Ocean Associates, Inc.

• The Human Resources Associate will report to the company president and perform human resource responsibilities for a 150-employee women-owned small business government contractor. • Areas of responsibility include hiring and terminations, employee benefits selection and administration, federal and multi-state employment law research, tracking and compliance. • Work with the Director of Finance to set up appropriate processes, payments, and reporting to ensure continued compliance. • Ensure compliance with pay transparency laws, last paycheck laws, pay data reports, EITC notices, etc. • Work with OAI’s insurance broker to select benefit plans. • Respond to employee questions regarding leave accommodations, benefits, workplace issues, workplace injuries. • Track requirements for, prepare, and submit reports including EEOC, VETS, PCORI, 5500, OEWS, OSHA, etc. • Review employee training requirements. Prepare, and/or select and preview training materials. • Monitor and report on any HR procedures with legal requirements. • Update, add to, and modify, as needed Employee Manual and other necessary or desirable company policies.

• Support domestic fisheries, the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Division, and NMFS Regional Offices in the implementation of the Seafood EO, including but not limited to elimination of inefficient regulations and and the development of fishery management actions to advance the purposes of the EO. • Develop and write actions necessary to implement the management measures needed under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery and Conservation Management Act and the Seafood EO. • Provide support to enable rapid implementation of management measures needed under the EO 14276. • Draft content of Fishery Management Plans (FMPs). • Provide research and analysis of FMP and other fishery management action requirements and capabilities. • Develop alternatives, recommendations, presentations, and support management initiatives. • Evaluate studies and analyses, and, with input from Regional Offices or Atl HMS, ensure fishery management actions are responsive to responses on key issues and concerns and advance the implementation of the Seafood EO. • Evaluate and provide support for environmental analyses such as National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis for management actions for which NOAA is responsible and include them in fisheries management actions. • Assist in the development, writing, review process, and tracking of fisheries management actions in support of NMFS Regional Offices, and Atlantic HMS efforts to implement the Seafood EO and other requests from NOAA and NMFS leadership in accordance with established procedures and requirements, including clearly communicating with regional regulatory specialists and fisheries biologists, and communicating with regional submitters and as necessary to ensure that regulatory packages meet their intended objectives and documented standards. • Analyze and provide environmental assessments, and scientific analysis, technical writing/editing, internal communication and outreach with the intention of meeting the fishery management action development needs of the NMFS Regional Office and Atl HMS. • Process incoming requests in accordance with established fisheries management action processing procedures, including completion of completeness checklist and electronic and paper filing of documents. • Clearly communicate with regional staff submitters to ensure that fisheries management actions meet the needs of the Regional Offices/Atl HMS and documented standards. • Assist in developing the Administrative Record for each regulatory action upon completion of its review and clearance. • Assist with the issuance of permits, as requested from NMFS Regional Offices and Atl HMS. • Prepare documents for Regional Office, Atl HMS, and/or OSF review. • Clearly communicate with regional regulatory specialists and and other regional/Atl HMS staff, and headquarters reviewers as necessary to ensure that regulatory packages meet documented standards and the needs of the Regions/Atl HMS. • Attend and/or monitor relevant Regional Fishery Management Council meetings and/or associated technical committees, advisory panels, and workgroups.

• Conduct analyses and research to enable consultation under Section 7 of the ESA. • Review action agency documents and provide technical assistance to Federal action agencies as part of ESA section 7 consultations. • Critically analyze scientific literature, agency documents, and other applicable information to assess impacts of activities on protected species and develop/evaluate mitigation and monitoring to support agency findings under the ESA. • Perform record-keeping and other documentation tasks to ensure compliance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and other applicable statutes.

