Oceanographic Technical Specialist 1–Communications and Outreach

Ocean Associates, Inc. (OAI) is seeking to hire a Communications Specialist to support NOAA’s Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS), with a specific focus on corporate communications and engagement for the upcoming National Tidal Datum Epoch (NTDE) and International Great Lakes Datum (IGLD) updates. OAI is a Virginia corporation established in 2003 that provides consulting and technical services to the U.S. government, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, and the private sector. We specialize in scientific program and project management, strategic planning, professional and technical services, and stakeholder engagement, supporting government contracts.

NOAA CO-OPS is the Nation’s authoritative source for accurate, reliable, and timely tides, water levels, currents, and other coastal oceanographic and meteorological information. CO-OPS maintains ocean observing infrastructure, including more than 200 permanent water level stations on the U.S. coasts and Great Lakes called the National Water Level Observation Network (NWLON), an integrated system of real-time sensors concentrated in busy seaports, and temporary meters that collect observations for tidal current predictions. Through these systems, we provide the nation with historical and real-time data, forecasts, predictions, and scientific analyses that protect life, the economy, and the environment on the coast.

Water level data collected from NWLON must meet rigorous scientific standards because it is used to calculate tide and water level datums, the official vertical reference framework for the nation’s coast and Great Lakes. CO-OPS oceanographers produce and maintain the nation’s official tide and water level datums. These products are foundational for everything from NOAA nautical charts to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers infrastructure projects to local marsh restoration, and they serve as the legal basis for marine boundary and shoreline determination.

CO-OPS is midway through a significant update of these vertical datum references, known as the National Tidal Datum Epoch (NTDE) and the International Great Lakes Datum (IGLD) updates. These updates will affect a large community of users and other stakeholders, and CO-OPS is actively working to engage and inform them of these updates. The Communications Specialist will principally collaborate with CO-OPS’ existing Datums Engagement Specialist to support the design and execution of community outreach efforts related to these critical datum updates. Additionally, the position will support strategic corporate communications efforts, focusing specifically on website modernization and social media engagement. The candidate hired in this role should be skilled in Content Management System (CMS), ideally WordPress, and evaluating engagement processes, which includes analyzing social media performance, feedback surveys, and focus groups to identify areas of improvement.

Key Responsibilities:

Requirements include, but are not limited to:

• Working directly with the CO-OPS Communications team, create and deliver tailored content and messaging that explains complex technical initiatives, primarily tidal datums, in a relatable way.
• Working directly with the CO-OPS Communications Specialist, support other strategic CO-OPS communications efforts by (1) writing website content and supporting the transition of the front-facing website resources into CMS (WordPress); (2) developing and managing targeted communication frameworks that translate technical priorities into clear narratives for specific audiences, ensuring alignment with the organization's strategic direction; and (3) proactively developing and implementing social media and co-managing the organizational social media planning calendar.
• Working directly with CO-OPS’ dedicated Datums Engagement Specialist, execute the detailed engagement and outreach plan to inform appropriate stakeholders of the upcoming NTDE and IGLD updates. This includes executing a schedule of proposed engagement events to communicate the timing and impact of the upcoming NTDE and IGLD updates (e.g., in-person workshops, online webinars); and participating in those engagement events, as needed.

Salary: Full-time. $21.55/hr. - $26.55/hr. Generous employee benefits.

Location: Silver Spring, MD or remote.

Required Skills /Education/ Certifications & Qualifications:

• A Master’s degree in some combination of communications, stakeholder management with knowledge or experience in geodesy, marine science or policy, and/or oceanography.
• Must have had 4+ years professional experience in communications and outreach.
• Demonstrated skill in communicating, both orally and in writing, complex scientific principles to non-scientific audiences.
• Superior interpersonal and networking skills are a must, particularly with respect to engaging stakeholders and building professional networks.
• Professional experience developing and delivering content and stories across platforms, including social media posts, web narratives, user testimonials, and videos.
• A demonstrated ability to organize and self-manage workload, collaborate well across teams, and meet deadlines.