Fisheries Policy Program Analyst

Job Description

Job Description

Position Overview

The Program Analyst will provide professional support services to the NOAA Fisheries Office of Policy, with primary emphasis on the Policy & Administration (P&A) Team. The P&A Team manages the NOAA Fisheries Policy Directive System and facilitates corporate-level discussion and decision-making through the NOAA Fisheries Leadership Council.

This is high-tempo, mission-critical work that cuts across headquarters program offices, regional offices, science centers, NOAA line offices, and other federal agencies. The right candidate is sharp, self-directed, and comfortable navigating complexity and ambiguity in a fast-paced federal environment.

 

Key Responsibilities

Agency Priority & Executive Order Implementation (30–40%)

• Support implementation of Administration and Agency priorities set out in Executive Orders, legislation, strategic plans, and NOAA Fisheries directives
• Support E.O. 14276, Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness, including pilot initiatives focused on U.S. seafood sustainability, industry resiliency, and sector innovation
• Conduct literature reviews, industry surveys, and analytical work to develop market analysis recommendations supporting economic resilience and seafood sector development
• Document accomplishments and prepare draft annual reports and related reporting products for the Seafood Strategy

Policy Directive System & Policy/Procedure Development (10%)

• Support revisions, updates, and creation of NOAA Fisheries policies and procedures, including products under the NOAA Fisheries Policy Directive System
• Draft, review, revise, coordinate, and track agency policy documents with subject matter experts, leadership, and external stakeholders as directed
• Develop and maintain tracking tools: action item trackers, comment matrices, decision-support summaries, policy review schedules, and status reports

Leadership Council & Governance Support (10–25%)

• Support NOAA Fisheries Leadership Council activities that facilitate corporate-level decision-making by senior leadership
• Plan and execute large multi-day meetings, monthly team meetings, and internal governance meetings-including agendas, pre-reads, logistics, meeting notes, and action item tracking
• Coordinate with headquarters, regional offices, science centers, and program offices to ensure timely information sharing and follow-through on assigned actions

Policy & Regulatory Analysis

• Analyze statutes, regulations, policies, draft legislation, Executive Orders, and NOAA Fisheries program materials; provide written analysis, options, and recommendations
• Draft policy memoranda, issue papers, briefing materials, reports, presentation materials, and decision-support summaries on policy and regulatory matters
• Synthesize technical, policy, legal, and programmatic input into clear written products ready for Government review

NEPA Policy Implementation Support (up to 5%)

• Support implementation of new or revised NEPA policies and procedures as assigned
• Support collaboration, information sharing, and training-related materials for NEPA compliance, consistent with Government direction
• Develop summaries, analyses, trackers, and support materials related to NEPA policy implementation

Energy & Infrastructure Permitting Support (up to 10%)

• Support Office of Policy coordination on permitting of infrastructure and energy projects
• Assist with analyses, coordination materials, tracking tools, and written products associated with permitting streamlining efforts involving NOAA Fisheries Headquarters, regional offices, science centers, other NOAA line offices, and other Government agencies
• Support timely document review and coordination for infrastructure and energy project-related materials within the scope of the task order

Review & Comment Support

• Review draft documents and provide timely, well-supported written comments based on policy analysis
• Coordinate comment consolidation across Office of Policy staff and NOAA Fisheries partners as directed
• Use Government-directed formats such as tracked changes, comment matrices, summary tables, or annotated drafts

Communications & Outreach Support

• Assist with communications projects: newsletters, print products, weekly headlines, rollout plans, and outreach efforts
• Prepare audience-appropriate materials consistent with NOAA Fisheries messaging and Government direction
• Support coordination, planning, and implementation of outreach activities, including authorized travel when required

Administrative & Records Management (15–20%)

• Perform records management, file organization, tracker maintenance, scheduling support, and other administrative tasks as assigned
• Provide monthly progress reports summarizing accomplishments, upcoming work, issues/risks, and recommendations
• Attend kick-off and recurring status meetings as directed by the Task Order Monitor

 

Deliverable Expectations

The position carries a high-volume writing and review requirement. Each Program Analyst is expected to:

• Draft 2–4 documents or document sections per week on average (policy memos, issue papers, briefing memos, decision-support summaries, etc.)
• Provide written review comments on 2–4 draft documents per week prepared by others
• Support 2–3 large multi-day meetings per year and monthly team meetings on a recurring basis
• Produce 1–2 briefings, presentations, or short reports per month
• Deliver 2–4 communications products per month
• Submit a monthly progress report by the 5th business day of the following month

All work products must be accurate, professionally written, properly formatted, and require no more than minor edits upon Government review. The Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) is 95% on-time delivery with zero critical errors and no more than 10% requiring major rework.

 

Required Qualifications

At minimum, the proposed Program Analyst must demonstrate:

• Knowledge of and/or interest in coastal or marine resource management and policy issues
• Strong written and oral communication skills and the ability to synthesize complex information into clear, professional products
• Experience working with federal agency policies and regulations applicable to marine resources management in state or federal waters
• Knowledge of one or more of the following statutes: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Endangered Species Act (ESA), and/or Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA)
• Strong interpersonal skills, initiative, flexibility, and comfort working in an environment with shifting priorities and uncertainty
• Growth mindset and desire to learn in a dynamic, mission-driven environment

 

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience supporting NOAA, NMFS, or a similar federal marine resource policy environment
• Experience implementing Executive Orders or agency-priority initiatives in a federal setting
• Demonstrated experience with policy directive or procedure development in a federal agency
• Background in Leadership Council or formal governance support, including agenda setting and meeting facilitation
• High-volume drafting and editing experience with policy-level written products on tight deadlines
• NOAA Sea Grant John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship alumnus/alumna (fellowship year and host office experience will be considered as a strength where directly relevant to this requirement)

 

Work Environment & Logistics

Work Location

NMFS Headquarters, 1315 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (primarily onsite)

Hours

Normal business hours (Eastern), 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM; up to 40 hrs/week

Telework

Occasional telework permitted with advance notice and Government concurrence

Travel

Occasional authorized travel to conferences, NOAA regional offices, science centers, or partner offices (NTE $6,000/year)

Government Equipment

Government-furnished laptop or desktop computer and associated IT support provided; all work performed on Government-approved systems

Security

Public Trust designation required; background investigation required prior to start; CAC/PIV credentials as applicable

 

About the Office of Policy

The NOAA Fisheries Office of Policy coordinates and implements Agency priorities across a complex web of headquarters programs, regional offices, science centers, and line offices. Its work spans energy development, seafood sector resilience, Executive Order implementation, and cross-cutting regulatory and policy analysis. The Office operates with a collaborative, diplomatic, and proactive culture-valuing transparency, strategic thinking, and agility in responding to emerging priorities.

The P&A Team specifically manages the NOAA Fisheries Policy Directive System and facilitates corporate-level governance through the NOAA Fisheries Leadership Council.