Marine Geologist (Coastal Hazard Specialist) Anticipated Vacancy

If you are a current State of Maine employee please submit your application through the internal application process using the Find Jobs report in PRISM. Seasonal employees who do not have PRISM access should apply through the States career page and indicate on the application that they have previously worked for the State.

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONSERVATION & FORESTRY

MARINE GEOLOGIST

(COASTAL HAZARD SPECIALIST)

-ANTICIPATED VACANCY-

Opening Date: April 13 2026

Closing Date: End of day May 08 2026

Location: Augusta

Position Number: 01740-0118

Position Type: Full Time

Class Code: 6417

Grade: 28 (Professional/Technical Unit)

Salary: $60091.20 - $84177.60 Per Year

Interested applicants need to complete an online Direct Hire Application along with a Cover Letter and a detailed Resume.

The Maine Geological Survey is a dynamic agency that provides the people of Maine with essential geologic information about the land and water where we live and work. Our staff evaluate geologic resources and processes Statewide summarize information about groundwater mineral resources surface deposits bedrock coastal materials and natural hazards such as storms floods landslides and earthquakes and make this information available to the public through a variety of publications and products.

BRIEF JOB DESCRIPTION: This position conducts scientific projects as part of the marine and coastal geology programs at the Maine Geological Survey. This position was created to help address goals of the Resilient Maine project funded through the NOAA Climate Resilience Regional Challenge grant awarded to the State of Maine in 2024.

The successful candidate in this position will:

• Collaborate with communities State agencies the University of Maine and other partners to provide technical and scientific expertise concerning coastal processes coastal engineering and coastal hazards including erosion flooding sea-level rise and wave and storm hazards as well as hazard resiliency and mitigation strategy.
• Develop geospatial mapping tools to communicate and quantify coastal hazards.
• Help develop a procedure for updating bluff stability and landslide hazard maps along the Maine coast. Collaborate with contract mappers to produce bluff stability maps. Design procedures for continued maintenance of maps using citizen science.
• Collaborate with the University of Maine and other partners to help design several living shoreline pilot projects (nature-based engineering designs) to remediate unstable shorelines on publicly owned bluff coast. Work with contracted engineers and construction personnel to design construct and monitor one living shoreline project.
• Participate in an inter-agency planning effort to improve the resilience to climate change of multiple public assets on the Popham Peninsula in Phippsburg Maine.
• Participate in cross-agency forums to identify and recommend revisions to Maines regulations and permitting practices concerning land-use coastal modifications climate resiliency and sea-level rise projections.
• Provide scientific and engineering review of permit applications for coastal land use and shoreline modification projects.
• Engage the public through meetings demonstration projects field trips and talks concerning matters of coastal importance including coastal engineering shore stability flooding sea-level rise near-shore environments coastal zone management and resource conservation.
• Assimilate scientific data to produce maps figures and written reports describing findings and practical applications of investigations. Present information in oral format to diverse audiences including scientists regulators municipal officials members of the public and students.

For questions specific to the position please contact the Hiring Manager Ryan Gordon at:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: A Masters Degree in Geology with specialization in marine geology and three (3) years experience in marine geology. Equivalent related work experience may be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis.

Preference will be given to candidates who demonstrate the following:

• Knowledge of marine geology beach and dune morphology sediment transport and influence of sea level waves and currents on the Maine coast.
• Knowledge of the physical processes behind coastal hazards including storm surge sea-level rise flooding erosion and landslides.
• Knowledge of coastal engineering models and applications construction techniques beach nourishment dune restoration slope stabilization and shoreline modification including nature-based engineered solutions.
• Knowledge of State and Federal laws rules regulations policies and procedures that apply in the coastal zone.
• Experience with equipment and software for coastal and offshore mapping of geologic features.
• Experience with GIS software to support data management analysis and presentation.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering designs and plans.
• Ability to exchange knowledge regarding coastal geology and coastal management with peers policymakers managers and the public.
• Ability to formulate develop and carry out independent research and lead collaborative projects.
• Ability to supervise interns and contract workers.

Currently this position is not eligible for visa sponsorship or STEM OPT extensions.

No matter where you work across Maine state government you find employees who embody our state mottoDirigo or I leadas they provide essential services to Mainers every day. We believe in supporting our workforces health and wellbeing with a valuable total compensation package including:

• Work-Life Balance Rest is essential. Take time for yourself using 13 paid holidays12 days of sick leave and3 weeks of vacation leaveannually. Vacation leave accrual increases with years of service and overtime-exempt employees receive personal leave.
• Health Insurance Coverage The State of Maine pays85%-100%of employee-only premiums ($11857.68-$13950.24 annual value) depending on salary. Use this chart to find thepremium costsfor you and your family including the percentage of dependent coverage paid by the State.
• Health Insurance Premium Credit Participation decreases employee-only premiums by 5%. Visit the Office of Employee Health and Wellness for more information aboutprogram requirements.
• Dental Insurance The State of Maine pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums ($365.28 annual value).
• Retirement Plan The State of Maine contributesat least 14.11%of payto the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS) on behalf of the employee.
• Gym Membership Reimbursement Improve overall health with regular exercise and receive up to $40 per month to offset this expense.
• Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts Set aside money pre-tax to help pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses and/or daycare expenses.
• Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness The State of Maine is a qualified employer for this federal program. For more information visit theFederal Student Aid office.
• Living Resources Program Navigate challenging work and life situations with our employee assistance program.
• Parental leave is one of the most important benefits for any working parent. All employees who are welcoming a childincluding fathers and adoptive parentsreceiveforty-two (42) consecutive calendar days of fully paid parental leave. Additional unpaid leave may also be available under theFamily and Medical Leave Act.
• Voluntary Deferred Compensation Save additional pre-tax funds for retirement in aMaineSaves457(b) account through payroll deductions.
• Learn aboutadditional wellness benefitsfor State employees from theOffice of Employee Health and Wellness

Theres a job and then theres purposeful transformative work. Our aim is to create a workplace where you can learn grow and continuously refine your skills. Applicants demonstrate job requirements in differing ways and we appreciate that many skills and backgrounds can make people successful in this role.

As an Equal Opportunity employer Maine State Government embraces a culture of respect and awareness. We are committed to creating a strong sense of belonging for all team members and our process ensures an inclusive environment to applicants of all backgrounds including diverse race color sex sexual orientation or gender identity physical or mental disability religion age ancestry national origin familial status or genetics.

If youre looking for a great next step and want to feel good about what you do wed love to hear from you. Please note reasonable accommodations are provided to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.

Thinking about applying

Research shows that people from historically excluded communities tend to apply to jobs only when they check every box in the posting. If youre currently reading this and hesitating to apply for that reason we encourage you to go for it! Let us know how your lived experience and passion set you apart.

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