NOAA Fisheries Is Hiring: Positions Coming Soon
Find details about positions to be posted on USAJOBS.gov with multiple locations at NOAA Fisheries.
NOAA Fisheries is hiring! USAJOBS remains the only way to apply for federal positions with our agency. However, we will share additional details on this page for group job announcements, including positions with duties that might vary slightly by location. You can also stay up to date through our careers directory and by signing up for notifications with USAJOBS.
We will also share announcements before they post to USAJOBS, since positions sometimes have a short window to accept applications. They also might close after a certain number of applications are received. We hope the information below will be helpful as you prepare your resume.
See below for upcoming positions, as well as details on how to apply on USAJobs.
Working as a Fish Biologist
As a Fish Biologist, you will perform independent scientific work related to one or more of the following disciplines—stock assessments, population dynamics, life history, genomics, ecosystem modeling, and data collection. You will perform the following duties:
- Apply knowledge of federal environmental processes under the Endangered Species Act, Magnuson-Stevens Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, and other applicable statutes to ensure the statutory compliance of plans and projects. Evaluate the effects of land and water development activities on various fish species, marine mammals, and aquatic habitats through a variety of scientific functions, stock assessments, population dynamics, life history, genomics, ecosystem modeling, and data collection.
- Review, gather, analyze, interpret, and synthesize scientific data and technical materials for the purpose of determining impacts on biological resources and aquatic habitats. Evaluate and recommend improvements to various assessments through the development and use of mathematical and statistical models. Convey the uncertainty of resource management alternatives and examine the consequences of climate change and other environmental factors. Evaluate sampling designs and carry out assessments of an assigned area of science collecting information, analyzing and providing that analysis in reports and contributions to publications.
- Contribute to or serve on a variety of international, national, regional, or local science or management bodies, including regional fishery management councils, to provide scientific information and to share related research plans and results. Provide consultative services to diverse stakeholders in the fields of fisheries science, population dynamics, marine ecology, and oceanography.
- Write or review fisheries- or protected species-related documents on scientific analyses and results for consumption by different stakeholders.
See the specific position openings below.
Pay Band 3 Fish Biologist, Permanent Position
4 positions available
Open: 12/12/2024
Close: 12/18/2024 (this job posting will close when we have received 250 applications, which may be sooner than the closing date)
Salary Range: $81,242 - $132,807 per year
Apply for a position through USAJobs
Location(s):
Northeast Fisheries Science Center: Highlands, NJ
Job Description:
This position, at the J.J. Howard Lab in Sandy Hook, New Jersey, will serve as research lead for field and/or laboratory research experiments and projects on the impacts of environmental change (natural or human-made) on wild caught, managed, or aquaculture saltwater finfish, as well as their habitats and ecosystems in the North Atlantic and Mid Atlantic regions. In this position, you will:
- Actively engage on transdisciplinary teams across NOAA Fisheries to develop research projects addressing large-scale and localized impacts of human activity on living marine resource populations in the North and Mid Atlantic.
- Serve as a technical expert in investigating and assessing a variety of complex science problems or situations and provide recommendations on methods or procedures for solving problems affecting living marine resources. Use research that is guided by regional strategic plans and NOAA Fisheries leadership, define technical problems requiring study and/or solutions to plan and develop advanced scientific and technical studies and evaluations.
- Work with seawater systems to conduct statistically rigorous experimentation that allows for the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data about NOAA managed finfish at any life stage.
- Develop and submit proposals for research funding; give scientific presentations on research findings; publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals; develop networks and collaborations among the scientific community and stakeholders; mentor junior scientists and trainees; recruit research associates and graduate students for collaboration.
Location(s):
Alaska Fisheries Science Center: Seattle, WA
Job Description:
- The Climate, Ecosystems, and Fisheries Initiative program manager in Alaska will help support the regional CEFI Decision Support Team lead to guide regional implementation for CEFI.
- In particular, the coordinator will help guide grants and budgets to support and develop climate informed tools and advice, support the DST lead and teams in prioritization of CEFI tool and product development, provide internal and external feedback and accountability for CEFI deliverables, specifically research, and products, and approaches that support long term sustainability of climate-informed ecosystem-based management of fisheries and living marine resources through operational climate-informed advice and tools.
