Baldwin Group
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

The Habitat Conservation Division of the National Marine Fisheries Service's Pacific Islands Regional Office works cooperatively with the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program to enhance the conservation of coral reef habitat throughout the U.S. Pacific Islands. The goal of the Coral Reef Conservation Program is to reduce threats to coral reef ecosystems and associated resources. In support of this effort, The Baldwin Group's contract with this program is looking for a fishery extension agent. Position will be located at the NOAA Inouye Regional Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. The successful candidate will work directly with the Habitat Conservation Division's federal project lead, who is located at this center.

Responsibilities:

  • Secures annual funding, primarily through the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program's Internal Spend Plan
  • Manages programs and project contracts and budgets that foster a favorable relationship with the local nearshore fishing community throughout the Hawaiian Islands. The scientist and fishermen exchange meetings are an example of such a project. The agent should host two to five meetings per year.
  • Formulates a variety of approaches to gain the trust and confidence of fishers and other resource users and shares information of mutual interest to fishers and coastal and marine resource managers
  • Attends regular meetings of fishing clubs (casting, boating, trolling, and diving) and other fishing-related organizations to address topics of concern
  • Sets up meetings, such as talk story sessions, with the fishing community and resource agency personnel to provide more detailed discourse or promote discussion and information sharing
  • Serves as a member for fisheries-related groups, such as Fisheries Local Action Strategy Hawaii and Makai Watch steering committees, and attends annual meetings to provide input from the Fisheries Extension Agent Program
  • Serves as a liaison and neutral information conduit among various groups performing fishery outreach activities. These include federal, quasi-federal, and state governments as well as non-governmental, private, and other organizations.
  • Travels the state to attend 8 to 10 fishing tournaments, community events, and outreach activities per year
  • Develops, prints, and produces reports, articles, outreach materials, or guidance documents for fishery-related issues
  • Maintains the Hawaii Fish Measurement Guides, including their production and distribution, collaborating with the communication team of the Division of Aquatic Resources and Pacific Islands Regional Office
  • Uses social media and other outlets to keep the fishing community informed regarding resource management efforts by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources and Pacific Islands Regional Office
  • Conducts outreach and education on fisheries management with local schools
  • Helps to develop and implement shared internship programs with partners, including federal, state, educational, nonprofit, and private organizations
  • Attends meetings and events at night, on weekends, and on holidays when necessary
  • On occasion, travels to the continental U.S. to attend trainings or conferences
  • Conducts in- and on-water activities, including snorkeling and transport (riding only) via boat

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

  • Bachelor's degree in marine science, coral reef or fishery management, coastal management, or related field, plus three years of related experience
  • Knowledge of issues confronting coral reef conservation
  • Demonstrated ability to build relationships with management, colleagues, community, and nonprofit organizations and external partners
  • Ability to plan, lead, and facilitate community meetings
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills
  • Self-starter with ability to work in a team environment
  • Technical writing skill and ability to synthesize technical information
  • Travel will be required to neighboring islands and might be required to the continental U.S.
  • Work will be required on weekends and evenings
  • As the NOAA Inouye Regional Center is located on Joint Base Pearl Harbor/Hickam, operated by the Department of Defense, elected applicants must pass a background check and be issued a Common Access Card (CAC) in order to be able to access this military based and enter the NOAA Inouye Regional Center.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Master's degree in marine science, coral reef or fishery management, coastal management, or related field
  • Experience working with state and federal agencies, Native Hawaiian communities, academia, and nongovernmental organizations
  • Previously demonstrated community engagement experience
  • Demonstrated group facilitation skill sets and techniques
  • Experienced with Adobe Photoshop and InDesign
Full post: 
http://tbgva.net/careers.html#hfea