As the official nonprofit partner of NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, we support 18 marine environments from Massachusetts to American Samoa and the Great Lakes to the Florida Keys. We protect these iconic places, care for marine wildlife and habitats, honor our nation’s maritime heritage, and promote the enjoyment of public waters by all Americans. Through public fundraising and partnerships, we invest in community stewardship and engagement, on-the-water conservation and restoration, education and outreach in visitor centers and gateway communities, and cutting-edge scientific exploration.
About the National Marine Sanctuaries
America’s national marine sanctuaries are living classrooms, laboratories, and community assets that protect the waters shaping our shared future. Managed by NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), this network of 18 marine protected areas is multi-use by nature and spans more than 629,000 square miles of ocean and Great Lakes—from coral reefs and kelp forests to historic shipwrecks and whale migration routes.
In partnership with marine research institutions, universities, and private-public partnerships, activities in each sanctuary are sources of solutions to today’s most pressing challenges. Sanctuaries safeguard marine biodiversity, sustain fisheries, power coastal economies, and inspire stewardship through science, education and outreach, and outdoor recreation from boating to fishing. Many sanctuary gateway communities include visitor centers and community partnerships with zoos, aquariums, and museums that extend this impact—serving as hubs for conservation, innovation, commerce, and tourism where people engage directly with the ocean and Great Lakes.
What We Need
The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that is a leading voice for U.S. protected waters, is seeking a Junior Survey Technician, a position responsible for supporting at-sea oceanographic research operations in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary as well as manage equipment and data related to oceanographic monitoring. The Junior Survey Technician will support work that is part of the scope of a cooperative agreement between the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.
Working day-to-day as a member of the OCNMS Research Team, the Junior Survey Technician is primarily responsible for assisting the Survey Technician with performing the following functions: 1) oceanographic and hydrographic survey data acquisition and processing operations; 2) technical assistance to program personnel; 3) administering the safekeeping and transmittal of data; and 4) maintaining oceanographic and hydrographic survey instruments; along with other responsibilities as assigned to support site operations.
What You’ll Do
Conduct Annual Field Operations
- Assist in the maintenance, operation, and monitoring of mission equipment utilized on the vessels including oceanographic and hydrographic instrumentation (including all aspects of the oceanographic mooring arrays)
- Assist in preparation, installation, deployment, and recovery of oceanographic and/or hydrographic survey equipment and instruments
- Annotate records and record data according to site data management plan
- Assist in preparations for and completion of oceanographic and hydrographic survey operations
- Assist with performing maintenance on facilities and trailers as needed
- Organize existing documentation and create new Standard Operations Procedures (as needed) that outline the tasks necessary to conduct operations annually
Maintenance, Acquisition, and Operational/Analytical Improvement
- Coordinate calibration and service of oceanographic and hydrographic instruments
- Assist in upkeep and capital improvements of the research platforms as required to accomplish site management goals
- Assist in coordination and collaboration with partner organizations and other NOAA offices in support of oceanographic monitoring, hydrographic surveys, and to accomplish organizational goals
Data Management
- Assist Survey Technician in performing initial quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) for field collected data as it is submitted to OCNMS
- Organize existing documentation and create new Standard Operations Procedures (as needed) that outline the tasks necessary to ensure proper data management and public availability according to the NOS Data Management guidelines
Who You Are
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor of Science degree in engineering, geography, oceanography, ecology, marine biology, or related field.
- Experience in marine technology, field physical science or at least one year of experience in vessel-based research operations.
- Demonstrated proficiency in equipment operation and vessel-based science activities.
- Familiarity with GIS, sonar and remote sensing instruments and/or data acquisition and processing.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team environment and carry out assignments independently.
- Strong project management skills.
- Flexibility to maintain a varying work schedule as needed, including occasional weekends, evenings, and nights.
- Willingness to travel in support of sanctuary activities.
- Position occasionally includes varied mealtime hours, and requires lifting up to 50 pounds, working outdoors, and working offshore in adverse ocean and weather conditions.
- Must have a valid U.S. driver’s license.
- Regular attendance required.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Bachelor of Science and one year of experience
Salary range: $55,000 – $59,000/year
Application deadline: February 16, 2026
Location: NOAA’s Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary office in Port Angeles, WA