- The lead will also help guide the regional DSTs to propose specific outcomes expected from CEFI with regular updates on progress towards milestones necessary for program success and sustainability.
- The program manager will also synthesize data, computing and personnel requirements needed from Alaska Fisheries Science Center programs to support the climate and fisheries models and to inform management that is aligned with milestones.
Location(s):
Alaska Fisheries Science Center: Seattle, WA
Job Description:
- This Electronic Monitoring Program Lead would function as one of the primary points of contact for the Alaska Fisheries Science Center’s EM Program keeping the lines of communication open among EM participants, the Fisheries Monitoring and Analysis Division, EM reviewers, the Alaska Regional Office, and Office of Law Enforcement.
- The lead would represent the EM program and would be the contact that the fishing industry, EM image reviewers, and data users turn to with questions and for support in navigating the EM Program.
- The EM lead will also help troubleshoot and resolve problems as they arise and take steps to avoid repeat problems in the future.
Location(s):
Office of Science and Technology: Seattle, WA or Silver Spring, MD
Job Description:
- This position is with the National Observer Program as the Observer Safety and Communications Coordinator at the Office of Science and Technology.
- This position requires knowledge of federal statutes including the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and the Endangered Species Act as well as experience with NOAA Fisheries Observer Safety Training Standards and other applicable laws to ensure the statutory compliance of policies and projects.
- This role requires excellent communication skills, both orally and in writing, to dictate scientific information for decision making, reports, and briefings.
Pay Band 3 Fish Biologist, Term Position (13 months up to 10 years)
3 positions available
Open: 12/19/2024
Close: 12/26/2024 (this job posting will close when we have received 250 applications, which may be sooner than the closing date)
Salary Range: $72,553 - $132,807 per year
Apply for a position through USAJobs
Location(s):
Northeast Fisheries Science Center: Milford, CT
Job Description:
As the Hatchery Lead for the Northeast Oyster Breeding Center in Milford, CT, this position will oversee and coordinate a team of contract technicians and professional subject matter experts in animal husbandry efforts to support oyster care and production across various life stages, both onshore and in natural waters. In this position, you will:
- Manage essential equipment, scheduling deployments, and organizing data collection to advance shellfish research and breeding program objectives
- Prepare, analyze, and compile data for inclusion in scientific and technical reports, publications, and presentations
- Engage with collaborators and stakeholders, including industry professionals and researchers, through meetings, fieldwork, and collaborative research efforts
Location(s):
Southeast Fisheries Science Center: Pascagoula, MS or Miami, FL
Job Description:
The selected candidate will serve as a field specialist, data manager, and survey coordinator within the Marine Mammal and Turtle Division to support marine mammal and sea turtle science and conservation. In this position, you will:
- Conduct, support, and/or oversee all aspects of field research activities (as required or appropriate with skill and experience) conducted by the division and partners from project design to data collection, management, sharing (internal), and dissemination of scientific information (external).
- Develop and update standard research protocols, and comply with scientific research permit requirements, including compliance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Endangered Species Act, and the Animal Welfare Act and NMFS Animal Care and Use Policy.
- Prepare briefings and reports for internal and external audiences, and co-author/author peer-reviewed publications.
- Manage and curate data for accuracy and quality, ensuring metadata is provided, and data is properly stored, archived, and accessible in established repositories.
Other duties could include:
- Serve as the primary point of contact for chief scientist(s) to provide project planning, budget, and logistical support for ship and/or field surveys.
- Assist project investigators, the Marine Mammal and Turtle Division, and center director in preparing ship time requests, justifications for requests, and evaluating potential funding and time allocation scenarios to achieve science and mission objectives.
- Oversee field survey equipment inventory, repair, maintenance, and storage, including working, as needed, operating the forklift and crane to prepare and load/unload equipment.
- Oversee and prepare survey equipment for loans nationally and internationally.
- Maintain and update our website, including posting newsworthy stories and field survey blogs, and sharing briefings and reports internally and externally.
- Manage biological sample collection and processing.
- Present results from field surveys.
