Juvenile Salmon Trapping Technician – Scientific Technician 2 – Non-Permanent – *01292-24

FULL-TIME/NON-PERMANENT JUVENILE SALMON TRAPPING TECHNICIAN SCIENTIFIC TECHNICIAN 2 (ST2) 
Fish Program – Ecology Life Cycle Monitoring Unit Cosmopolis, Washington – Grays Harbor County 
Anticipated Appointment Length: 4 Months March 1, 2024 – June 30, 2024

On-site living accommodations (Travel Trailer) including utilities are provided for the duration of the appointment length.

Come join WDFW’s Ecology Life Cycle Monitoring Unit and conduct juvenile salmon abundance studies.

Collect data that shows population estimates, productivity, and diversity of natural origin salmonids.  

Chinook Salmon – Photo Credit: WDFW 

With that in mind, 

Picture yourself working on a five-foot rotary screw trap located on the North River in the Willapa Basin.

You thrive on building collaboration and teamwork, operate juvenile salmon traps and collect data alongside fellow technicians.

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

Duties

Our Juvenile Salmon Trapping Technician, 

Operate juvenile salmon traps: 

• Assists with the installation/removal, operation, and maintenance of juvenile fish traps. Traps include a juvenile Chum weir, and juvenile 5-foot rotary screw trap.
• Check traps daily, enumerating (counting), and sub-sampling juvenile salmonid catch.
• Collect and record related biological and environmental data as assigned by supervisor. 
• Use various marking/ tagging techniques. 
• Maintain trap integrity during high flow events and make repairs if damage occurs due to weather, flows, debris, or vandalism. 
• Organize and maintain all trap related gear, sampling equipment and data forms.
• Enter and error check field data into agency database.
• Maintain data integrity – ensure data entry is complete and accurate.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Work Setting, including hazards:         
  • 100% of this position is field work. 
  • During peak migration or periods of high flow/heavy debris, the employees must be able to work long hours, as needed, until all the fish are processed, to ensure that they are released in good condition. 
  • Maintaining traps requires a person to be in good physical condition, and able to work for extended periods of time. 
  • Technicians will regularly transport 5-gallon buckets of water (weighing approximately 40 lbs.) in slippery conditions on uneven terrain. 
  • Work sites are exposed, meaning work may be conducted in rain, wind, and cold conditions, during all hours of the day and night. 
  • Processing fish requires prolonged exposure of hands to cold water. To ensure the fish are handled with minimal stress, they are anesthetized with MS-222. 
  • The process of marking fish involves using sharp objects. 
  • Must be able to negotiate water in emergency situations. 
• Schedule:        
  • 40 hours per week, 24/7 non-scheduled. 
  • May work weekends and holidays as needed. May work over-time if needed.
• Living Accommodations: 
  • On-site living accommodations (Travel Trailer) including utilities are provided for the duration of the appointment length.
• Travel Requirements:        
  • Daily travel from duty station to field locations using agency vehicle. 
  • Some navigating on gravel logging roads with a 4×4 truck.
• Tools and Equipment:        
  • 4×4 trucks, water pumps, chain saws, power tools, hand tools, filet knives, scissors, scalpels. Passive Integrated Transponders (PIT) tagging equipment, Visible Implant Elastomer (VIE) tagging equipment, and other sampling equipment.
  • Tough pads and laptop computers.
• Customer Interactions: 
  • Interactions with the public can be common.
  • Occasional interactions with personnel from private companies, tribes, federal, state, and local agencies.

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:

• Equivalent education/experience. 
• Professional and volunteer experience involving biology, zoology, fisheries, chemistry, natural resources, engineering, or closely allied fields may substitute, year for year, for experience.
• 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: 

• A Valid Driver’s License. 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

In addition to those required qualifications, our ideal applicant will also have some or all of the following: 

Knowledge of:

• Salmon life history and proper fish-handling techniques.
• Juvenile salmon trapping techniques.
• Fish marking and tagging protocols. 
• Basic construction and use of hand & power tools.

Ability To:

• Identify juvenile salmonids by species.
• Enter data into computer files and spreadsheets (e.g. Microsoft Excel, Access) software.
• Effectively coordinate and communicate with co-workers and other fisheries professionals.
• Good organizational skills.