For more information, please follow this link: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/3560662/lead-field-biologist-fish-wildlife-biologist-1-permanent-07339-22

Salary– $39,528.00 – $51,432.00 Annually

Our Lead Field Biologist, 

Implements VSP monitoring for Chinook, coho, and chum salmon and steelhead populations throughout the Lower Columbia River. Tasks include: 

• Assists with the implementation of the monitoring program for Region 5 (Southwest Washington) Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed salmonid populations, to include implementing various sampling designs, setting up survey reaches, contacting landowners, and conducting stream surveys throughout LCR tributaries by rafting or hiking.
• Participates in electrofishing activities to verify uppermost distribution of juvenile coho or to verify barriers to upstream migration.

Conducts marine mammal studies. Tasks include: 

• Leads and assists a team with capture and marking of California and Steller sea lions and removal of California sea lions.
• Constructs, modifies, and maintains trapping equipment such as floating traps, barges, and cages.

Leads field staff, volunteers, and interns. Tasks include: 

• Trains staff on project protocols and data collection methodologies.
• Coordinates daily work schedules for completion of assigned duties.
• Supervises agency directed training for field staff.
• Oversees various volunteers and interns.

Implements, conducts and/or supervises data entry, proofing, analysis, and database management.

• Enters data into standardized spreadsheets and databases (e.g., Traps Weirs Surveys (TWS) database).
• Proofs and finalizes data.
• Submits coded wire tag (CWT) snouts in a timely manner.
• Downloads and submits finalized GPS data from surveys.
• Provides copies of finalized spreadsheets, databases, and GPS data to supervisor.
• Works with lead biologist to ensure survey data are entered, proofed, and finalized.

Gather data in rivers via snorkeling to identify, count and/or collect fish, and/or deploy and inspect field gear. Tasks include: 

• Snorkels for juvenile coho presence/absence observations.
• Assists if needed with mark/re-sight or presence/absence survey projects that require snorkeling.

WORKING CONDITIONS: 

• Work Setting, including hazards:   
  1. Work occurs in the office and in the field. When in the field, work includes exposure to inclement weather and wet slippery footing, the ability to lift, carry, and load equipment up to 70 lbs. of pontoon rafts, seine nets, buckets, electrofishing, and field gear. 
  2. The ability to operate pontoon rafts/boats in rivers with fast flowing/whitewater conditions under all weather conditions, covering up to 15 miles per day in up to class III whitewater, walking streams up to 6 miles per day under cold, wet, slippery conditions, and climbing up and down slippery and steep banks, sampling spawned out salmon carcasses with strong odors, climbing in and out of boats, working in/around water, safely towing and operating research vessels up to 26’ in length, working at night, the ability to work with live sea lions, including trapping pinnipeds for lethal removal that involves the use of euthanasia of wild sea lions, and the ability the work alone in remote locations, is required. 
• Schedule:   
  1. Monday – Thursday, 10 hours per day. Non-scheduled monthly; depending on weather and stream conditions during field seasons some weekend or holiday day work may be required. 
• Travel Requirements: 
  1. This position splits time between field work and office work at the Region 5 Office. Percentage of time spent is highly variable depending on field seasons, staffing needs, and project objectives. 
  2. Out-of-town and overnight stays (3-4 nights per week) are required during the March – May time period. 
• Tools and Equipment: 
  1. Vehicles, power boats, pontoon rafts, basic hand tools, winches, pulleys and blocks, knives, machetes, coded-wire tag (CWT) wands, backpack electro-fisher, Closed-Broadcast radios, iPad, GPS units, and handheld dataloggers.
• Customer Interactions:
  1. Frequent interactions with landowners, the public, and personnel from state and federal agencies. 

Qualifications

Closely related qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-by-year basis. 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Licenses/Certifications: 

• Valid Driver’s License. 
• WDFW Snorkel Training and Certification (completed within six months of hire, renewal expected annually). 
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) safety requirements, training and badging at Bonneville Dam (must be completed annually prior to marine mammal field season).
• Smith Root Electrofishing principles and safety certification course (can be completed within one year of hire). 
• WDFW fish passage training (completed within one year of hire). 

Experience: 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

Experience:

• Operating 18-25’ long motorboats (both jet-pump and propeller driven) in shallow and open water.
• Working with pinnipeds.
• In welding and fabrication.
• With spreadsheet and database data entry and QA/QC, and personnel supervision.
• In the use of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Access.
• Working with the public.

Knowledge of: 

• The handling procedures and reporting requirements for Federally protected species covered under the ESA and Marine Mammal Protection Act.
• Generalized Random Tessellation Stratified (GRTS) sampling design.
• Potential fish passage barriers.
• Salmonid life histories.
• Safe fish collection, handling, sampling, and tagging techniques and procedures, including the use of fish anesthesia.
• Salmonid population monitoring (adult and juvenile) techniques and methodologies.
• Electrofishing techniques and parameters.

Ability to: 

• Identify the six major species of salmonids present in the Lower Columbia River (Chinook, coho, chum, sockeye, pink salmon, and steelhead) both live in-situ and as post-spawn carcasses.
• Clearly differentiate and identify redds of the six major species of salmonids of the Lower Columbia River system.
• Collect high quality biological data in a variety of environmental conditions