Location(s):
Northwest Fisheries Science Center: Hammond, OR
Job Description:
This position will serve as a researcher for the Estuary and Ocean Ecology Program of the NWFSC based in Hammond, Oregon. In this position, you will:
- Work on studies being conducted to evaluate the survival and timing of juvenile and adult salmonids passing through the Columbia River estuary involving the recovery of Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tag data from salmonids in the Columbia River Basin
- Organize and direct field operations and seasonal field staff on three seasonal sampling efforts
- Lead data organization and management year-round
- Facilitate the development and testing of novel PIT technologies
- Continually coordinate with collaborators
- Evaluate of results
- Communicate findings with scientists and managers to support management of endangered species
- Perform all aspects and phases of the research work including:
- Overseeing PIT tag data collection
- Performing routine data analyses
- Drafting scientific reports and papers.
- Lead and perform data entry of PIT tag data including error checking, maintaining and updating databases (MS Access and PTAGIS)
- Organize data in appropriate formats for agency and other reports
Pay Band 3/4 Fish Biologist, Permanent Position
9 positions available
Open: 12/17/2024
Close: 12/23/2024 (this job posting will close when we have received 250 applications, which may be sooner than the closing date)
Salary Range: $72,553 - $181,216 per year
Apply for a position through USAJobs
Location(s):
Alaska Fisheries Science Center: Seattle, WA
Job Description:
This position is with the Midwater Assessment and Conservation Engineering Program at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle. The Program is responsible for designing and conducting acoustic-trawl ecosystem assessment surveys and related applied research using trawl, acoustic, and/or optical sampling tools focused on walleye pollock and other midwater species in the Gulf of Alaska and eastern Bering Sea. In this position, you will:
- Lead team-based projects and provide strong mathematical, software programming, and statistical modeling skills to design, conduct, and publish research related to acoustic-trawl surveys
- Lead research on implementation of an analytical model to quantify the total uncertainty associated with acoustic-trawl survey estimates of abundance, and implementation of a probabilistic method for echo classification and abundance estimation
- Participate in at-sea in acoustic-trawl surveys aboard large research vessels in Alaska to apply established and innovative survey methods to estimate the distribution and abundance of midwater fishes and other species.
Location(s):
Office of Science and Technology: Seattle, WA or Silver Spring, MD
Job Description:
Fisheries Stock Assessment Specialist within the Assessment Branch at the Office of Science and Technology. In this position, you will:
- Coordinate tracking and reporting for living marine resource stock assessments, and recommend improvements to streamline stock assessment prioritization and the stock assessment processes.
- Work within existing efforts and tools in the office, including the Species Information System, the stock assessment workflows reporting project, and the Fisheries Integrated Modeling System.
- Liaise with policy counterparts in the Office of Sustainable Fisheries, regional science centers, and external partners to coordinate across the science-policy interface.
Location(s):
Southeast Fisheries Science Center: Ocean Springs, MS
Job Description:
Leads, designs and conducts a research program to support NOAA’S mission in development of sustainable marine aquaculture for commercially important shellfish and restoration of native species in the Southeast Region of the United States. Specifically, research will primarily focus on development of an oyster breeding program improving the production and climate readiness of the species for aquaculture and restoration. Research will be conducted at the Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Pascagoula, MS, the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, MS and in field locations or shellfish farms across the Region.
Long-term goals of this research are aimed at improving reproductive performance of shellfish broodstock; selection of strains with improved growth, disease resistance and/or resilience to ocean acidification and climate change; development of new species for commercial aquaculture; and reducing impacts of hatchery rearing on genetic/epigenetic variation of native species being cultured for restoration purposes; and reducing genetic risks of aquaculture to native stocks.
This position will require experience with genetics and bioinformatics to address questions related to disease resistance and adaptive plasticity of shellfish to cope with ocean acidification and climate change. Other foci will be reproduction of shellfish broodstock and development of approaches for production of reproductively sterile lines of shellfish for aquaculture. This will involve the study of reproduction, growth, development, and genetics/epigenetics of shellfish.
Location(s):
Southeast Fisheries Science Center: Lafayette, LA; Pascagoula, MS; Miami, FL
Job Description:
In this position, you will:
- Lead, plan, and conduct research in the Marine Mammal Molecular Genomics program to support marine mammal conservation. The goal is to understand marine mammal population structure, behavior, ecology, distribution, abundance, evolution, and health in the Gulf of Mexico, Western Atlantic, Caribbean (Southeast region), and internationally, using established and innovative molecular genetics/genomics tools and techniques.
