Observer Compliance Liaison Needed

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• Acting as the lead on incident reporting follow-up. Observers across the three programs submit incident reports, often within 12 hours of an incident occurring. The compliance liaison focuses on supporting observers through timely follow-up of incident reports. Follow-up may include phone conversations that provide program support, or obtaining additional information, or meeting observers at the docks in person. Documenting communications with observers, updating the observer portal, and providing information to the Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) special agents or enforcement officers, is required. 
  
• Following up on safety deficiency and refusal reports. Developing program level memos that consist of information necessary to support a refusal case for use by the Office of Law Enforcement. Researching and tracking vessel of concern issues, vessel visits, communicating with the United States Coast Guard on vessels of concern, and case follow-up. 
  
• Assisting the Northeast Area and Mid-Atlantic Area Leads with planning, coordinating and executing observer coverage in fisheries throughout the Northeast Region.  This will require field visits and communication with vessel captains.
• Identifying fishing effort by area and gear by visiting docks and communicating with fishermen is required, to research effort and seaday schedule tasking.
• Developing understanding of program protocols and possible solutions to problems that observers may be encountering in the field.  Recommending changes and improvements to data/sample collection procedures and protocols, as necessary.  
• Creating, mailing, and tracking vessel selection letters, if necessary to target specific vessels for coverage. Ensuring that vessel selection is random, equitable, and without bias.
• Monitoring call-in compliance of call-in regulated fisheries and reporting monthly to the Area Leads. 
• Working to understand how observer program data are used by end-users and stakeholders in order to educate fishermen and observers.
• Conducting interviews with vessel captains and reporting to Northeast Area Lead.  
• Assisting with evaluating observer and contractor performance.
• Observing commercial fisheries not yet covered that may require outreach, research and protocol development, or observing currently covered fisheries to maintain or become observer certified. 
• Scheduling and conducting dockside, post-trip interviews with fishing vessel captains, to answer questions or concerns,  resolve problems, schedule future trips and monitor observer’s performance.  
• Providing performance and background information for observer debriefings, when requested. Conducting exit interviews and six month debriefings, when requested.  
• Informing Area Leads of important and controversial data and compliance issues.
• Traveling to various fishing ports for outreach to help improve industry/observer program relations and facilitate observer placement in NE fisheries. Meeting with the commercial fishing industry to explain or answer questions concerning the observer program. Traveling to and attending Fishery Management Council meetings or other meetings that are relevant to the coverage of Northeast fisheries.
• Assisting with maintaining and updating regulatory compliance information for observer dissemination; participating in observer support sessions during training.
• Reviewing safety checklists, providing feedback to debriefers, auditors, or program staff on vessel concerns or observer performance in regard to safety requirements.
• Keeping Area Leads informed of any substandard data collection performance by observers.  
• Overseeing safety equipment inventory, and providing support to the safety training program as required.
• Assisting with all facets of observer training, when requested, which may include: evaluating observer performances, preparing observer exercises, homework assignments, workshops, quizzes, exam questions and audiovisuals, reviewing and corrects exercises, quizzes and assignments, contacting and scheduling industry and in-house participants, preparing training aids, audiovisuals, gear models, making presentations on fisheries, regulations or protocols when requested.
• Responding to requests for NEFOP data and coordinating with Area Leads and Data Processing Lead. Coordinating data quality checks with data debriefers and Data Quality Lead.
• Assisting with monthly seaday coverage reports for NEFOP website. Tracking seaday accomplishments monthly. Assisting with other reporting tasks, as necessary.
• General office tasks as necessary: filing, organizing, and compiling information.
• General research projects: gathering information on the internet, researching a problem or issue that has arisen that requires a response.
• Documenting decisions and communicating with Area Leads.
  
• Field testing of computer equipment, observer gear or supplies or fishing gear related to Northeast Area fisheries, as required.
• Participating on research cruises aboard NOAA research vessels.
  

• Must have at least 3 years of work experience as an observer in the Northeast program.
• Must have demonstrated ability to communicate effectively in both the office and field environments.
• Must be familiar with observer safety gear, equipment, and maintenance.
• Must be familiar with the FSB’s incident reporting policies and procedures.

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