• Identify the fisheries management needs of the NMFS Regional Offices and the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Division to achieve the outcomes described in the Seafood EO, and respond to the requests of NOAA and NMFS leadership. • Develop and execute a plan, with schedules, to meet the needs of the NMFS Regional Offices and the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Division using staff resources available to achieve the outcomes described in the Seafood EO and respond to the requests of NOAA and NMFS leadership. • Lead the Seafood EO contractor team to ensure Regional and Atl HMS needs to implement the Seafood EO are successfully met. • Provide project management and regulatory analysis support to ensure Regional Office and Atl HMS fisheries management actions are completed on time. • Collaborate with OSF and Regional office staff to identify and resolve issues and ensure deadlines are met. • Manage multiple projects concurrently and ensure each is appropriately staffed. Communicate project status, issues, and proposed resolutions to Regional Office and Atl HMS staff, and to the federal manager. • Manage multiple contractor resources at any given time. • Coordinate with NMFS leadership, OSF staff, and Regional Office staff whenever necessary to ensure policies and procedures are followed. • Provide updates on project progress and conduct regular meetings with Regional Office and Atl HMS staff for all identified fishery management needs. • Ability to lead project management efforts and mentor other contract staff of varying skill levels; provide support and guidance to the team. • Demonstrate strong written and verbal communication skills. • Where necessary, develop and implement improved methods, automated products, and tools that simplify and streamline the processing of operational and administrative functions. • Coordinate a training program for contract staff supporting Regional Office and Atl HMS fishery management actions with input and assistance from NMFS experts. • Facilitate the proper accounting of travel cost information for program personnel, reimbursement to the traveler in accordance with Federal Travel Regulations, and local travel policies and procedures. • Provide assistance with creating the electronic categorization, preservation and security of records that should be retained for legal, operational, or historical reasons, and to establish schedules for the disposal of records that are of no further value. • Technical Writing: review and edit technical documentation as needed. • Project Management: define and identify project milestones/phases/dependencies, monitor and communicate project progress, provide information about budget/resource needs, and provide general project management. • EO and Policy Alignment: Monitor all work products to ensure they strictly adhere to EO 14276, the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and other evolving governmental guidance. • Actively identify bottlenecks in the current process and propose workflow adjustments to meet the implementation goals of the Seafood EO. • NEPA Quality Assurance: Review environmental analysis frameworks to ensure they meet the legal standards required for NOAA’s management actions. • Ensure technical staff are properly prioritized to support Regional Offices and Atl HMS in meeting their fisheries management action needs to implement EO 14276. • Statutory Deadline Monitoring: Track 'the clock' on all Magnuson-Stevens Act packages to prevent legal lapses or automatic approvals/disapprovals due to missed dates. • Resource Allocation: Shift contractor staff between drafting various fisheries management actions based on the highest priority Regional/Atl HMS needs to achieve the goals of the Seafood EO. • Document Accuracy Oversight: Verify that all corrected documents comply with the specific formatting and legal requirements of the Federal Register. • Risk Mitigation: Proactively identify and report risks (e.g., staffing shortages, complex NEPA hurdles) that could delay the implementation of fishery management measures. • Recordkeeping Compliance: Ensure the team is meeting federal requirements for both electronic and paper filing systems during the transition of documents.

• Support domestic fisheries, the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Division, and NMFS Regional Offices in the implementation of the Seafood EO • Develop and write actions necessary to implement the management measures needed under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery and Conservation Management Act and the Seafood EO • Provide support to enable rapid implementation of management measures needed under the EO 14276 • Draft content of Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) • Provide research and analysis of FMP and other fishery management action requirements and capabilities • Develop alternatives, recommendations, presentations, and support management initiatives • Evaluate studies and analyses to ensure fishery management actions are responsive to key issues • Evaluate and provide support for environmental analyses such as National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis for management actions • Assist in the development, writing, review process, and tracking of fisheries management actions in support of NMFS Regional Offices • Analyze and provide environmental assessments, scientific analysis, technical writing/editing, and communication with the intention of meeting fishery management action development needs • Process incoming requests according to established procedures.

• Review, gather, analyze, interpret, and synthesize scientific data and technical information for the purpose of determining environmental impacts on biological resources and aquatic habitats; evaluate the proposed project effects of human activities on fishery resources, protected species, and habitat. • Write combined ESA Biological Opinions, ESA Letters of Concurrence, and MSA responses to action agencies related to their Biological Assessments for listed salmon and steelhead, designated critical habitat, and essential fish habitat under NMFS jurisdiction. • Review biological assessments, permit applications, and/or consultation initiation packages from action agencies for listed salmon and steelhead, designated critical habitat, and essential fish habitat under NMFS jurisdiction and provide feedback and technical support to action agencies. • Provide pre‐consultation technical assistance to action agencies, applicants, or their representatives in response to inquiries. Examples of feedback are sufficiency, accuracy, or completeness; requests for further information for consultation purposes; recommendation of conservation measures, compliance with technical design standards. Feedback shall occur through written or oral communications and in group meetings. • Review applications from action agencies to enroll in existing programmatic consultations and draft letters or emails to enroll applications into existing programmatic consultations. Prepare environmental documentation pursuant to NEPA. • Prepare draft incidental take permits and other necessary documentation for ESA section 10 activities. • Revise the documents based on review comments received from WCR NMFS and General Counsel staff, technical comments received from the tribes and states, and based on substantive public review comments to complete final versions of the ESA, NEPA and other associated documents. • Coordinate with NMFS fish passage engineers for reviews of proposed designs. • Coordinate with NMFS’ Science Center and other federal, state, or academic researchers in evaluating the status of species and impacts from actions. • Prepare appropriate documentation for each consultation and follow WCR protocols for quality assurance, electronic filing, and consultation tracking. • Coordinate with Project Officer or Geographic Branch Manager on assignments, work products, and project schedule. Coordination calls and meetings as necessary with WCR Team Lead(s). • Participate in WCR teams as necessary to complete the tasks in this contract. • Follow recommendations from agency staff on legal, regulatory, or technical sufficiency and compliance. • Assist in the development and implementation of mitigation banks • Prepare appropriate documentation for each consultation, status review, or permit, including assembling and managing administrative records as necessary to provide adequate and proper evidence of agency business, timely response to requests for information, and compliance with NMFS internal directives. • Assist with compiling responses to Freedom of Information Act requests. • Participate in meetings with action agencies, applicants or permittees, special interest groups, state officials, and tribal representatives, as necessary.