- Develop the scientific research priorities for the program and prioritize actions in coordination with the Marine Mammal and Turtle Division leadership and staff. They will execute all phases of projects including: developing proposals, managing budgets and lab resources, planning and conducting experiments; collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data; assuring data integrity and quality control; preparing data for archival and public access; drawing conclusions and making recommendations for future work; and presenting and publishing technical reports of the findings. This multi-disciplinary position involves coordination and cooperation with other research teams within and outside the Division.
- Secure internal and external funding to support basic and advanced research activities; recruit and mentor interns, graduate students, and post-docs; and foster and strengthen interdisciplinary research collaborations with academia, environmental organizations, industry, and other federal agencies.
- Have knowledge of molecular genetics and genomics tools and their application to inform NOAA’s management needs including scientific decisions for marine mammal conservation under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act. You will keep abreast of the latest knowledge and technologies, as well as leadership and project management skills is a key part of the job and regular leadership and technical skill development is encouraged.
- Actively lead/support Southeast Fisheries Science Center and NOAA's omics initiatives (domestically and internationally) through participation in working groups, and committees, and provide technical advice and support cross-functional research within and beyond NOAA.
Location(s):
Southeast Fisheries Science Center: Lafayette, LA; Pascagoula, MS; or Miami, FL
Job Description:
As a Fish Biologist in the Sea Turtle Branch at the Southeast Fisheries Science Center, you will:
- Conduct research to inform effective management of the five sea turtle species in the Southeast region by investigating factors affecting population dynamics and distribution of sea turtles, including feeding ecology, life stage, growth and condition, environmental conditions, prey availability, habitat quality, climate change, and anthropogenic threats.
- Develop the scientific research priorities for the program and prioritize actions in coordination with the Marine Mammal and Turtle Division leadership and staff.
- Be responsible for all aspects and phases of research including: leading/co-leading original research projects; planning and conducting field research and experiments; ensuring compliance with all pertinent national and institutional permits and protocols; collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data; drawing conclusions and making recommendations for future work; publishing technical reports and peer-reviewed articles of the findings; presenting research at regional, national, and international conferences; and planning intramural and extramural grant proposals for individual research projects that include support for program building and knowledge transfer.
- Have knowledge and experience in planning and conducting ecological field research and experiments, analyzing resulting data, and applying findings to NOAA’s management needs, including scientific decisions for the recovery and management of sea turtles under the Endangered Species Act.
- Recruit and mentor interns, graduate students, and post-docs and foster and strengthen interdisciplinary research collaborations with academia, environmental organizations, industry, and other federal agencies. You will keep abreast of the latest knowledge and technologies, as well as leadership and project management skills is a key part of the job and regular leadership and technical skill development is encouraged.
- Actively lead/support agency initiatives (domestically and internationally) through participation in working groups, and committees, and provide technical advice and support cross-functional research within and beyond NOAA.
Location(s):
Southeast Fisheries Science Center: Pascagoula, MS
Job Description:
As a Fish Biologist within the Advanced Technology and Innovation Branch of the FATES Division, you will carry out routine and well-established scientific tasks and develop novel data processing pipelines under general guidance while specifically performing the following:
- Support the research of fish biologists at the Southeast Fisheries Science Center, by assisting with the collection and processing of fish biological, environmental, and habitat data collected with various data collection platforms. Participate in at-sea surveys in potentially harsh weather conditions on uneven surfaces; serve as science crew, lead scientist, and field-party-chief at sea for four-week periods. Assist with survey cruise and scientific sampling planning. Must be able to stand for long periods of time, ascend and descend ladders, lift up to 50 lbs. unassisted, and transport research gear with a government vehicle to various ports of research.
- Support the maintenance, configuration, and deployment of scientific data platforms and harvest gears used in fisheries independent surveys. Possess and apply practical knowledge, experience, and judgment to operate, deploy, and analyze resulting data for underwater image systems, Conductivity-Temperature-Depth sensors, bathymetric sensors (sidescan and multibeam), plankton samplers (bongo nets), environmental DNA samplers, and fishery gears (long-line, bandit reels, trawls, traps). Possess and apply knowledge to participate in biological sampling, such as handling and working up fish and invertebrate biological measurements, the extraction of otoliths and gonads, and genetic samples.
