FULL-TIME/PERMANENT
 FISH BIOLOGIST

FISH & WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST 2
 Fish Program
 Port Townsend, Washington

Please note: This position requires the incumbent to respond to the Snow Creek Wier within 30 minutes of notification during periods of high flows and fish movement.

The mission of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is to preserve, protect, and perpetuate fish, wildlife, and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities.

This position contributes directly to this goal by conducting monitoring and research on wild salmon and steelhead, with particular focus on ESA-listed summer chum and steelhead.

This journey level professional biologist position serves as a project leader in the Hood Canal/Strait of Juan de Fuca District in the Fish Management Division.  The incumbent is responsible for monitoring and research activities related to ESA-listed species in eastern Straits and north Hood Canal tributaries, specifically salmon and steelhead populations.

Fishing for steelhead – Photo Credit: Marcus Reaves

This is an opportunity to support recovery efforts for the Straits and Puget Sound systems and contributes to restoration planning and monitoring, all of which are critical to preserving, protecting and perpetuating salmon and steelhead populations in Hood Canal.

With your experience, you will calculate population estimates based on established statistical methodologies.

Chinook Salmon – Photo Credit: Steven Thiesfeld

Our Fish Biologist will,

• Oversee all aspects including planning and implementation of adult and juvenile salmonid trapping research and monitoring at multiple temporary trapping locations at JimmyComeLately Creek, Salmon, and Snow Creeks.
• Work with supervisor to critique, develop, and finalize protocols annually.
• Ensure juvenile salmonid estimates are complete and reported on time.
• Co-write annual reports with supervisor.
• Ensure traps are installed and removed when needed. Secure access permits. Develop and maintain relationships with landowners who allow access for smolt trapping. Identify and complete equipment repairs.
• Provide oversight of the Snow Creek Wier facility, year-round.
• Hire, train, and supervise multiple non-permanent Scientific Technician 2s for smolt monitoring.
• Supervise Career Seasonal Scientific Technician 3.
• Counsel and settle employee conflicts, enlisting help of supervisor when necessary.
• Ensure staff are up to date with Agency training and safety protocols.
• Purchase, organize, and maintain project equipment, following agency purchasing and inventory requirements.
• Conduct special projects, including spawning ground surveys, biological sampling, and research as requested by supervisor.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Work Setting, including hazards:
  1. Trap monitoring includes responding to emergent events related to weather, flows, and fish movement within 30 minutes of notification.
  2. Traps are accessed by traversing slippery terrain, operating small watercraft, climbing over railings, and maintaining balance on a moving deck in sometimes harsh weather conditions. The traps have moving parts which are under heavy load, such as stream-flow-driven rotating cones and debris drums, and winches for raising and lowering the traps.
  3. Job duties require long hours of exposure to cold water, and adverse and dangerous weather conditions including high river flows. Must be able to negotiate water in emergency situations.
  4. Frequent bending, kneeling, climbing, and lifting is required.
  5. Stream surveys include walking long distances on uneven ground, climbing over logs and wading in inclement weather conditions and changing flows.
  6. Data recording and fish identification and handling require dexterity and acute vision, especially for fin- marking, tagging, and collecting biological samples.
  7. The job requires safe use of various chemicals including the fish anesthetic, Tricaine Methanesulfonate (MS-222).
• Schedule:
  1. The work schedule is variable but is typically 40 hours over a five-day period.
  2. During peak migration periods or when necessary, the incumbent is expected to work nights, weekends, holidays, and some overtime and occasionally, stand-by.
• Travel Requirements:
  1. Incumbent must monitor conditions at the Snow Creek Wier and respond to emergent issues related to weather, flows, and fish movement within 30 minutes of notification.
  2. Some local and regional travel is necessary to attend trainings, and to pick up sampling gear.
  3. Overnight travel is extremely rare but may occur to attend workshops and conferences.
  4. Daily travel occurs from the office to the sampling sites.
• Tools and Equipment:
  1. The job duties require heavy lifting by employees (50-100 lbs.), including large
  2. buckets of water to transport fish, outboard motors, generators, and pumps. Safe
  3. use of hand tools and power tools (chain saws, etc.) is required to make trap repairs
  4. and to clear large woody debris from the trap. Proper use of scissors, knives,
  5. scalpels, global positioning units, and coded-wire tag wands is required to
  6. accomplish project needs.
• Customer Interactions:
  1. Contact with landowners and anglers, occasionally including some contact with those who may be angry or frustrated.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Or

In addition to the above:

License:

Training:

• First-aid and CPR training card within 6 months of hire (or when available), and kept current.
• Successful completion of agency training and/or certification for assigned watercraft is dependent on supervisory direction, position need and training availability.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Knowledge of or familiar with:

• Salmonid life cycle.
• Mechanics of adult and juvenile fish traps.
• R for statistical analysis and graph creation.
• Creating and using electronic data collection methods (i.e., tablets).

