacific region programs and offices, other federal agencies in the region, the governments of the State of Hawaii and American Samoa, relevant academic institutions, NGOs, and soon-to-be-created Coral Reef Stewardship Partnerships. Focus areas for this region include assisting jurisdictional POCs with their Coral Block Grants, assisting with earmarks, invasive species issues in the Hawaiian Archipelago (of particular concern in Oahu right now), watershed management/land-based sources of pollution reduction in both Hawaii and American Samoa, coral restoration research and implementation in both areas, and supporting USCRTF Watershed Priority Initiative projects and meetings when they are in Hawaii and American Samoa. The incumbent will also be a liaison for OCM working closely with the Pacific Regional Coordinator and involved in wider OCM efforts. This position is still in bid process, and final pricing may be subject to change.

Responsibilities

In order to deliver regionally relevant coral conservation products and services to the six coral reef partner jurisdictions [Atlantic/Caribbean (Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands) and Pacific (Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands)] within whose waters reside the majority of shallow-water coral reef ecosystems, the CRCP provides technical assistance in coral reef conservation and planning. The CRCP also supports other NOAA-related conservation efforts within NOAA Line Offices involved in the coral matrix to enhance our ability to work with jurisdictional partners.

Duties of the Coastal Management Specialist - Pacific Coral Liaison, will include the following:

• Operational support to the different Coral Reef Management Programs across the region – Provide management and capacity enhancement to the jurisdictions' coral reef management programs to assist the advancement of coral reef management priorities in alignment with NOAA's CRCP's strategic and implementation plans.
• Support with the implementation of the National Strategy with emphasis on collaboration with the state/territorial agencies and other stakeholders, and the block grants program.
• Assist with local US Coral Reef Task Force meetings as needed and appropriate.
• Management Assistance – engage as CRCP's point of contact in project implementation, governance, policy, and technical support as needed to meet all CRCP requirements for their coral jurisdiction.
• Provision of Effective Communication – communicate CRCP objectives and program guidance, NOAA and national policy changes, initiatives, funding, and capacity-building opportunities to jurisdictional point of contact (POC), coral reef managers, non-governmental organizations, the general public, and other key coral reef and federal partners, as appropriate. Facilitate communication of the jurisdiction's needs and priorities to relevant NOAA staff or divisions. Provide regular updates to federal task lead on any issues and progress on efforts.
• Assistance with the Administration of Grants and Block Grants – Provide assistance in the development, processing, amendment, post-award action requests, and monitoring of the NOAA CRCP State and Territory Coral Reef Management Cooperative Agreement and Block Grants. Work with jurisdictional point of contact and Coral Coordinator (when applicable) to review all open coral reef management awards, identify projects where there has been little-to-no progress, and work to support new priorities from most recently developed local action strategies and/or priorities identified during most recent jurisdictional workshops.
• Assistance with execution of Coral Internal Implementation Plan and Spend Plan – Assist with coordination of jurisdictional input into projects. Work with funded NOAA staff to provide on-site coordination assistance. Implement funded projects as needed/appropriate.
• Collaboration assistance – Develop opportunities to collaborate with local, regional, and federal partners on projects to improve coral reef management. Develop and maintain relationships with partners to support improved management. Participate/collaborate in jurisdictional efforts to develop Coral Reef Action Plans (C-RAP's).
• Conduct and/or support necessary consultations and other environmental compliance documentation for internal projects and projects supported by grants, including state and territorial block grants and cooperative agreements.
• Conduct in- and on-water activities, including snorkeling, potentially SCUBA diving, and transport via boat.
• Support, facilitate, and provide guidance regarding the National Coral Reef Management Fellowship Program, including review of applicants' resumes and qualifications, providing recommendations and participation in the interview process.
• Support the Corals fellowship program at various levels. Provides assistance in development of initial and jurisdiction-specific Statements of Work, interview protocol, fellow selection, individual work plan, year 1 orientation and year 2 training (as needed), and professional development (as needed).
• Assist with planning and response efforts related to Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) -as well as alien and invasive species and other emergent disease outbreaks. - For SCTLD, participate in cross-basin monitoring, response, and prevention efforts in support of the NOAA SCTLD Strategy Implementation. These activities may include participating or leading working groups, coordinating with local jurisdictional partners, diving to treat diseased corals, and leading or supporting jurisdictional networks involving local government agencies and organizations.
• Support coral restoration planning - Assist with coral restoration plan development and implementation efforts, including identification and recruitment of appropriate jurisdictional stakeholders, meeting attendance, and writing and review of plan documents.
• Provide technical review of proposals for different grants, including block grants, NFWF Coral Reef Stewardship Fund, NFWF Coral Emergency Response Fund, NFWF Coastal Resilience Fund, and Ruth D. Gates Coral Reef Conservation Grant Program among others.
• Facilitate data collection for performance measures and evaluation of coral reef conservation investments.
• Coordinate with NOAA's Federal Program Officer to negotiate, process, amend, and monitor cooperative agreements and grants, and provide technical assistance to assigned CRCP programs on grants management.

Qualifications

The Coastal Management Specialist - Pacific Coral Liaison selected should have the following:

• Master's degree in Environmental Policy, Marine Policy, or a related field.
• 6+ years of relevant professional experience.
• Documented experience in environmental planning, policy, technical, and regulatory support for the Federal Government.
• Documented knowledge of/experience with coastal management issues, with experience specific to coastal nonpoint pollution preferred.
• Strong communication skills, including both written and oral communication.
• The successful candidate will be organized, detail-oriented, manage time to achieve project objectives to meet deadlines, and work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
• Ability to pass a National Agency Check and fingerprinting background check and maintain it through the duration of employment.

About Lynker

Lynker is a growing, employee owned, small business, specializing in professional, scientific and technical services. Our continually expanding team combines scientific expertise with mature, results-driven processes and tools to achieve technically sound, cost effective solutions in hydrology/water sciences, geospatial analysis, information technology, resource management, conservation, and management and business process improvement.

We focus on putting the right people in the right place to be effective. And having the right people is critical for success. Our streamlined organization enables and empowers our talented professionals to tackle our customers' scientific and technical priorities – creatively and effectively.

Lynker offers a team-oriented work environment, and the opportunity to work in a culture of exceptionally skilled professionals who embrace sound science and creative solutions. Lynker's benefits include the following:

• Comprehensive healthcare for the employee at no monthly cost
• Healthcare benefit covers medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision
• Personal Time Off (PTO) Policy plus paid holidays
• Highly competitive compensation plan regularly calibrated against industry and location benchmarks
• 401(k) retirement plan with company-matching
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) – we're all company owners!
• Flexible spending accounts
• Employee assistance program (EAP)
• Short- and long-term disability insurance
• Life and accident insurance
• Tuition assistance/Training/Workforce improvement reimbursement per year
• Spot bonuses for exceptional performance
• Annual Employee Recognition Awards with bonuses
• Employee Referral Program
• Free centralized, self-directed Learning Management System to learn at your own pace
• Personalized career growth plans for every employee

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