Cardinal Point Captains, Inc. (CPC) is seeking an experienced and qualified individual to serve as a Policy Analyst to support the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) Eastern Region in Silver Spring, Maryland. This full-time position is anticipated to be for 12 months. The Policy Analyst should be based in the Mid-Atlantic, New England or Great Lakes area.

ONMS, established in 1972 by the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA) and administered by NOAA’s National Ocean Service, protects a network of special marine and freshwater areas. The goal of the NMSA is to set aside and manage areas for resource protection, research, enhanced public education, and compatible public and private uses.  The ONMS serves as the trustee for a network of marine protected areas encompassing more than 620,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters from Washington State to the Florida Keys, and from Lake Huron to American Samoa. Important habitats like breeding and feeding grounds of whales, sea lions, sharks and sea turtles; coral reefs; kelp forests; and historic shipwrecks are represented within the system of sanctuaries. 

The ONMS Eastern Regional Office provides support and services to all the sanctuaries in the Eastern Region for operations, regulations; environmental compliance; new sanctuary designations; permitting; management effectiveness programs; Stakeholder Engagement/ Sanctuary Advisory Councils; conservation policy; and strategic planning.

Primary sanctuary designation support activities to be performed by the Policy Analyst include:

• Support the outreach and engagement with Indigenous Nations and Tribes in the ONMS Eastern Region.
• Compile information and resources from and about Indigenous Peoples, needed to support sanctuary designations in the region.
• Assist ONMS Eastern Regional Office staff with identifying opportunities for ONMS to meet with Indigenous Nations and Tribes.
• Advise ONMS staff on various communications, outreach, and engagement strategies and logistical considerations with Indigenous Peoples for sanctuary designations in the region. 
• Plan, organize, and facilitate meetings with Indigenous governments within the Eastern Region.
• Other duties include but are not limited to:
• Support the drafting of formal and informal documents to support sanctuary designations in the Eastern Region;
• Support the coordination of internal agency approval and interagency partner reviews with state and federal agencies; 
• Support development of public rollout and communications products;
• Support the drafting of best management practices and guidance documents for the sanctuary designation process; 
• Provide policy guidance under the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Administrative Procedures Act, National Historic Preservation Act, Coastal Zone Management Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, Endangered Species Act, and Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Ac; and
• Travel within the Eastern Region where sanctuaries are currently undergoing designation, including New York and Pennsylvania. 

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, masters preferred in environmental policy, natural or cultural resource management or related field;
• Experience working with Indigenous Communities;
• Excellent oral communication and interpersonal skills with an ability to interact and communicate complex topics to interested stakeholders and the public.. 
• Experience working with federal government and state agencies, preferred.
• Experience conducting analyses of coastal and marine policy issues, providing management and program support services, acquiring and synthesizing information from a variety of sources, and developing mission-advancing recommendations regarding legislation, internal operations, processes, and strategic planning
• Extensive experience providing program coordination support to a natural resource management agency.
• Advanced organizational skills and experience coordinating stakeholder engagement and public meetings to inform policy and management.
• Knowledge and understanding of Sanctuary and ONMS policies and procedures regarding Advisory Councils. 

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.