Salmonid Monitoring Technician – Scientific Technician 2 – Career Seasonal – *06281-24

FULL-TIME/CAREER SEASONAL
SALMONID MONITORING TECHNICIAN
SCIENTIFIC TECHNICIAN 2

Fish Program – Fish Management

Duty Stations:
July 16 – October 31: Kelso, Washington – Cowlitz County
November 1 – December 31: Cathlamet, Washington – Wahkiakum County

Anticipated Season Length: 5.5 Months
July 16 – December 31

Assist with monitoring the health and diversity of populations of salmon in Lower Columbia River tributaries, with a focus on Chinook, Coho, and Chum in Grays River, Elochoman River and Skamokawa Creek.

Provide essential information that is needed to assess the status of these populations for conservation and to help maintain sustainable recreational and commercial fisheries.

With your experience, you will ensure scale cards, CWT snouts, DNA and otolith sample collections are complete, properly documented and submitted in a timely manner.

You thrive on building collaboration and teamwork, working with other departmental field technicians, biologists, hatchery staff, data and information technology staff, other governmental agencies, commercial fishers, private landowners, and the public.

We are seeking a candidate to support the WDFW mission of protecting, restoring, and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats, while providing sustainable fish and wildlife-related recreational and commercial opportunities through habitat protection and enhancement activities.

Duties:

Here are some things you will do in this role:
Salmonid VSP and fishery monitoring: 

• Adult salmonid spawning ground surveys on Lower Columbia River tributaries to collect data needed to measure VSP parameters and generate accurate and precise adult salmonid abundance estimates.
• Installation/removal, maintenance and operation of adult monitoring weirs and traps.

Snorkeling: 

• Gather data in rivers via snorkeling to identify, count and/or collect fish, and/or deploy and inspect field gear.
• As available within other workload expectations as determined by supervisor, snorkels if needed for weir installation, inspections, and removal, for adult presence/absence before weir installations for summer/steelhead resights, deploying nets for capture of fish for sampling.

Data collection, entry, and management: 

• Accurately recording and proofing data collected during field activities.
• Using a computer at the office or in the field to enter data into established spreadsheets and/or databases (e.g. Traps, Weirs, Surveys database and carcass tagging spreadsheets).
• Downloading information from various handheld data collection devices such as data loggers, GPS units, PIT tag readers and CWT detectors.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Work Setting, including hazards:
  • Approximately 85% of the time is in a non-office, field environment, while conducting duties such as spawning ground surveys by either foot, snorkel, or cataraft; operating, sampling, and tagging salmonids and other species at traps and/or weirs; installing and removing fish monitoring equipment (weirs and traps); and sampling commercial fisheries.
  • Humanely euthanize some hatchery fish to reduce their abundance as natural spawners.
• Schedule:
  • Requires working a sometimes shifting and variable schedule.
  • May work weekends and holidays.
• Travel Requirements:
  • Daily travel is required to and from field locations and the field office but not over-night.
  • A vehicle for travel between the Kelso and Cathlamet offices will be provided between 08/01-10/31.
  • Beginning November 1, the duty station changes from Kelso to Cathlamet, and a vehicle will no longer be provided.
• Tools and Equipment:
  • May include basic hand and carpentry tools, winches, pulleys and blocks, pontoon rafts, 4×4 vehicles; the ability to tow vehicles; the use of 200’ beach seines, PIT tag readers, CWT detectors, GPS units, weighing scales, handheld data loggers, PDAs, and computers.
• Customer Interactions:
  • Interacting with other departmental personnel, personnel from other agencies, commercial fishers, and local landowners.

Qualifications:

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Graduation from high school or GED including one 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 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 6 semester or 9 quarter hours of natural science classes.

License:

• Valid driver’s license (driving record abstract may be requested at time of interview).

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:

• First aid and CPR (must have or be obtained within one month of hire).
• Successful completion of agency training and/or certification for assigned watercraft within 2 months of hire.
• WDFW snorkel training and certification, with completion within 6 months of hire and renewal expected annually.

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

• Basic CPR/First Aid certification.
• WDFW snorkel training and certification.

Ability to:

• Identify salmonids and other fish species in juvenile and adult life stages.
• Identify salmonid redds.
• Row non-motorized oar-framed boats such as drift boats and pontoon boats in white water conditions in Class 1 through 3 rapids.
• Complete basic functions in MS Excel and Access.
• Operate handheld iPad and data logging devices.
• Work alone in remote locations.
• Work well with others in both a field and office setting.

Knowledge of:

• Basic carpentry skills. 
• How to operate CWT and PIT tag detectors.
• Resistance board and fixed panel adult fish weirs. 
• Fish marking and tagging protocols.
• Fishery monitoring, observing, and sampling.
• Commercial fishing gear types and methods.

Supplemental Information

Please note: Failure to follow the instructions below may lead to disqualification.

Experience and education selected, listed, and detailed in the Supplemental Questions must be verifiable in the application.

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 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 Benefits:

Medical/Dental/Vision for employee & dependent(s), Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), Vacation, Sick, and other Leave types.

Eleven (11) Paid Holidays per year and one (1) personal holiday if the employee is scheduled to be, or has been, continuously employed by the State of Washington for at least four (4) months.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Tuition Waiver, Long Term Disability & Life Insurance, Deferred Compensation Programs, Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP), Flexible Spending Arrangement (FSA), and an Employee Assistance Program.

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 [email protected].
• Subject line must 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 [email protected].  
• Subject line must 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. 

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 please contact Jayme Chase by phone 360-902-2278 or email [email protected],  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 [email protected].

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