See full details at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/3203622/scientific-technician-2-upper-columbia-river-three-openings-non-permanent

Duties

Field Data Collection – Sport Fishery Surveys: 

• Collect detailed information from anglers participating in salmon/steelhead sport fisheries during on-site interviews at area boat launches and shoreline fishing access areas. 
• Determine efforts through boat trailer index counts and interviews. 
• Identify harvest to species and collect biological information from the harvest including number, length, gender, fin clips, coded wire tags, and collect scales for aging.

Field Data Collection – Stream Surveys: 

• Collect post spawn salmon carcasses in-river by boat and along shorelines within the WDFW District 4 waters of the Columbia and Yakima Rivers. 
• Perform sampling protocols that follow sport fishery methods with the addition of otolith collection (aging and origin) and spawn success (egg retention). 
• Females will be dissected to determine spawn success – all carcasses will be cut in half post sampling to avoid duplicate sampling. 
• Responsible for ensuring all biological samples are collected following field sampling protocols defined by their supervisor(s). 
• Scan all Salmon for the presence of coded wire tags. 
• Fish with a code wire tag present will be sampled following standard protocols and the snout will be removed and transported to the WDFW District office for processing.

WORKING CONDITIONS: 

• Work Setting, including hazards: 
  1. Work is primarily conducted in the field, outdoors, during all-weather conditions, it includes hiking over rough/slippery terrain, potential encounters with dangerous wildlife including rattlesnakes, working alone in primitive locations, and working with chemicals for biological sampling (ethanol) and vehicle operations (gasoline & oil). 
  2. Field work requires traveling to multiple public access sites/remote locations and includes working on-river in the Hanford Reach area of the Columbia River and the lower 30 miles of the Yakima River. 
• Schedule: 
  1. Schedule days and hours may vary, these positions will require working every weekend and potentially on holidays as needed.   
  2. Workload demands may require work outside the assigned work hours and adjustment of work schedules – typically, 40 hours per week.
• Travel Requirements: 
  1. Routine travel to public and primitive access sites along the Columbia River and lower Yakima River. 
  2. State vehicle will be provided – stream surveys will require travel and routinely working from boats in the Columbia River.
• Tools and Equipment: 
  1. Vehicle, boats, knife, sampling and data recording supplies, CWT (Coded Wire Tag) wand, life jacket, rain gear, gloves, waders, and a mask.
• Customer Interactions: 
  1. Position will require strong communication skills with daily interactions with anglers and the public during creel surveys. 
  2. Technician will be collecting angler information on fishing times, locations, catch, and harvest in addition to biologically sampling all fish from each boat/angler.

Qualifications

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Graduation from high school/GED, including one year of high school science AND Two (2) years of experience as a Scientific Technician 1. 

     OR 

• Graduation from high school/GED including one year of high school science AND Two (2) years of laboratory or field experience as an assistant to a biologist, chemist, or zoologist. 

Please Note: College course work involving major study in biology, zoology, fisheries, chemistry, natural sciences, or closely allied field will substitute, year for year, for experience, provided the course work includes at least six semester or nine quarter hours of natural science classes.

Certifications/Licenses: 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Undergraduate or Graduate degree in fisheries or a closely related field. 
• One (1) or more years of experience field sampling.
• Proficient in identification of freshwater and anadromous fish species of the Columbia River.
• Boat operation certification.
• Experienced outboard boat operation and/or small river craft.

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 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:  

On Monday August 9, 2021, Governor Inslee enacted Proclamation 21-14 which requires that all employees of all state agencies not headed by an elected official be fully vaccinated with a recommended COVID-19 vaccine by October 18, 2021 as a condition of employment. Fully vaccinated includes the two-week waiting period after the last shot in each series, or single shot, is given. If hired for this or any position at WDFW, you will be required to provide verification of COVID vaccination. A list of acceptable documents to provide verification can be reviewed here. Vaccination acceptable documents link

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

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.