Ocean Career: NOAA NOS Director Office of Coastal Management

Duties

The Director contributes to national strategies for achieving biological, cultural and economic sustainability by providing information tools and training necessary to assess, predict, and improve the management of and health of the Nation’s coastal natural and human ecosystems. The Director takes into consideration a wide range of interests including development, recreation, and transportation needs, to preserving habitats and water quality, to providing for future sustainable development and community resiliency.

• Responsible for all office activities ranging from developing new tools for coastal resources management, regional monitoring demonstrations, and multi-disciplinary measurement technologies, to coastal management strategy assessments and ecosystem health data and information management.
• Serves as the connection between the activities of the Office and the users of its products and directs the development of problem-based partnerships to explore and define coastal issues, leverage external community capabilities and assets, and establish realistic objectives.
• Sets priorities, brings all of the Office’s scientific, management, and technical resources to bear on priority problems, and makes policy and programmatic decisions that affect all regions of the Nation.
• Provides a programmatic and philosophical framework for the Office and creates partnerships with Federal, state and local government and non-government organizations to implement a viable program.
• Creates a balance among the Office staff and the NOAA programs that utilize the Office, to ensure effective cross-NOAA cooperation and collaboration, and to foster and transfer widely applicable lessons learned and work results.
• Directs the administration of the provisions of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended; the Coral Reef Conservation Act; the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act, and the Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Act.
• Facilitates a broad range of management assistance, through state fellowship programs; policy guidance, specialized training assessment, design, and delivery, and professional meeting planning and logistics needs assessments, evaluations, and customer surveys; and communication and understanding through trade publications and other means.
• Leads and partners in collaborative approaches to frame issues, build capacity, and exchange lessons learned domestically and abroad to design and implement effective tools and approaches for coastal decision making.
• Improves coastal managers’ information assessment and decision-making capabilities through the development and application of spatial data and technologies including geographic information systems, social and economic information, risk communication information, spatial data development, data integration, decision support system development, software application development, database programming, training, outreach, and technical support.
• Ensures compliance with Federal Geographic Data Committee standards and metadata requirements, and with enhanced access to coastal products, data, publications, tools, and information via the internet.
• Analyzes and interprets satellite, aircraft, and aqueous-derived imagery and creates timeseries data sets and catalogues of natural and built systems delineating baseline conditions and coastal, estuarine, ocean, and Great Lakes change trends.
• Enables management of coastal and ocean resources and uses through strengthening governance and investments in the development and implementation of comprehensive policies, rules, and plans.
• Directs the development, implementation, evaluation, and funding of state Coastal Zone Management programs, National Estuarine Research Reserves, and related activities under the Coastal Zone Management Act, and the Coral Reef Conservation Program.
• Leads cross NOAA efforts to protect and restore the nation’s coral resources.
• Advises the AA, NOS on the acquisition, utilization and integration of resources (including private sector contracting) to meet present OCM needs. Advises the AA and other NOAA management officials on major program and policy development matters and interrelationships.
• Represents NOAA/NOS and serves as technical expert on interagency, national and international committees as well as liaison with industry, research institutions, and various professional societies regarding the direction and integration of coastal ocean management issues.
• Encourages broad public support and involvement in OCM programs in order to solve problems which affect the Nation’s coastal and ocean regions. Directs educational and awareness programs to improve understanding of coastal zone management practices.
• Keeps abreast of new technological developments and problems that have an impact on the Nation’s coastal, estuarine, ocean, and Great Lakes regions, and takes necessary steps to introduce improvements in line with OCM responsibilities.

Qualifications

PROFESSIONAL/TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (PTQs):

1. Demonstrated experience developing and administering coastal resource management programs which enable sustainable development and community resilience.
2. Experience collaborating and partnering with Federal, state and local governments as well as international natural resource, environmental and marine science organizations and industries to develop synergistic relationships which support coastal zone management.

EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs):

1. Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding – This core qualification requires a demonstrated knowledge of the American system of government, commitment to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, and commitment to serve the American people.
2. Driving Efficiency – This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades.
3. Merit and Competence – This core qualification involves the demonstrated knowledge, ability and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality.
4. Leading People – This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to lead and inspire a group toward meeting the organization’s vision, mission, and goals, and to drive a high-performance, high-accountability culture. This includes, when necessary, the ability to lead people through change and to hold individuals accountable.
5. Achieving Results – This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors.

Application deadline: August 17, 2026

Salary range: $151,661 – $228,000 per year

Location: Silver Spring, Maryland

Learn more about this opportunity and how to apply.