Working Title- Hatchery Monitoring & Evaluation Biologist
Classification- Fish & Wildlife Biologist 3
Job Status- Full-Time/Permanent
WDFW Program- Fish Program – Hatchery/Wild Interactions Unit
Duty Station- Dayton, Washington – Columbia County
In-Training- We are recruiting to hire at the Fish & Wildlife Biologist 2 (Bio 2) or Fish & Wildlife Biologist 3 (Bio 3) level. We will train a new hire hired at a Bio 2 level up to the Bio 3 level.
Salary- Depending on which level you are hired at, your salary range will be as follows:
Fish & Wildlife Biologist 2 - $4,410.00 - $5,929.00 monthly
Fish & Wildlife Biologist 3 - $5,241.00 - $7,043.00 monthly

Learn more about being a member of Team WDFW!

Embrace this role to conduct monitoring and evaluations and/or research at Lyons Ferry Hatchery on fall Chinook salmon and Steelhead, or in the field in southeast Washington.

With sustainability and conservation in mind, you will be involved in fisheries studies, research, or field reviews of Snake River anadromous salmonids, serving as the Snake River Lab’s Hatchery Monitoring and Evaluation Biologist under Lower Snake River Compensation Plan (LSRCP).

With your experience, you will provide the needed coordination and assistance in fall Chinook salmon monitoring/evaluation/research in southeast Washington.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Among the varied range of responsibilities held within this role, this position will:

Under general supervision, serves as a biologist for LSRCP’s Hatchery Monitoring and Evaluation of Lyons Ferry Hatchery Complex.

• Maintain and proof fall Chinook salmon databases for fall Chinook salmon from collection of brood at Lower Granite Dam, to spawned and processed fish at Lyons Ferry Hatchery.
• Responsible for the LSRCP fall Chinook salmon annual report and assisting with the Steelhead hatchery evaluations component of the LSRCP Steelhead annual report.
• Directs and leads crew members in the collection of biological samples and measurements that include fin clips, otoliths, and scale samples, coded-wire tag extraction, etc. during fall Chinook salmon and steelhead spawning at Lyons Ferry Hatchery.
• Organizes and plans spawning ground surveys for fall Chinook and Coho in the Tucannon River and looks at interactions between hatchery and naturally produced salmonids.
• Assists as needed in the development of LSRCP Statements of Work and Budgets, and implements work plans as specified in the LSRCP Contract.
• Writes research/project proposals and solicits external funding.

Serves as a WDFW technical representative to the Snake River fall Chinook salmon program and supports other internal/external groups.

• Serves as a primary data contributor for fall Chinook salmon spawned/sampled for broodstock at Lyons Ferry Hatchery for the Fall Chinook salmon run reconstruction effort at Lower Granite Dam.
• Participates in weekly conference calls with co-managers and other agencies during the fall Chinook salmon season to provide updates on trapping and broodstock collection.

Supervision and mentoring of technical staff.

• Recruits, hires, supervises and mentors up to one permanent and 1-3 temporary technical level staff to support an effective and motivated team.
• Sets goals and objectives, develops strategies to implement, and develops performance measurements and standards to ensure individual and program objectives are met.
• Monitors and inspects work in progress to ensure continuity and timely completion of work.
• Develops the Performance Development Plan for each assigned employee within unit: creates or updates position descriptions; monitors and documents employee performance; provides on-going feedback regarding levels of performance, and conducts timely and meaningful employee performance evaluations.

Assists other projects at the WDFW Snake River Lab.

• Assists other biologist and technicians at the Snake River Lab in completion of field work including spawning ground surveys for spring Chinook salmon and summer steelhead, spawning of spring Chinook salmon, PIT tagging of all species, installation of PIT Tag Arrays, deployment of smolt traps, conduct habitat, electrofishing and snorkel surveys, and other duties as assigned.

