[Hiring] Social Sciences Research Technician @ECS

Role Description

This position will support NOAA Fisheries’ need to support the project entitled “Greater Atlantic Region Commercial Fishing Survey.” The Social Science Branch of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) carries out economic and social primary research, data collection, and analysis for NOAA Fisheries in the Greater Atlantic region.

• Provide estimates of economic and social impacts on fishing businesses and communities associated with fisheries management decision making.
• Conduct voluntary surveys of commercial fishing vessel owners to collect financial costs faced by commercial fishing businesses.
• Prepare for the next cost survey implementation, tentatively planned in 2027.
• Administer the survey based on the Dillman mixed-mode protocol, allowing responses by mail, online, or through phone calls/virtual interviews.
• Support a variety of tasks ahead of the next survey implementation, including online survey programming/testing, paper survey editing/formatting, summary report writing, and outreach support.
• Conduct virtual interviews/phone calls with vessel owners, enter data from returned mail surveys, and perform QA/QC of collected data.
• Assist the Coastal Survey Working Group in databasing previously collected survey information.

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in natural resource management, social sciences, or related field, with an emphasis on practical data usage.
• Experience in conducting social science/economic primary data collection, including QA/QC of collected data.
• Experience entering commercial fishing cost data.
• Exposure to Qualtrics survey software.
• Strong understanding of qualitative research methods.
• Knowledge of commercial fishing gears and practices.
• Familiarity with requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act.
• Data entry experience.
• One-on-one phone interview experience with commercial fishermen in the Northeast region.
• Experience with Oracle databases/structure.
• Experience in conducting primary data collection of cost information with commercial fishermen.

Requirements

• Preliminary programming/testing of Qualtrics online survey.
• Final programming/testing of Qualtrics online survey.
• Assist CSWG in completing QA/QC NOAA Technical Memorandum as needed.
• Formatting of paper surveys.
• Commence survey outreach.
• Create a timeline for implementation.

Benefits

• A government-furnished laptop will be provided.
• Salary range: $65,000 - $80,000.