Salary: $2,957.00 – $3,821.00 Monthly
Location: Clark County – Ridgefield, WA
Job Type: Seasonal
Department: Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
Job Number: 2022-18001
Description
SCIENTIFIC TECHNICIAN 2 (ST2)
Fish Program
Ridgefield, Washington – Clark County
Anticipated Season Length: 10.5 months
July 16 – May 31
Assist with monitoring the health and diversity of populations of salmon (including Chinook, coho, chum, and steelhead) throughout the Lower Columbia River and its tributaries!
Gather and collect data that provides essential information needed to assess the status of different stocks of these populations for conservation and to help maintain sustainable recreational and commercial fisheries.
With that in mind,
Picture yourself building weirs and performing Chinook, Coho, and Steelhead spawning ground surveys.
This is an opportunity to manage the installation of resistance board weirs on the Grays, Elochoman, Green, Coweeman, Kalama, and Washougal rivers.
With your experience you will help maintain rafting equipment and sampling kit supplies and relaying project information and goals to the public.
We are seeking a candidate with demonstrated values matching those of WDFW: Accountability, Service, Professionalism, Integrity, Respect, and Empathy (ASPIRE).
Duties
Our Spawning Ground Survey and Weir Technician,
Spawning Ground Surveys and Weir Installation:
- Hiking and rafting to conduct surveys.
- Use GPS devices to mark redd locations.
- Collecting count data, biological data from live, and dead, adult fish, and redd location data.
- Operate non-motorized vessels for monitoring and conducting surveys, and floating up to 10 miles per day conducting stream surveys to collect spawning ground data.
Data collection, entry, and management:
- Using an iPad to enter data into established spreadsheets and/or databases (e.g., Traps, Weirs, Surveys database and carcass tagging spreadsheets).
- Ensuring scale cards, Coded Wire Tag (CWT) snouts, Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) and otolith sample collections are complete, properly documented and submitted in a timely manner.
Snorkeling – Gather data in rivers via snorkeling to identify, count and/or collect fish, and/or deploy and inspect field gear:
- Snorkel to inspect weirs, deploys nets for capture of fish for sampling, snorkels for Spring Chinook presence/absence before weir installations, cleans weirs, checks for holes in weirs/traps.
WORKING CONDITIONS:
- Work Setting, including hazards:
- Approximately 85% of the time work will be within the field environment, and approximately 15% of work time is in an office and or laboratory setting, operating a computer, and performing various other tasks as assigned.
- While working outdoors, candidates may be exposed to extreme temperatures, with the possibility of daytime highs greater than 100°F and daytime lows less than 30°F, with wind speeds of greater than 25 mph. Duties are often conducted on wet and slippery ground.
- Walking up to ten (10) miles per day over rough terrain under adverse weather conditions.
- Candidates will be lifting, either with or without assistance, large, live, and dead fish. Rarely lifting containers weighing up to 30 lbs. and rarely over 100 lbs. Frequently carrying rafts up to 70 lbs. for short distances over rough terrain.
- Schedule:
- Sunday – Saturday Non-scheduled, may work weekends and holidays as needed.
- Travel Requirements:
- Daily travel from the duty station to and from field locations is required with either a departmental issued vehicle or personal vehicle.
- Overnight travel may be required.
- Tools and Equipment:
- Basic hand and carpentry tools, winches, pulleys and blocks, non-motorized watercraft, 4×4 vehicles, the ability to tow vehicles, Coded Wire Tag (CWT) detectors, GPS units, handheld data loggers, iPads, and computers.
- Customer Interactions:
- Interacts with landowners in the field; discusses objectives of projects and intent of surveys being completed in the area. Landowners’ pets and wildlife encounters are other potential field encounters.
- Interaction with personnel from other State and/or Federal agencies.
Qualifications
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Graduation from high school or GED, including one (1) year of high school science AND two (2) years of experience as a Scientific Technician 1.
-OR-
- Graduation from high school or GED including one (1) 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:
- Valid Diver’s License.
Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:
- First aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification must be obtained within six (6) months of hire.
- WDFW snorkel training and certification, with completion within six (6) months of hire and renewal expected annually.
- Successful completion of agency training and/or certification for assigned watercraft is dependent on supervisory direction, position need and training availability.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Knowledge of fish marking and tagging protocols.
- Completion of a basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and First Aid course.
Experience:
- Identifying salmonids, and other fish species in larval, juvenile and/or adult life stages.
- Identifying salmonid redds.
- With resistance board and fixed panel adult fish weirs.
CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT: WDFW requires all employees to be fully vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of employment. You will be required to provide proof of vaccination as 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 before you will be allowed to work. Exemptions may be granted for religious or medical purposes.
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: 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:
- Email a copy of your DD214 (Member 4 copy), NGB 22 or USDVA signed verification of service letter to RecruitmentTeam@dfw.wa.gov.
- 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.