Working Conditions:

Work setting: Work is primarily in the office with a computer. ?Field work includes spawning surveys in local rivers (Tucannon, Touchet), sampling at Lyons Ferry Hatchery, and directing M&E data collections efforts during spawning and juveniles releases at Lyons Ferry Hatchery, and PIT Tagging of hatchery fish at a few locations, though mostly at the hatchery.  Other activities include additional surveys as needed with other Snake River Lab field activities for spring Chinook salmon and summer steelhead. At times this position will be required to repetitively lift at least 50lbs. Must be able to negotiate water in emergency situations.

Schedule: Typically, Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.  A few days a year, the workday may exceed 10 hours/day, primarily in the fall during fall Chinook salmon spawning at the hatchery or during steelhead spawning activities in the spring.

Travel requirements: Travel to field sites and to attend meeting occurs several times a year.  Travel might be necessary to stay up to date with Safety Training requirements.

Customer Interactions: Occasionally interacts with landowners regarding access to walk stream surveys.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Required Qualifications:

This F&W Biologist 3 series provides mentoring and career development opportunities for candidates with limited experience. 

Candidates will be hired as a F&W Biologist 2 or 3, dependent on skills and experience.

Required Qualifications for the F&W Biologist 2:

Bachelor's degree in fisheries, wildlife management, natural resource science, or environmental science.

And

One (1) year of professional experience in fish/wildlife/habitat management or research.

Please note:  Closely related qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-by-year basis.  A Master’s degree or Ph.D. in an applicable science may substitute for the required experience.

Required Qualifications for the F&W Biologist 3:

A Bachelor's degree in fisheries, wildlife management, natural resource science, or environmental science.

And

Three (3) years of professional experience in fish/wildlife/habitat management or research.

Or

Two (2) years as a Fish & Wildlife Biologist 2.

Please note:  Closely related qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-by-year basis.  A Master’s degree in the applicable science will substitute for one (1) year of the required experience.  A Ph.D. in the applicable science may be substituted for two (2) years of the required experience.

License:  Valid driver’s license.

Preferred Qualifications:

In addition to the required qualifications, our ideal applicant will possess some or all the following:

• Proficient in Access, Excel, Word, and Power Point programs.
• Experienced in writing technical reports and giving presentations.
• Experience publishing peer-reviewed manuscripts.
• Must be able to collect, enter, and proof data and generate graphs and tables for reports and presentations.
• Working knowledge of anadromous salmonids in the Snake River and the importance of these stocks in determining downstream/ocean fisheries.
• Experience in applying statistical analysis to acquired data.
• Able to cooperatively work with outside agencies.
• Able to lift large objects that may weigh up to 50 lbs (5-gallon buckets of water, woody debris, fish).
• Able to walk four-five miles per day in a flowing stream.
• Able to download data from RMIS (Coded-Wire Tag Data) and PTAGIS (PIT Tag Data) from the internet.

Your application should include the following:

• A completed online application.
• An up-to-date resume (chronological preferred) showcasing how your qualifications align with the job requirements.
• A cover letter detailing your interest in the position, your relevant skills and experience, and why you are the ideal candidate.
• At least three (3) professional references with current contact information.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:

In addition to pay and other special employee programs, there are other benefits that WDFW employees may be eligible for. Click the “Benefits” tab at the top of this announcement to learn more.

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

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.

Veteran and Military Spouse Preference Notice: 

Per RCW 73.16.010 Veterans and qualifying spouses who meet the minimum qualifications of a position are eligible for preference during the initial application review stage. To receive this benefit, please do the following: 

• Notify us of your veteran or military spouse status by email at Cheri.Potter@dfw.wa.gov.
• Veterans only – Attach a copy of your DD214 (Member 4 copy), NGB 22, or USDVA signed verification of service letter.
  • Please redact any PII (personally identifiable information) data such as social security numbers.
• Subject line must include recruitment number, position, and spouse/veteran (example: 2024-1234 – Biologist 1 – Veteran)
• Include your name as it appears on your application in careers.wa.gov.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Employer

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.

Request an accommodation: 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 Jayme.Chase@dfw.wa.gov, or the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at 800-833-6388.

Technical Difficulties: 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. 

Other questions: If you have other questions regarding this position, please reach out to Cheri.Potter@dfw.wa.gov and reference job #2024-13880.

Follow us on social media:  LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram