JOB SUMMARY:

Under direction of the Natural Resources Director, this position is responsible for overall management of the fisheries program and overseeing the fisheries technical work of the Natural Resource Department, including the harvest and hatchery technical work in support of managing sustainable fisheries.  The position both supervises and supports the Harvest Manager policy position and supervises and directs the Fisheries Biologist technical position.  The position also conducts regular Fisheries Program staff meetings.  The position is responsible for the technical aspects of salmon harvest and stock assessment, including reviewing and agreeing on population and stock abundance estimates, technical forecasting of adult returns, and determining harvestable surpluses.   The position supports policy staff in negotiating and managing the Treaty salmon and steelhead resources.  The position is also the technical lead for gaining and maintaining Endangered Species Act incidental take coverage for Tribal fisheries and hatchery programs.    

The Fisheries Program Manager also makes sure required fisheries sampling is conducted by fisheries program staff, and is responsible for interpreting and reporting of harvest results as specified in harvest management commitments. The position participates in local co-manager technical forums including monthly Nooksack/Samish co-manager technical meetings and hatchery forums including Hatchery and Genetics Management Plan (HGMP) and other hatchery planning meetings, and Chinook critical stocks rebuilding program meetings.  

The position writes and manages grants and budgets in support of the Fisheries Program, including for population assessments and recovery.  The position also works with the other Department program managers, attends staff coordination meetings, and briefs policy, including at Natural Resources Department coordination meetings with leadership.  The position supports other Department programs by providing fisheries and population status and life history information and input as needed.   It also serves to assist Tribal members with pursuit of Treaty opportunities by assisting the Administrative Assistant and Harvest Manager at the front desk, and by providing technical support to the Director, Harvest Manager and to the Nooksack Fish Commission.   

MAJOR TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Oversee fisheries program grant and budget management.   Manage the Natural Resources BIA Annual Funding Agreement (AFA), including preparing and/or working with other programs to prepare budgets and draft annual AFA report for review by the Director prior to submission.  Track and project expenses and manage programs consistent with the AFA scope of work.    Manage the BIA Pacific Salmon Treaty and Mass Marking programs for the Tribe, including annual proposal writing and budgeting, tracking expenses, and reporting.    Prepare and route grant agreements, contracts, and other items under the Tribe’s Management Review and Control (MRC) process for administrative review, and Council or General Manager approval. 
• Directly supervise and coordinate the Harvest Manager and Fisheries Biologist positions and oversee the planning and work of the Fisheries Program in general.  Meet frequently with the fisheries program staff to direct and coordinate their work.    
• Oversee and coordinate harvest sampling by the Fisheries Biologist and Fisheries Technicians of Ceremonial and Subsistence Nooksack chinook fisheries and commercial salmon fisheries, as well as final QA/QC of data, final transmission of biological samples, and post season reporting of catch in Puget Sound co-manager reports to National Marine Fisheries Service/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NMFS/NOAA).   Monitor in-river ceremonial and subsistence Chinook fishery and adjust fisheries as needed to stay within quota.
• Responsible for final QA/QC and ensuring transmission of Nooksack salmonid stock assessment data and biological samples to fisheries co-managers and working with co-managers to develop, review and agree to salmonid population escapement estimates.
• Coordinate with WDFW and Lummi Nation staff to develop and review technical forecasts for Nooksack/Samish wild and hatchery salmonid returns and determine harvestable surpluses to submit for policy approval.
• Provide technical support in salmon harvest management planning by attending (in-person or remote): (1) North of Cape Falcon (NOF) #1 and #2 harvest meetings with Boldt case area tribes and WDFW; (2) Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PFMC) meetings as directed, which follow the North of Falcon planning process, where Nooksack fisheries are shaped and agreed to annually; and (3) Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC) pre-season and in-season meetings.  Coordinate with the Harvest Manager to cover PSC Fraser Panel in-season meetings and calls.   In coordination with the Harvest Manager and Lummi Nation staff, edit the annual List of Agreed Fisheries (LOAF) at PFMC #2.
• Provide technical support to the Harvest Manager for shellfish management, including: (1) read and understand the various shellfish management plans that govern the opportunities for Nooksack members to harvest shellfish, and especially crab, prawns, hard shell clams, urchins, and geoducks; (2) attend shellfish management meetings and calls in coordination with and at the direction of the Harvest Manager; and (3) work with Harvest Manager to review and provide input into future fishing plans.   
• Support the Harvest Manager as needed in drafting and distributing Nooksack Tribe fisheries regulations to affected tribes and WDFW.   
• Coordinate with the Harvest Manager to develop Nooksack Tribe Dive Safety Standards for policy review and approval.    
• Plan and oversee Nooksack fisheries monitoring needs, and seek funding to increase monitoring efforts and capacity, including adult and juvenile salmonid monitoring, monitoring to evaluate Nooksack chinook recovery, and data to inform hatchery performance. Provide input into Nooksack co-manager efforts to critically evaluate salmon population escapement methodologies, with emphasis on chinook and chum.  
• Represent the Tribe at fisheries management technical meetings and, as directed, at policy forums. 
• Brief Natural Resources staff, Director, Tribal Council, General Manager, and/or Nooksack Fish Commission on fisheries harvest or hatchery-related issues.
• Engage with Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission staff to secure ESA incidental take coverage for Tribal fisheries, including through the Puget Sound Chinook Harvest Management Plan (RMP).  Maintain other ESA incidental take coverage including ESA listed rockfish coverage in our halibut fisheries, and for marbled murrelet and Southern Resident Killer Whale ESA incidental take coverage in our marine salmon fisheries.    
• Coordinate with Tribal Natural Resources enforcement as needed for management of fisheries and for derelict gear or illegal fishing reports.    
• Coordinate with co-managers on necessary hatchery program monitoring.  Conduct hatchery technical work for Nooksack/Samish terminal area, including reviewing and agreeing to changes in the hatchery anadromous salmonid releases local co-managers are proposing.    
• Review any proposed changes to the Hatchery and Genetics Management Plans (HGMPs), which provide ESA incidental take coverage for hatchery programs.  Review and approve/disapprove Future Brood document change forms and disease exemptions to the fisheries co-manager disease policy.
• Attend Nooksack/Stillaguamish/Dungeness Critical Chinook stocks meetings and HGMP quarterly meetings.      
• Review and approve Equilibrium Brood document change forms, which are circulated for review, approval or rejection by co-managers anytime there are proposed changes in hatchery releases.  Review transfers that require approvals under the co-manager disease control policy.      
• Represent the Tribe in salmon recovery forums as directed, including the WRIA 1 (Nooksack) Salmon Recovery Staff Team.
• Coordinate with co-managers to develop technical reports on status and life history of Nooksack/Samish terminal area fisheries populations and/or give presentations on our fish, harvest or hatcheries to various audiences.   
• Participate in updates to WRIA 1 (Nooksack) fish distribution datasets.
• In coordination with other department staff, support the Administrative Assistant in assisting our hunters and fishers at the front desk with issuing fishing licenses and decals, crab buoy tags, buyer’s licenses, and with hunting tags and keys.
• Attend Nooksack Fish Commission Meetings as requested by the Director.  

• Perform other duties as assigned.

PREFERENCE:

• Indian Preference Policy applies to this and all positions with the Nooksack Indian Tribe.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

The following qualifications are required for the incumbent to have, in order to be considered for the position.

REQUIRED EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING FOR POSITION: 

• M.S. degree in fisheries biology, biometrics, or related field, and 5 years of experience in fisheries population assessment, fisheries modeling, and/or fisheries harvest management; or BS in the same with at least 10 years of experience in population assessment, fisheries modeling, and/or fisheries harvest management.    
• Ten years of progressively more responsible experience in salmon stock assessment and/or fisheries management planning.
• Three years of experience supervising staff. 

REQUIRED SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE/ABILITIES POSITION:

• Excellent oral and written communication skills are essential.  Specifically, experience writing scientific reports, grant proposals, and other technical material and presenting to scientific peers and leadership is required.
• Strong understanding of salmonid life histories and habitat requirements. Strong understanding of watershed processes, especially as they relate to formation and maintenance of riverine habitats.  Understanding of Tribal fisheries.  
• Demonstrated ability to work well with others, including Department staff and partners. Strong ability to work both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Proficiency with word processing, presentation, spreadsheet, and database application.  
• Able and willing to travel for fisheries meetings, including NOF, PFMC and PSC meetings 

REQUIRED CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• Must pass alcohol/drug test at time of hire and throughout employment.
• Must pass criminal background check at time of hire and periodically thereafter.

REQUIRED LICENSES OR CERTIFICATIONS: 

• Must have and maintain throughout employment a valid Washington State Driver’s License and meet the insurability requirements of the Tribe. (Must Provide Driving Abstract at time of hire).

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS (The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.):

• Ability to read, write, and sit at a computer terminal and use hands for keyboarding up to 8 hours a day, 5 days a week.
• Ability to swim and wade in fast-flowing streams and rivers, walk for several miles on uneven ground, and work in inclement weather (rain, snow, cold, heat).
• Ability to lift and carry up to 40 lbs over distances of up to a half mile.
• Ability to climb stairs.

DESIRED SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE/ABILITIES POSITION

The following qualifications are preferred/helpful for the incumbent who has these skills/knowledge or abilities for this position.

• Experience in grants management, including proposal, workplan and budget development, reporting, and overseeing implementation of scopes of work.
• Ability to plan scientific studies and collect, interpret, and report scientific data, and understand and apply technical guidance documents.  
• Understanding of tribal treaty rights and experience working with Native American Tribes. 
• Understanding of salmon hatcheries and their role in supporting Treaty harvest.
• Understanding of the Boldt Decision and the 1985 Puget Sound Salmon Management Plan.  
• Understanding of salmon population abundances, productivity, spatial structure and diversity metrics.  
• Experience with statistical, modeling, and database applications, including Fisheries Regulation Assessment Model (FRAM) and R programming language.
• Training and experience with juvenile seining and/or electrofishing for fish exclusion
• Familiarity with commercial diving for shellfish