• Provide operational oversight of all tasks and projects assigned. • Distribute tasks and projects assigned to others, assist in developing specific tasks and timelines for each project. • Act as the primary liaison between employees and WCR staff, review contract deliverables prior to submitting, and ensure adherence to WCR protocols in all tasks and deliverables. • Regularly meet with or provide updates to WCR staff, as determined by WCR staff. • Review, gather, analyze, interpret, and synthesize scientific data and technical information for the purpose of determining environmental impacts on biological resources and aquatic habitats; evaluate the proposed project effects of human activities on fishery resources, protected species, and habitat. • Write combined ESA Biological Opinions, ESA Letters of Concurrence, and MSA responses to action agencies related to their Biological Assessments for listed salmon and steelhead, designated critical habitat, and essential fish habitat under NMFS jurisdiction. • Review biological assessments, permit applications, and/or consultation initiation packages from action agencies for listed salmon and steelhead, designated critical habitat, and essential fish habitat under NMFS jurisdiction and provide feedback and technical support to action agencies. • Provide pre‐consultation technical assistance to action agencies, applicants, or their representatives in response to inquiries. Examples of feedback are sufficiency, accuracy, or completeness; requests for further information for consultation purposes; recommendation of conservation measures, compliance with technical design standards. Feedback shall occur through written or oral communications and in group meetings. • Review applications from action agencies to enroll in existing programmatic consultations and draft letters or emails to enroll applications into existing programmatic consultations. • Prepare environmental documentation pursuant to NEPA. • Prepare draft incidental take permits and other necessary documentation for ESA section 10 activities. • Revise the documents based on review comments received from WCR NMFS and General Counsel staff, technical comments received from the tribes and states, and based on substantive public review comments to complete final versions of the ESA, NEPA and other associated documents. • Coordinate with NMFS fish passage engineers for reviews of proposed designs. • Coordinate with NMFS’ Science Center and other federal, state, or academic researchers in evaluating the status of species and impacts from actions. • Prepare appropriate documentation for each consultation and follow WCR protocols for quality assurance, electronic filing, and consultation tracking. • Coordinate with Project Officer or Geographic Branch Manager on assignments, work products, and project schedule. Coordination calls and meetings as necessary with WCR Team Lead(s). • Participate in WCR teams as necessary to complete the tasks in this contract. • Follow recommendations from agency staff on legal, regulatory, or technical sufficiency and compliance. • Assist in the development and implementation of mitigation banks • Prepare appropriate documentation for each consultation, status review, or permit, including assembling and managing administrative records as necessary to provide adequate and proper evidence of agency business, timely response to requests for information, and compliance with NMFS internal directives. • Assist with compiling responses to Freedom of Information Act requests. • Participate in meetings with action agencies, applicants or permittees, special interest groups, state officials, and tribal representatives, as necessary.

• Facilitate and/or complete formal and informal consultations on fisheries-related actions under section 7 of the ESA according to West Coast region policies and practices. • Review documents associated with proposed or final fishery actions and provide comments on protected resources and listed species sections. • Coordinate with the West Coast States and the Office of Protected Resources on the development and evaluation of Conservation Plans in support of applications for permits under ESA section 10. • Provide technical support to NMFS in the review of Conservation Plans and assist with the completion of the associated ESA section 10 and section 7 documentation, as well as MMPA and NEPA compliance, as needed. • Assist NMFS with the development and implementation of any fishery management activity associated with compliance with MMPA section 118 for West Coast fisheries, including any Take Reduction Teams or Plans for West Coast fisheries. • Lead or support technical and analytical work that is needed to support these activities, as needed. • Lead, coordinate, or participate in fisheries bycatch science initiatives with internal and external partners and stakeholders including NMFS Science Centers and the Office of Protected Resources, as well as industry, academic, NGO, and other agency representatives. • Lead completion of analysis and technical reports as needed to advance the state of science on West Coast fishery bycatch issues in support of improved assessment of impacts to protected species, and the consideration of impact/effectiveness of any management measures that may be implemented to minimize bycatch. • Participate in meetings with action agencies, applicants or permittees, special interest groups, state officials, and tribal representatives, as necessary, and provide responses to data requests and other inquiries with appropriate attention to detail. • Prepare appropriate documentation for each consultation and analytical report prepared, including assembling, and managing administrative records as necessary to provide adequate and proper evidence of agency business, timely response to requests for information, and compliance with NMFS internal directives. • Assist with other MMPA and ESA matters related to ESA-listed species, critical habitat, and EFH. • Present protected species information at local and regional coordination meetings and participate in a Protected Resources Division workshop. • Assist the WCR Take Reduction Team Coordinator in working with NMFS scientists in support of TRT meetings.