[MB advising: see link at bottom of post to full job posting and application details (will expire when position is filled). Job details are excerpts from the full position description and do not necessarily include full details. Job details are provided for the purposes of career exploration.]

Fish & Wildlife Biologist 2 (In-Training) – Sturgeon & Eulachon Monitoring – Permanent – *01695-22

Salary $39,528.00 – $62,748.00 Annually
Location Clark County – Ridgefield, WA
Job Type Full Time – Permanent
Department Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
Job Number 2022-01695
Closing 2/13/2022 11:59 PM Pacific

Do you enjoy organizing and leading conservation efforts to preserve and protect White Sturgeon, Eulachon, fish, and ecosystems? Love the thrill of the outdoors and looking for a challenge? If so, apply to become a Fish & Wildlife Biologist!

As our Fish & Wildlife Biologist, you will manage staff, implement angler surveys, and participate in White Sturgeon mark-recapture operations and Young-Of-Year surveys to assess the stock status of the various White Sturgeon populations. You will assist with monitoring Eulachon runs and prepare annual progress reports.

We are recruiting to hire at the Fish & Wildlife Biologist 1 or 2 level, and we will train a Fish & Wildlife Biologist 1 up to the Fish & Wildlife Biologist 2.

Depending on which level you are hired at, your salary range will be as follows:

Fish & Wildlife Biologist 1 – $3,294.00 – $4,286.00

Fish & Wildlife Biologist 2 – $3,987.00 – $5,229.00

Our Fish & Wildlife Biologist 2, 

• Oversees an annual field sampling program to collect and analyze catch and effort, biological, and mark-recovery data from the recreational sturgeon fishery as part of a multi-agency research program.
• Assists in producing in-season weekly and annual catch and effort estimates using predefined harvest evaluation models.
• Conducts the annual white sturgeon stock assessment surveys as a boat operator and deck sampler – deploys setlines to capture, tag and take basic measurements and samples.
• Conducts white sturgeon recruitment index gillnet surveys in the Columbia basin.
• Performs field surveys to estimate eulachon spawning stock biomass – sets plankton gear to capture eulachon larvae and processes samples to determine the quantity of larvae collected.
• Works aboard contracted commercial fishing vessels to capture and tag white sturgeon for mark-recapture studies.
• Supervises and mentors technical and professional level staff.
• Reduces accidents and injuries by improving working practices and conditions.
• Documents angler survey results in annual project progress reports.
• Recommends sturgeon harvest management actions.
• Tracks and summarizes non-treaty commercial harvest, treaty ceremonial and subsistence harvest, and non-treaty tribal ceremonial and subsistence harvest for eulachon fisheries in the state of Washington.
• Accounts for inventory-controlled items assigned to the sturgeon project and items related to fishery monitoring – includes project resources located at the Pasco field office.
• Assures that adequate facilities, security, and access exists for staff assigned to the Pasco office.
• Provides harvest managers summarized catch data for use in public meetings and website databases.
• Responds to public inquiries about sturgeon and eulachon fisheries and harvest issues in a timely manner.

WORKING CONDITIONS: 

• Work Setting, including hazards:
  • Work is performed in an office setting for most of the workday – however, will be required to work outdoors under potentially inclement conditions.
  • Driving/riding in boats, deploying and retrieving setline, gillnet, larval and egg collection gear.
  • Handling mostly large fish and equipment of up to 30 lbs. unassisted.
  • Work potentially several hours a day sometimes spent driving a pickup truck, sedan, or SUV – this can include towing and launching research vessels over 20 feet in length.
  • Performing creel surveys may entail several hours a day walking along highways, boat ramps and riverbanks in the mainstem Columbia River and its tributaries.
• Schedule: 
  1. Typically, work schedule is 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday-Friday, however, field work is required and can exceed 40 hours per week, including hours outside of normal schedule and weekends.
• Travel Requirements:
  1. Travel to field work locations can involve week-long overnight stays, throughout the year.
• Tools and Equipment: 
  1. Twenty-five (25) foot specially equipped sturgeon research vessels, sixteen to twenty (16-20) foot jetboats, hydraulics to deploy research setline and gillnet sampling gear, marine radar and VHF radios, GPS equipment.
  2. PIT tags, acoustic telemetry transmitters and receivers, knives, hemostats, scale cards, snout labels, CWT wands, PIT tag detectors, measuring tapes, and binoculars.
• Customer Interactions:
  • Interviewing anglers, collecting data from their fish, answering questions regarding fishery status and fishing regulations.
• Other:
  • Working in the field and at public outreach events with staff from other (federal, state, and tribal) agencies; collaborating with non-government groups, and volunteers.

Qualifications

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

This Fish & Wildlife Biologist 2 (In-Training) series provides mentoring and career development opportunities for candidates with limited fish culture experience.

Candidates will be hired as a Fish & Wildlife Biologist 1 or 2, dependent on skills and experience.

Required Qualifications for the Fish & Wildlife Biologist 1:

          OR

Required Qualifications for the Fish & Wildlife Biologist 2 (Goal Class):

OR

       OR

          OR

Certifications/Licenses: 

Trainings below can be completed within 6 to 12 months of hire:

• First Aid and CPR
• IT Security Awareness
• Sexual Harassment
• Hearing Conservation Testing and Training
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Portable Fire Extinguisher
• Outdoor Heat Exposure

Knowledge of:

• Elements of fish habitats, habits, species, and life histories.
• Principles and procedures of biological research, fish culture, and fish management.
• Standard laboratory and field methods and statistical data processing relating to fisheries work.
• Fishing regulations.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, Outlook, and basic computer file management.
• Familiarity with R statistical software.

Skills and Abilities:

• Writing and speaking clearly and effectively; synthesizing research findings and formulating fish management recommendations.
• Coordinating, leading, or supervising technical or nontechnical volunteers or staff.
• Organizing and scheduling fish research or management studies.
• Applying research and statistical methods and techniques to a project or program.
• Synthesizing research findings and formulating fish management recommendations.
• Gaining cooperation of interested groups or landowners on Department fish management programs.
• Preparing written reports and making oral presentations.
• Recording and compiling research data, using arithmetical and elementary statistical procedures.
• Identifying White Sturgeon, Green Sturgeon, Eulachon, common salmonids, and warm water species of the Columbia River.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

Knowledge and experience:

• Implementing and managing various aspects of the Department’s complex multi-agency sturgeon and eulachon research and monitoring projects.
• Operating large fish research vessels, jetboats, and other motorboats in the Columbia River, Columbia River tributaries, and Washington coastal waters.
• With the following equipment: research vessel, plankton net gear, and laboratory equipment.
• With the following sampling procedures: surgical biopsy; surgical implantation of tags; blood draws and sample storage; genetic sample collection and storage; and hard-part sample collection for age analysis.

Full position details/Application (link expires 2/13/2022)