Take Reduction Team Coordinator

POSITION DESCRIPTION :

The Take Reduction Team Coordinator will support the NMFS West Coast Region in organizing and managing the formation, operation, and strategic execution of a Marine Mammal Take Reduction Team (TRT) tasked with addressing whale entanglements along the U.S. West Coast. The Coordinator will work closely with NMFS scientists, TRT facilitators, fishery stakeholders, and federal and state partners to schedule meetings, develop agendas, draft summaries, facilitate information exchange, and guide the development and implementation of a Take Reduction Plan. Duties include synthesizing entanglement data, contributing to stakeholder working groups, preparing regulatory documentation, and participating in outreach, stakeholder engagement, and scientific initiatives such as aerial surveys. This position requires strong communication and project management skills, regular reporting, and technical expertise in marine mammal conservation, entanglement science, and West Coast fixed-gear fisheries.

REQUIREMENTS :

• Bachelor's degree in biological sciences, conservation biology, wildlife management or related fields
• Experience working with diverse groups of stakeholder teams
• Experience with the requirements of the MMPA
• Experience working with entanglement data reporting, management and evaluation
• Experience working within the West Coast Region Stranding Network
• Experience working directly with researchers, fishermen , fishery management, and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), in person and remotely
• Expertise in project and data management
• Expert knowledge in NOAA Fisheries policies and programs
• Expert in project planning and management in team setting
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Knowledge of US West Coast gear configuration, seasonality, distribution effort, and regulations
• Knowledge of whale biology and ecology along the West Coast
• Must have current MS Office and GIS skills

RESPONSIBILITIES :

• Schedule and generate agendas for meetings, document meeting notes, and coordinate activities
• Maintain communication with key NOAA staff on work progress and review materials
• Maintain contact with all members to ensure continuous engagement throughout the process
• Assist with collection, management, evaluation, and dissemination of entanglement data along with periodic reporting of analysis
• Work with researchers, and other stakeholders to analyze entanglement data and other related information to help address the entanglement issue
• Conduct quarterly reviews of entanglement reports
• Participate in aerial surveys and other field work to support NOAA initiatives