- Possess and apply knowledge of artificial intelligence and machine learning tools to improve data processing efficiency for data collected during fishery surveys, specifically for underwater and aerial imagery focused on the detection and enumeration of fish and protected species. Under general guidance, lead the creation and curation of imagery annotation and training libraries. Train AI/ML models, execute models on large data volumes, evaluate performance, and summarize results for scientific reports and databases. Acquire and maintain expertise in the use and progression of VIAME and additional AI/ML software. Develop standard operating procedures for the use of AI/ML workflows for the automation of image processing and assists with the transition of research to operations. Develop and employ statistical methods to evaluate and summarize AI/ML results. Possess or acquire the ability to transition analytical pipelines onto cloud platforms. Function as a resource for the automation of additional data types collected by SEFSC through collaboration and staying current with scientific literature.
- Review and generate scientific reports and manuscripts for science publications. Participate in proposal development and communicate scientific results at workshops, science conferences, and meetings.
Location(s):
Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center: Honolulu, HI
Job Description:
This position will reside in the Fisheries Research and Monitoring Division. The Research Fish Biologist duties will help to advance research estimating, evaluating, and understanding interactions between Pacific Island fisheries and target, non-target, bycatch, and protected species. In this position, you will:
- Assist in the estimation of bycatch and protected species interactions and mortalities to meet annual reporting requirements.
- Develop and support efforts that further our understanding of fishery-species interactions, with a focus on protected species, to facilitate the sustainable management of Pacific Islands fisheries.
- Lead and participate in projects and analyses to improve our understanding of the impact management decisions have on fishery-species interactions as well as the impact of interactions on population dynamics.
- Be responsible for: analyzing, and interpreting data; drawing conclusions and making recommendations for future work; publishing technical reports and peer-reviewed articles of the findings; presenting research at regional, national, and international meetings and conferences.
- Have good quantitative skills and an ability to update and maintain these skills by keeping abreast of the latest knowledge and technologies.
- Actively lead/support agency initiatives (domestically and internationally) through participation in working groups, and committees, and provide technical advice and support cross-functional research within and beyond NOAA.
Location(s):
Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center: Honolulu, HI
Job Description:
This position will reside in the Fisheries Research and Monitoring Division. The Fish Biologist duties will focus on data management, summarization, and analysis/data science in support of stock assessment reporting obligations to the fishery council and Regional Fisheries Management Organizations. In this position, you will:
- Work closely with a team of data managers, stock assessment scientists, economists, and other researchers to understand their data needs and develop curated and integrated data products.
- Have skills in standard query language (SQL), the ability to navigate centralized data management systems (Oracle, MySQL), understand data management and open science best practices, and be dedicated to continually improving data services. You will need analytical skills and to be proficient in common data analysis languages and open science tools (R, Python, Github).
- Work closely with a data management team that is dedicated to supporting agency initiatives (domestically and internationally) through participation in working groups, and committees, and provides technical advice and support cross-functional research within and beyond NOAA.
Location(s):
NOAA Fisheries West Coast Regional Office: Portland, OR
Job Description:
This position reports directly to the Interior Columbia Basin Division Assistant Regional Administrator. In this position, you will:
- Coordinate environmental policy throughout the Columbia Basin and within the West Coast Region.
- Integrate emerging science, policy, and law to formulate recommendations to the ARA for advancing our mission to conserve living marine resources within the Columbia Basin.
- Respond to taskers; organize division contributions to strategic plans; perform quality control of documents; coordinate with customers and partners; prioritize division workload; engagement on policy workgroups; and increase efficiency and effectiveness of division programs.
Applicant Resources
Use these tips and resources when applying for positions at NOAA Fisheries.
Stay Up to Date on Job Postings
Search “National Marine Fisheries Service” on USAJOBS and save your search to get updates on new jobs as they become available.
Have Your Resume Ready
Learn how to create an account, profile, and draft resume in advance on USAJOBS. View the resume requirements for the positions before you apply so you know what to include.
Check Your Time Zone
All job postings and deadlines for these positions will be in Eastern Time. We cannot grant requests for extensions.