Experience with:

• Handling and collecting biological data from adult and juvenile salmonids.
• Fish tagging techniques (PIT, CWT, VIE).
• Maintenance, fabrication, and installations of adult and juvenile fish traps.
• Hand and power tools and small engine machinery.
• Small boats and outboard motors and hauling trailers.

Ability to:

• Use Microsoft Word, Excel, and Access.
• Critically analyze stream conditions and recognize problem situations to maintain safety and minimize adverse impacts on fish populations and crew.
• Use verbal communication skills to meet project objectives with technicians and keep supervisor informed.
• Maintain excellent data organizational skills.
• Write clearly and in understandable handwriting to provide high quality data products.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT: 

As a result of Gov. Jay Inslee’s Proclamation 21-14 (Download PDF reader) issued on August 9, 2021, all Washington State Agencies are requiring employees to be fully vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of your employment. Pursuant to this mandate, you will be required to provide proof of vaccination as a part of the hiring process. Please do not upload your vaccination documentation with your application materials – your vaccination status will be verified by your supervisor prior to your first day of work. Exemptions may be granted for religious or medical purposes.

Please note: Failure to follow the instructions below may lead to disqualification.

In order to successfully apply for this position, you MUST complete your profile at www.careers.wa.gov and attach the following to your profile before completing the online application:

• A current resume. 
• Three professional references. 

IMPORTANT NOTES: 

The Department of Fish and Wildlife’s priority during the Covid-19 health crisis is to keep our staff, candidates, and the public safe.  We are hiring and encourage you to apply to open positions. We have transitioned to a virtual recruitment process, to include web-based interviews.

All new employees must complete an Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9 Form) on their first day of work. If hired for this or any position at WDFW, you will be required to provide documentation proving you are eligible to work in the United States. For a list of acceptable documents, please use the following link:  https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents

JOIN THE WDFW TEAM:

Learn about our agency and the perks of working for WDFW!

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has some of the most talented people in the natural resource field.  We celebrate and value diversity, appreciating that a workforce composed of those from different backgrounds and experiences creates an inclusive environment, strengthens positive relationships with the local community, and brings new perspectives and approaches to fulfilling the agency’s mission. We value demonstrated skill in living WDFW values of Accountability, Service, Professionalism, Integrity, Respect, and Empathy (ASPIRE).

WDFW employees may be eligible for the following:

Medical/Dental/Vision for employee & dependent(s), Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), Vacation, Sick, and other Leave*, 11 Paid Holidays per year*, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Tuition Waiver, Long Term Disability & Life Insurance, Deferred Compensation Programs, Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP), Flexible Spending Arrangement (FSA), Employee Assistance Program, Commute Trip Reduction Incentives, Combined Fund Drive, SmartHealth.

UNION – WAFWP:

This position is in the bargaining unit represented by the Washington Association of Fish & Wildlife Professionals and is subject to the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the State of Washington, Department of Fish & Wildlife, and the Washington Association of Fish & Wildlife Professionals.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Employer

• Email a copy of your DD214 (Member 4 copy), NGB 22 or USDVA signed verification of service letter to RecruitmentTeam@dfw.wa.gov.
• Subject line should include recruitment number, position, and Vet (for example: #10155 Biologist 1 – Veteran)
• Include your name as it appears on your application in careers.wa.gov. 

MILITARY SPOUSE PREFERENCE NOTICE: 

To take advantage of military spouse preference, please do the following:

• Notify us of your military spouse status by email at RecruitmentTeam@dfw.wa.gov.  
• Subject line should include recruitment number, position, and MS (for example: #10155 Biologist 1 – MS)
• Include your name as it appears on your application in careers.wa.gov.

Note: Please blackout any PII (personally identifiable information) data such as social security numbers. For further information, please contact us at RecruitmentTeam@dfw.wa.gov.

As part of WDFW’s efforts to advance respectful and inclusive work environments, the Agency expects inclusivity as part of our professional interactions and communications.  Therefore, we want to ensure that all individuals feel welcome, are treated fairly and respectfully.  All staff are empowered to fully contribute to serving their work unit, Agency, and the citizens of Washington.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife is an equal opportunity employer.  We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and gender identity diversity.  Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of disability, persons over 40 years of age, disabled and Vietnam era veterans and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply.  

Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format may call (360) 902-2276 or the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at (800) 833-6388.

If you are having technical difficulties creating, accessing, or completing your application, please call NEOGOV toll-free at (855) 524-5627 or support@neogov.com.

*Images shown are Pre-COVID, WDFW Staff follow current COVID Safety Protocol including the use of face masks. 

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