Economist - Office of Sustainable Fisheries

Saltwater Inc.

Saltwater Inc.

Silver Spring, MD, USA

USD 40-60 / hour

Posted on Apr 25, 2026

Fisheries Management Support – Level II, III & IV

At Saltwater Inc. we believe that high-quality data is vital to the health of our fisheries and oceans: our mission is to provide that data. We are a Women-Owned Small Business and are constantly seeking new team members who share our passion for innovation and environmental wellness. We are currently recruiting for three (3) Fisheries Management Support (Level II, III, and IV) positions to perform Data and Scientific Analysis to assist the Office of Sustainable Fisheries (OSF) in their role to support consideration and resolution of national domestic policy issues, provide support to the regional fishery management councils, manages fisheries for Atlantic highly migratory species, and works with federal partners to ensure the safety of seafood sold in the U.S. These positions will provide data and scientific analysis, fishery management action development and support, and other analysis, administrative, and compliance support.

These will be full-time positions. Work may be performed either on-site in Silver Spring, MD, or remotely in coordination with the COR and Project Lead. The contract has a two-year base period from July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2028 and will have up to 1.5 years 12-month option periods.

Duties:

    1. 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 the development of fishery management actions to advance the purposes of the EO.
    2. Develop and write actions necessary to implement the management measures needed under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery and Conservation Management Act and the Seafood EO.
    3. Provide support to enable rapid implementation of management measures needed under the EO 14276.
    4. Draft content of Fishery Management Plans (FMPs).
    5. Provide research and analysis of FMP and other fishery management action requirements and capabilities.
    6. Develop alternatives, recommendations, presentations, and support management initiatives.
    7. 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.
    8. 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.
    9. 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.
    10. 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
    11. Process incoming requests in accordance with established fisheries management action processing procedures, including completion of completeness checklist and electronic and paper filing of documents.
    12. Clearly communicate with regional staff submitters to ensure that fisheries management actions meet the needs of the Regional Offices/Atl HMS and documented standards.
    13. Assist in developing the Administrative Record for each regulatory action upon completion of its review and clearance.
    14. Assist with the issuance of permits, as requested from NMFS Regional Offices and Atl HMS.
    15. Prepare documents for Regional Office, Atl HMS, and/or OSF review.
    16. Clearly communicate with regional regulatory specialists 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.
    17. Attend and/or monitor relevant Regional Fishery Management Council meetings and/or associated technical committees, advisory panels, and workgroups.
Saltwater Inc. is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and a VEVRAA Federal Contractor and does not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, parental status, veteran status, or disability status. We strive to create an inclusive workplace culture to attract the best talent and allow each member of our team to achieve their full potential and maximum productivity. Furthermore, Saltwater Inc. highly encourages qualified individuals with disabilities and protected veterans to apply for positions for which they are qualified and to notify us if there are any needs for accommodation throughout the application process and/or upon hire.

Minimum Qualifications - All Levels

  • Demonstrated time management and organizational skills.
  • Demonstrated written and verbal communication skills, especially scientific writing.
  • Ability to work independently.

Minimum Qualifications - Level II

  • Level II – Marine Science or Fisheries education background – Bachelors or Masters required.
  • Level II – Minimum of 3 years’ relevant experience performing data analysis, preferably in relation to fisheries and/or seafood.

Minimum Qualifications - Level III

  • Level III – Marine Science or Fisheries education background – Masters or PhD required.
  • Level III – Minimum of 5 years’ relevant experience performing data analysis, preferably in relation to fisheries and/or seafood.

Minimum Qualifications - Level IV

  • Level IV – Ability to translate complex technical concepts into actionable business or mission strategies.
  • Level IV – Evidence of authoring technical documents, including but not limited to white papers, scientific publications, environment impact statements, etc.
  • Level IV – Experience navigating Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) requirements, including fisheries management plans, plan amendments and other associated actions or Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 7 consultations.
  • Level IV – Marine Science or Fisheries education background – PhD required.
  • Level IV – Minimum of 7years’ relevant experience performing data analysis, experience with Federal fisheries management actions required.
  • Level IV – Proven ability to communicate complex regulatory, scientific, or other data with agency personnel across the organization at multiple staff levels with differing program objectives.

Compensation

Salary range is $40 – $60 per hour, dependent upon level and experience.

Our EOE Culture

Saltwater Inc. is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and a VEVRAA Federal Contractor and does not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, parental status, veteran status, or disability status. We strive to create an inclusive workplace culture to attract the best talent and allow each member of our team to achieve their full potential and maximum productivity. Furthermore, Saltwater Inc. highly encourages qualified individuals with disabilities and protected veterans to apply for positions for which they are qualified and to notify us if there are any needs for accommodation throughout the application process and/or upon hire.

How To Apply

Only qualified applicants with the requisite experience need to apply, using the link below.

We will honor all requests for application confidentiality.

Apply Today

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