Environmental Planner – Marine Protected Area Planning & Evaluation

CARDINAL POINT CAPTAINS INC; Honolulu (HI); On-site; USD 85,000 - 94,000; Full time

Job summary

NOAA is seeking an Environmental Planner (Marine Protected Area Planning & Evaluation) to support site evaluation strategies and management plans in Honolulu, HI. The role entails coordinating with partner agencies, developing evaluation metrics, and assisting with sanctuary planning and reporting.

The position emphasizes strong communication, analytical skills, and the ability to manage multiple tasks under deadlines, with a focus on planning documents, public engagement, and policy-related

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or higher in conservation biology, environmental sciences, geography, or related fields.
• Three to five years’ experience in natural resources planning or related evaluations.
• Ability to communicate complex ideas to managers and staff.

Responsibilities

• Support development of site evaluation strategy and site management plans.
• Implement and test evaluation strategy methods.
• Coordinate with partner agencies for metrics and data.
• Contribute to Sanctuary Management Plan tracking tool updates.
• Prepare annual Sanctuary Management Plan reviews and five-year status reports.
• Assist in development of planning documents and environmental reviews.

Skills

Communication

Analytical thinking

Project management

Multitasking

Time management

Education

Bachelor’s degree (preferred Master’s) in conservation/environmental fields

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

MS Word

MS Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Description

Location: NOAA Inouye Regional Center, Honolulu, Hawaii

Relocation: No relocation offered for this position

Status: Full-Time

Classification: Exempt, Salary

Pay: $85,000 - $94,000 annually, depending on experience

The Pacific Island Region (PIR) of NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries manages the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, Papahanaumokuakea National Marine Sanctuary, and the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa. The PIR staff are located across multiple islands. The work is accomplished with personnel with varying responsibilities, including sanctuary management, education, outreach, research, resource protection, facility operations, and administration.

We are looking for an Environmental Planner (Marine Protected Area Planning & Evaluation) to provide various planning and evaluation support tasks for the team, working primarily in Honolulu, Hawaii, at NOAA’s Inouye Regional Center.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Support the continued development of the site evaluation strategy and other site management plans;
• Implement and test existing evaluation strategy methods;
• Coordinate with partner agencies in the collection and analysis of identified metrics for evaluation;
• Coordinate with partners and Sanctuary staff to incorporate program information in the Sanctuary Management Plan tracking tool;
• Support the development and production of the annual review of Sanctuary Management Plan implementation;
• Support the preparation of a five-year Sanctuary Status Report based on information in annual reports, monitoring results, and evaluation efforts;
• Support meetings with partner agencies to identify changes and updates needed to the Sanctuary Management Plan;
• Support managers with the development of management plans and the management plan review process, including writing environmental impact statements, reviewing and drafting responses to public comments, staffing public meetings, developing focal area plans for key action areas (such as outreach, education, interpretation, and
• research plans), and developing site resource requirements;
• Support the development of PIR site step-down plans called for in the Management Plan;
• Support site leadership and the Sanctuary Advisory Council (SAC) to plan and carry out quarterly SAC meetings;
• Support site leadership in policy development and implementation and assess potential impacts; and
• Support the region and sites in coordinating the review and clearance of necessary processes with headquarters and other partners.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (Master’s preferred) from an accredited college or university in conservation biology, environmental sciences, geography, environmental planning, physical or marine biological sciences, social sciences, or other related fields.
• Three to five (3-5) years’ experience supporting natural resources planning efforts, including but not limited to writing evaluation documents, and supporting the developing of management plans.
• Experience working with multiple agencies, organization of projects and effectively communicating complex ideas and issues to managers and other staff.
• Ability to work with site managers and partner agencies in the development of focal area and strategic plans, such as outreach and education, and research coordination plans for one or more sites in the PIR.
• Knowledge of project tracking, evaluation and monitoring techniques and tools.
• Understanding of issues with data collection and analysis.
• Working knowledge of principles of natural resources or cultural resources management.
• Working knowledge of the practices and principles of planning and the development of planning documents.
• Ability to implement and manage projects.
• Excellent Microsoft (MS)Word, Excel, and PowerPoint skills.
• Outstanding English verbal and written communication skills, attention to detail, organization and time management skills.
• Ability to learn quickly and gain new skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Ability to work under short deadlines and changing priorities.
• Comfortable working as part of a team, and ability to multitask.

AAP/EEO Statement

CPC is an EEO employer. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, or covered veteran status.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.