The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) currently operates 87 hatchery facilities, the majority dedicated to producing salmon and/or steelhead.   

Hatcheries have operated in Washington State for more than a century, beginning with a facility on the Kalama River in 1895.   

With that in mind, 

Picture yourself rearing anadromous (fish born in freshwater who spend most of their lives in saltwater) and inland species of fish.  

These are opportunities to perform a variety of technical and scientific fish culture duties and hatchery related maintenance.

The optimal candidates take pride in their work, use sound judgment, and can work collaboratively.

We are seeking candidates with demonstrated skills representing WDFW values of professionalism, accountability, empathy, integrity, and respect.

Duties

Our Fish Hatchery Specialist 2, 

• Feeds fish their calculated daily rations.
• Monitors fish behavior, fish health, eggs and fish production.
• Administers therapeutants, calculates and administers drugs as prescribed.
• Cleans ponds and raceways, troughs, and incubator systems to maintain fish health.
• Collects fish tissue and fluid samples and records data.
• Performs fish inventories, splits, grading, marking trailer inventories, weight samples and plants.
• Accurately enters data into forms and spreadsheets (fish mortality, feed sheets, feed inventory, chemical usage).
• Monitors water flow and quality parameters – takes water samples and readings.
• Maintains proper water flow and rearing environments.
• Responds to alarms, determining and taking appropriate action.
• Actively identifies safety hazards, takes action and/or recommends remedies.
• Organizes and maintains hatchery tools, equipment, and grounds.
• Responds to questions from visitors to the facility.

WORKING CONDITIONS: 

• Work Setting, including hazards:
  1. Work is performed outside, in and out of wet, dirty, and slippery conditions and during adverse weather conditions.
  2. At times, work is performed indoors.
• Schedule:   
  1. Typically, Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
  2. Occasional need for weekend and overtime due to emergencies and/or workload demands.
• Standby: 
  1. Standby is not currently assigned but maybe assigned at some point during the position length.
  2. All applicants applying for this position should understand that standby is a requirement for all positions in the Fish Hatchery Specialist series.
  3. Management may determine it is necessary to assign standby in order to accomplish the goals and objectives of the agency and as necessary to protect the resources of the agency and if assigned, it will be a requirement of the position.
• Housing: 
  1. This position does not provide on-sight housing.
• Customer Interactions:         
  1. When not under COVID restrictions, regular interactions with the public visiting the hatchery grounds, answering questions, and giving tours.

Qualifications

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

OR 

OR

OR 

Certifications/Licenses: 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Supplemental Information

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 NOTE: 

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 also transitioned to a virtual recruitment process, to include web-based interviews.

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 professionalism, accountability, empathy, integrity, service, and respect.

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 (Download PDF reader), Combined Fund Drive, SmartHealth.

UNION – WAFHP:

These positions are in the bargaining unit represented by the Washington Association of Fish & Wildlife Hatchery 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 Hatchery Professionals (WAFHP).

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Employer

VETERAN PREFERENCE NOTICE:

To take advantage of veteran preference, please do the following:

• 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.   All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status and 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.

This recruitment is essential to maintain operations and fulfill WDFW’s legal obligations: maintain animal husbandry, maintain hatchery operations to ensure fish/animals stay alive and associated testing/vet response etc.

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

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.