What you will be doing:
This position assists with salmon research and management for the Prince William Sound/Copper River management area.  The incumbent is responsible for helping develop preseason outlooks and inseason forecasts used to manage sockeye, Chinook, coho, pink, and chum salmon stocks in Prince William Sound/Copper River and supervising seasonal technicians and biologists for multiple projects. This position also conducts aerial surveys, responds to public and fishery stakeholder inquiries, has EO authority for in season management actions, fills in for area management biologists, and helps draft numerous reports.

Our organization, mission and culture:
The Division of Commercial Fisheries strives for a diverse and inclusive workforce where safety and well-being are paramount and employees at all levels promote a culture where everyone is valued, treated equitably, and treated respectfully.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s mission is to manage, protect, maintain, and improve the fish, game, and aquatic plant resources of Alaska. The primary goals are to ensure that Alaska's renewable fish and wildlife resources and their habitats are conserved and managed on the sustained yield principle, and the use and development of these resources are in the best interest of the economy and well-being of the people of the state.

The position is a critical participant in salmon stock assessment through low altitude aerial surveys in PWS and the Copper River Delta and through the supervision of one salmon escapement monitoring field camps: the Coghill Lake weir camp in western PWS. This position is also responsible for the reconciliation and compilation of commercial fish ticket.

The benefits of joining our team:
This position offers the successful applicant the opportunity to acquire commercial fishery management experience and to develop a technical understanding of fishery biology as it relates to the management and research of commercial fisheries. The incumbent will gain experience, and a diverse skill set working with a variety of commercial fisheries stock assessment projects necessary for sustainable Alaska fisheries, including resistance board and picket weirs, catch and escapement sampling, and ARIS sonar, while also learning how to deal with all of the logistical challenges of executing projects across broad geographic regions. This in combination with learning the administrative aspects of the job such as budget management, hiring, procurement, report writing, data management and analysis will allow the incumbent to gain all the necessary skills to comfortably step into higher level biologist positions in the future. This position includes flex time as well as state benefits.   

This is not just an 8-5 job – the successful applicant will be an integral part of a traditional Alaskan coastal fishing community.

The working environment you can expect:
The Cordova office is a fast-paced, team-oriented work environment during the commercial fishing season, and a slower-paced, normal work week (M-F, 40 hrs/week) during the offseason. Work schedules will be variable and include weekends and nights, either working in the office or in the field. The incumbent will assist with management decisions and data needs, flying escapement surveys, and field work, ensuring that harvest and escapement sampling and escapement enumeration are timely and conducted to the highest standards. 

The incumbent will be required to fly low level aerial surveys in a small fixed-wing aircraft. The position may spend up to a week at a time between May and August at a variety of field camps in Prince William Sound and the Copper River drainage leading project operation.

Who we are looking for:

• A working knowledge of Alaskan commercial salmon fishery management strategies and issues.
• Experience flying in small, fixed wing aircraft to conduct escapement surveys.
• Experience with hiring, supervising, and evaluating employees. 
• Good communication skills: Strong oral and written communication skills for diverse groups ranging from local fishery groups to scientific audiences.
• Strong organizational skills and data management experience.  Work experience entering data, querying and error checking relational databases, and creating technical reports using spreadsheets and word processing in Microsoft Word and Excel.

To view the general description and example of duties for a Fishery Biologist 2 (Assistant Area Manager) please go to the following link: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/Alaska/classspecs   

Special Note:

• A valid driver's license is required.
• Must be able to legally carry and effectively use firearms.
• Attend Peace Officer/Law Enforcement training to become a State of Alaska, Department of Fish and Game Peace Officer; and
• Obtain and maintain First Aid/CPR certification. Training will be provided by the department at no cost to the employee after hire. 

Minimum Qualifications

A bachelor's degree from an accredited college in biology, a branch of biology, limnology, biometrics, oceanography, forestry, fisheries science, or natural resource management;

AND

One year of professional experience as a biologist or fish culturist. The required professional biologist experience is met by service as a Fishery Biologist 1, Fish Culturist 1, Wildlife Biologist 1, or Habitat Biologist 1 with the State of Alaska or the equivalent with another employer.

Substitutions:

A bachelor's degree from an accredited college that includes or is supplemented by the following credit hours will substitute for the degree in a specific field:

•  at least 24 semester hours (36 quarter hours) in biology, a branch of biology, limnology, biometrics, oceanography, forestry, aquaculture, aquatic ecology, fisheries resources, or natural resource management (excluding courses that focus on agricultural husbandry techniques, human population dynamics, or the design and manipulation of landscapes), of which 16 semester hours (24 quarter hours) are upper division courses; and

• at least 12 semester hours (16 quarter hours) in any combination of two or more of the following: chemistry, physics, mathematics, statistics, geology, hydrology, or GIS.

A master's degree from an accredited college in biology, a branch of biology, limnology, biometrics, oceanography, forestry, fisheries science, or natural resource management, will substitute for the required year of professional level biologist experience. An individual who will complete the educational requirements and obtain the required master's degree within six months may apply and be considered for a vacancy. Such applicants may be given a conditional job offer but may not be appointed until receipt of the required degree has been documented.