Senior ESA Section 7 Consultation Scientist (Remote)

Spatial Front, Inc; United States; Remote; USD 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Spatial Front, Inc. seeks a Lead ESA Section 7 Consultation Scientist to support NOAA Fisheries SERO in St. Petersburg, FL.

This fully remote, east-coast business hours role requires senior-level expertise to conduct literature reviews, analyze complex regulatory and biological issues, and prepare defensible Section 7 consultations. The candidate will lead, mentor, and QA/QC junior scientists, coordinate with federal agencies and applicants, and draft agency responses with MS Office tools.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or higher in Marine Science, Marine Biology, Biology, Oceanography, Marine Policy, or closely related discipline.
• Minimum of 5 years of directly related professional experience, including substantive ESA Section 7 work.
• Ability to independently perform complex ESA Section 7 consultations with minimal supervision.
• Experience providing technical leadership, mentoring, and oversight to less-senior scientific staff.
• Ability to review others’ work and provide actionable guidance for defensible, legally sufficient consultations.
• Knowledge of Southeast US species habitats and related coastal/ocean environments.
• Strong technical writing, organizational, and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a senior technical resource for ESA Section 7 consultations, evaluating complex issues.
• Provide technical leadership and oversight to less-senior ESA Scientists.
• Mentor and train junior ESA Scientists in SERO practices and ESA theory.
• Conduct QA/QC reviews of consultation documents for biological accuracy and legal sufficiency.
• Participate in Section 7 QA/QC meetings and review complex biological opinions.
• Coordinate with federal agencies, applicants, and other stakeholders to resolve issues.
• Draft agency response documents using Microsoft tools.
• Provide meeting coordination and data management support for Section 7 consultations.

Skills

Technical leadership

Mentoring

QA/QC reviews

ESA Section 7 knowledge

Scientific writing

Independent judgment

Regulatory analysis

Education

Master’s degree in Marine Science or related field

Tools

NMFS ECO tracking system

Microsoft Office

Google Workspace

Job description

Spatial Front, Inc. seeks a Lead ESA Section 7 Consultation Scientist to support NOAA Fisheries SERO in St. Petersburg, FL.

This fully remote, east-coast business hours role requires senior-level expertise to conduct literature reviews, analyze complex regulatory and biological issues, and prepare defensible Section 7 consultations. The candidate will lead, mentor, and QA/QC junior scientists, coordinate with federal agencies and applicants, and draft agency responses with MS Office tools.