Marine Biologist

MANTECH seeks a motivated, career and customer-oriented Marine Biologist to join our team in Solana Beach, CA. This will be an onsite position.

The Marine Biologist in this position will support the preparation of a variety of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation, natural resource management initiatives, and state and Federal permitting documents for Department of Defense customers.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Leading and supporting natural resource-related projects, including designing, managing, and conducting biological resource surveys and ecological studies.
• Preparing, reviewing, and overseeing environmental planning documentation, including NEPA documents, Environmental Impact Statements (EIS), Overseas EIS, Environmental Assessments (EA), and Categorical Exclusions (CATEX).
• Developing specialized regulatory packages, such as Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 7 consultation packages and Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) assessments under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
• Drafting comprehensive mitigation and monitoring plans, technical biological reports, and specialized research documentation on marine habitats, vegetation, and sea turtle ecology.
• Coordinating directly with multi-disciplinary project teams comprising staff scientists, engineers, and academic researchers to manage research and compliance workflows.
• Participating in formal regulatory agency consultations with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
• Preparing and delivering project timelines, technical briefs, and executive presentations directly to Department of Defense and agency clients.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master's degree in marine biology or a closely related field.
• 5+ years of relevant professional experience in natural resource management, environmental project management, and scientific data analysis.
• Demonstrated experience with NEPA requirements, documentation, and federal environmental compliance for Department of Defense programs.
• Experience with ESA and Magnuson-Stevens Act regulatory compliance, consultation procedures, and preparation of biological assessments.
• Professional experience with federal and state natural resource permitting processes and environmental resource management.
• Prior experience writing concise technical reports and managing simultaneous projects with tight deadlines
• Willingness to travel for project related responsibilities

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior military background or experience supporting Department of Defense environmental programs.
• Specific research or survey expertise in sea turtle ecology, marine vegetation, and sensitive coastal habitats.
• Proven track record of independently managing complex projects across multi-disciplinary, fast-paced technical teams.

Clearance Requirements:

• Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.

Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time.
• Needs to occasionally move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc.
• Frequently communicates with co-workers, management, and customers, which may involve delivering presentations. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.