Conduct and evaluate detailed biological assessments on a variety of fish barriers and make recommendations for high priority fish passage and screening projects!

Develop and maintain relationships that support the transfer and entry of fish barrier data collected by the outside groups that we train, perform protocol support and development for the Fish Passage Division, and ensure compliance with RCW 77.95.170.

Fish Passage Restoration – Photo Credit: Melissa Erkel 

With that in mind, 

Picture yourself as our program specialist coordinating training on the protocols associated with the Fish Passage Inventory, Assessment, and Prioritization Manual. 

In this dynamic role, you will independently plan, develop, design, and implement small studies and projects as needed, including overseeing field data collection, summarizing study results, and preparing reports and final deliverables for contracts and project work.

You thrive on building collaboration and teamwork, coordinate with external entities, including state and local governments, to build and maintain partnerships that result in new and continued projects and funding sources.

We are seeking a candidate, with demonstrated values matching those of WDFW: Accountability, Service, Professionalism, Integrity, Respect, and Empathy (ASPIRE).

Chum Blocked by Culvert – Photo Credit: Brittany Gordon 

Our Fish Passage Biologist & Training Coordinator, 

Inventory & Assessment (I&A) Section support and protocol development: 

• Principal responsibility for protocol documentation and development. 
• Primary contact for technical assistance to fish passage inventory and assessment section staff.
• Analyze data and create materials, e.g., maps, reports, and summaries.
• Project support for WSDOT, the scoping section, contract work, inter-program and agency work with the Science Team, Fish Program, etc.
• Lead trainer for new inventory and assessment staff.

Implementation of RCW 77.95.170 – Training, continued assistance, and resultant data management: 

• Plan, schedule, coordinate, and co-present the training program.
• Develop and provide technical support for our partners and outside groups following training.
• Develop and provide guidance and direction on the transfer of data collected by outside groups.
• Manage data transfer and entry from outside groups, partners, and stakeholders into our database.
• Further develop and improve the fish passage training program.

Stakeholder technical assistance, coordination, and customer service: 

• Data collection assistance, including providing site IDs, protocol direction, data collection materials, tips on data management, summary reports, etc.
• Facilitate communication and collaboration between outside groups to prevent duplicate efforts.
• Provide guidance and feedback to groups submitting data, to improve the quality of data entered into the Fish Passage and Diversion Screening Inventory (FPDSI) database.

Contract Implementation – WA State Association of Counties:

• Develop, present, and coordinate survey priorities.
• Engage with the counties to develop best support strategy.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Work Setting, including hazards:    
  1. Office and fieldwork, office work includes many consecutive hours of computer work and fieldwork includes hiking off-trail through dense vegetation and up and down extremely steep slopes. 
  2. Fieldwork includes study sites in recently harvested timberlands, navigating over and under downed trees, wood and slash and will at times be required to occasionally carry/move a heavy pack (< 40 pounds) that contains stadia rods, rotary laser, engineer’s tripod, and other field equipment. 
• Schedule:   
  1. Monday through Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (Four (4) days a week – Ten (10) hours a day). 
  2. Workload demands may require work outside the assigned work hours and adjustment of work schedules.
• Travel Requirements:   
  1. Travel will be required both locally and overnight to conduct field work and may vary between 10 and 50% depending on the current projects being conducted.
• Tools and Equipment:
  1. Use of measuring tapes, stadia rods, flowmeters mallets, clinometers, range finders, compass, handheld computers (PDAs), GPS, iPad, and other equipment necessary to collect field data. 
  2. May require electronic data collection on iPads or cellphones.
• Customer Interactions:          
  1. Interacts with public and agency personnel, including habitat restoration project partners, government officials, tribal representatives, agriculture, forest, and special interest groups, and landowners.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

         AND 

Please Note: 

• Closely related qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-by-year basis.
• A Master’s degree in one of the above fields may be substituted for one (1) year of the required experience.
• A Ph.D. in the applicable science may be substituted for two (2) years of the required experience. 

Certifications/Licenses: 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Experience and knowledge of:

• Juvenile fish screening requirements.
• Adult fish passage requirements.
• Life history for all WA salmonid species.
• Habitat requirements of salmonids.
• Permit requirements to implement fish passage and screening projects.
• Construction methods.
• Project management and budgeting.
• Engineering principles.
• In-stream monitoring principles.

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 cover letter describing how you meet the qualifications of this position (Generic cover letter will not be accepted).
• 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 (Download PDF reader), 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

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.   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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