Lead ESA Section 7 Consultation Scientist

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Florida.

📋 Description

• Perform comprehensive literature reviews to support credible, legally, and biologically defensible project-effect analyses for ESA Section 7 consultation documents.

• Execute complex and specialized ESA Section 7 consultation tasks independently.

• Act as a senior technical expert for intricate, high-visibility, and mission-critical consultations.

• Provide technical leadership and oversight to junior ESA Consultation Scientists.

• Assign and coordinate consultation tasks while offering technical guidance.

• Mentor and train junior ESA Consultation Scientists in SERO practices, ESA Section 7 theory and execution, effects analysis, consultation document creation, and quality standards.

• Conduct QA/QC assessments of consultation documents prepared by junior staff.

• Participate in Section 7 QA/QC meetings.

• Assist in the development and review of complex biological opinions, including environmental baselines, effects analyses, and climate considerations.

• Collaborate with consulting biologists, PRD reviewers, species recovery coordinators, the Office of General Counsel, federal action agencies, applicants, and other stakeholders.

• Ensure that informational requirements for incoming consultation requests are fulfilled.

• Work together to guarantee that consultations are biologically accurate, legally sufficient, consistent, and aligned with conservation objectives.

• Discuss project methodologies and designs with applicants and federal agencies.

• Suggest strategies, alternatives, and adjustments to minimize impacts on listed species and habitats while streamlining consultations.

• Draft agency response documents utilizing Microsoft programs, including RAI, LOC, and biological opinion documents.

• Provide coordination and support for meetings and conferences.

• Assist with data management, documentation, and analysis for Section 7 consultations.

⛳️ Requirements

• A Master’s degree or higher in Marine Science, Marine Biology, Biology, Oceanography, Marine Policy, or a closely related field.

• At least 5 years of directly relevant professional experience, including substantial experience applying ESA Section 7 consultation requirements.

• Increasingly responsible work involving complex scientific or regulatory analysis, independent judgment, technical review, and/or leadership of junior staff.

• Capability to independently carry out complex or highly specialized ESA Section 7 consultation work with minimal oversight.

• Experience providing technical leadership, guidance, mentoring, and/or oversight to junior scientific staff.

• Experience evaluating the work of other consultation scientists and identifying technical or regulatory shortcomings.

• Ability to exercise sound independent judgment on complex, sensitive, high-priority, or high-visibility consultation matters.

• Familiarity with ESA Section 7 consultation requirements.

• Knowledge of species-related habitats in the Southeastern United States.

• Strong skills in technical writing, organization, and communication.

• Ability to adapt to frequently changing standard operating procedures.

• Up-to-date knowledge of ESA Section 7 consultation requirements, MSA, and SERO species-related habitats.

• Proven experience conducting substantive technical QA/QC reviews of ESA Section 7 consultation documents.

• Capability to mentor and train junior ESA Consultation Scientists.

• Ability to collaborate with PRD reviewers, species recovery coordinators, legal counsel, federal agencies, and non-governmental organizations.

• Experience with consultation data management, quality control, administrative records, and NMFS tracking systems like ECO.

• Ability to analyze data and produce scientific and plain-language reports, summaries, graphs, maps, and interpreted information products.

• U.S. citizenship and/or current Green Card holder status.

• Successful completion of a background check, including criminal history, education, professional certification, previous employment, and credit history verification.

• Fingerprinting is required for the Public Trust background investigation.

• Preferred: strong understanding of Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic coastal ecology and marine biology.

• Preferred: knowledge of aquatic habitat restoration or aquatic habitat impact assessment.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

• Proficiency in Google enterprise tools such as Gmail, Calendar, and Hangouts.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines with minimal supervision.

🏝️ Benefits

• Full-time W2 position.

• Benefits provided by Spatial Front, Inc. (details can be found at http://www.spatialfront.com/pages/career.html).

• Equal-opportunity employment.

• Participation in E-Verify.