Duties of the Coastal Management Specialist will include the following:

• Provide management assistance to Puerto Rico’s coral reef management program to maintain programs and meet all program requirements
• Provide technical assistance in the areas of coral reef conservation, planning, and management; coral disease and disturbance prevention, preparedness and response; restoration ecology; and coral reef fisheries and watershed management.
• Coordinate with jurisdiction coral reef points of contact and other appropriate agencies on NOAA Coral Program activities in the region.
• Coordinate with federal partners in the development and implementation of initiatives in priority areas that are consistent with Coral Program goals and objectives.
• Support annual Coral Program planning process, including: fielding questions from, and coordinating calls with, potential principal investigators and local partners; conducting technical reviews of proposals; and providing implementation support to awarded projects.
• Support development and implementation of coral reef action plans and other local action strategies and initiatives in Puerto Rico.
• Provide support for efforts to develop and manage coral reef marine protected areas and build management capacity, when appropriate.
• Conduct site visits or fieldwork to assist or assess Coral Program activities.
• Coordinate with Puerto Rico and NOAA’s federal program officer to negotiate, process, amend, and monitor the existing cooperative funding agreements and new non-competitive block grants; and provide technical reviews of other Coral Program funding grants and agreements.
• Provide guidance to Puerto Rico on their responsibility to ensure documentation on all coral reef projects, including permits; completion of financial requirements and environmental compliance; and adequate monitoring of ongoing coral reef management and restoration projects.
• Provide an interface between Puerto Rico’s work to address coral reef conservation and coastal management challenges.
• Provide information to outreach and communications staff for the development of locally-tailored coral reef outreach and education materials.
• Support implementation of the reauthorized Coral Reef Conservation Act in Puerto Rico including: the management of block grants and cooperative agreements to Puerto Rico, technical review and support for other grant programs such as the Ruth D. Gates Coral Reef Conservation Grant and the NFWF Coral Reef Stewardship and Emergency Response Funds, the development and implementation of Coral Reef Action Plans, the implementation of the National Coral Resilience Strategy in Puerto Rico, the development and implementation of Coral Reef Stewardship partnerships in Puerto Rico, the participation of Puerto Rico in the US Coral Reef Task Force and its working groups, and the implementation of the Susan L. Williams National Coral Reef Management Fellowship.

• Provide support and assistance to Puerto Rico’s implementation of its coastal zone management program approved under the Coastal Zone Management Act.
• Coordinate with Puerto Rico and NOAA’s federal program officer to negotiate, process, amend, and monitor cooperative agreements and grants; and provide technical reviews for other proposals as necessary.
  
• Support Puerto Rico in the implementation of Coastal Zone Management Program activities, including: review and analysis of proposed program policy changes; program evaluations required under the CZMA; and the development, review, and approval of five-year assessments and strategies.
• Provide subject matter expertise and regional coordination support on coastal management issues.
• Identify Puerto Rico’s coastal management program highlights and other opportunities to communicate partner success stories.
• Identify and facilitate programmatic synergies across the Coral and Coastal Zone Management programs to enhance execution and results, and/or identify joint projects.

The Coastal Management Specialist selected should have the following:

• Master’s degree in coral reef conservation, marine science, coastal management, or related field; plus six years of related experience; equivalent work experience can be substituted for the educational requirement in certain circumstances.
• Knowledge of issues confronting coral reef conservation in the U.S. Caribbean and Puerto Rico
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Self-starter with ability to work in a team environment
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships with management, colleagues, and external partners
• Technical writing skill and ability to synthesize technical information
• Professionally fluent in both conversational and written Spanish and English

The Ideal Coastal Management Specialist will have the following:

• Knowledge of, and experience with, the Coastal Zone Management Act and/or the Coral Reef Conservation Act
• Experience with managing aspects of grants
• Currently located in Puerto Rico or the immediate surrounding region
• Experience working with state/territorial and federal agencies, Pacific Islanders, academia, and nongovernmental organizations
• Experience developing and tracking project milestones and strategic planning
• Processing of a National Agency Check and fingerprinting will be required.

• 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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