Positions- Four (4)
Title- Toxics Monitoring Technician
Classification- Scientific Technician 2 (ST2)
Job Status- Full-Time/Non-Permanent
Appointment Lengths - 
Two (2) positions – Sixteen months – April 1, 2025 – July 31, 2026
Two (2) positions – Three months – April 1, 2025 – June 30, 2025
WDFW Program- Fish Program - Toxics Biological Observation System (TBiOS)
Duty Station- Olympia, Washington – Thurston County

Learn more about being a member of Team WDFW!

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is hiring four (4) Scientific Technicians to support the Toxics Biological Observation System (TBiOS), a long-term program monitoring toxic contaminants in Puget Sound’s aquatic life. These non-permanent positions play a crucial role in assessing ecosystem health by collecting and analyzing data on toxic contaminants affecting fish and other organisms.

Under the guidance of research scientists and biologists, technicians will conduct field surveys to collect specimens, process samples in the lab using standard protocols, and contribute to data management for the TBiOS database. This work directly supports WDFW’s mission to preserve and protect Washington’s fish, wildlife, and ecosystems by evaluating whether environmental conditions are improving or worsening over time.

What to Expect-
Among the varied range of responsibilities held within this role, the Toxics Monitoring Technician will,

Conduct Field Surveys

• Using established procedures, perform regular field surveys to collect fish and invertebrate samples for ongoing toxics monitoring. This encompasses a wide range of sampling techniques including bottom trawling from a chartered fishing vessel, deploying/retrieving caged mussels in the intertidal zone, gill-netting for Pacific herring from small vessels, beach seining for juvenile salmonids, obtaining adult salmon samples from various sources including tribal fisheries, and miscellaneous collection from targeted test fisheries or other WDFW sampling events.
• Maintaining supply inventories, preparing field sampling kits, and managing/tracking of samples (fish/invertebrates/etc.) from the field to the lab.
• Collect field data using electronic devices/applications or written format.

Perform Laboratory Work

• Using established protocols, process field samples in the lab for biological metrics, analysis of toxic chemicals, evaluation of diseases, and other health-related endpoints. This involves resecting tissues and other body components from fishes and invertebrates using clean techniques defined in standard operating procedures.
• Creates composite samples of tissues.
• Helps to manage all lab-related activities including tracking and labeling tissue samples, transporting samples to and from labs, and maintaining appropriate lab conditions.

Data and Records Management

• Process field data related to sampling effort and locations, tissue types collected, lab data related to sample metrics, and chemical concentration data returned from the analytical laboratory. This includes applying quality assurance routines to validate data.
• Maintain paper and digital copies of all field and lab notebooks.

Working Conditions: 

Work setting, including hazards: 

• Field work: The incumbent will assist with the collection of fish or invertebrates throughout Puget Sound requiring access by boat or from the shoreline. This may include being stations aboard a vessel periodically for up to a week at a time. The incumbent will be subjected to inclement weather, including rough seas that may induce motion sickness. Shoreline sampling of mussels occurs along rocky and muddy shorelines at night in remote areas. From time to time the incumbent will need to heavy objects such as ice-filled coolers and/or baskets of fish while on the deck of a moving boat. Some fish encountered and handled by staff possess sharp and venomous spines and may bite. The incumbent will assist with deploying and retrieving sampling nets from a boat or shore. This position involves working in or near water, including tasks that require navigating, negotiating, and performing duties related to water environments.
• Lab work: Work will involve sitting or standing at a lab bench while performing repetitive, sometimes tedious dissections of fish and invertebrates for long periods of time. Dissections and sample creation may occur in a mobile laboratory set up on a boat or an off-site location but mostly will occur at the Natural Resources Building  Marine Resources Lab (in Olympia). The incumbent will also need to move frozen samples in and out of a walk-in freezer and handle chemicals including formalin, alcohol, and various acids. Use of sharp instruments such as scalpels, knives, and syringes common and a required task.
• Office work: Working at a desk to enter data and prepare for lab and field efforts. Office hazards include working under fluorescent light, repetitively entering data into computer, looking at a computer monitor for long periods of time, and sitting or standing for long periods of time.

Schedule: Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and the incumbent will periodically be expected to adjust the work schedule to meet needs of the program and on occasion work on weekends and nights. A flexible work schedule will be considered at the incumbent’s request, subject to supervisory approval and routine reviews.

Travel: Some travel is required, and is typically local or regional, to conduct field work, meet with partners, or attend or provide training. This work sometimes requires driving long distances throughout western Washington, sometimes at night and in weather conditions which may be challenging. During field surveys, the incumbent may spend up to five days away from home on a boat or in hotels.

Tools: Duties require use of office equipment, lab equipment (e.g., scalpels, syringes, meat grinders), field gear (PFDs, waders, boots, raingear), and field equipment (e.g., small boats and outboard motors, gill nets, beach and lampara seines, bottom trawls, and predator-exclusion sampling cages).

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications: 

Option 1: Graduation from high school or GED, including one year of high school science and two years of experience as a Scientific Technician 1. 

Option 2: Graduation from high school or GED including one year of high school science and two years of laboratory or field experience as an assistant to a biologist, chemist, or zoologist. 

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 driver’s license

Preferred Qualifications:
In addition to the required qualifications, our ideal applicant will possess one or more of the following:

Experience:

• Sampling fish and/or invertebrates in marine and/or riverine habitats, using a wide range of sampling methodologies.
• Small boat operations (licensed)
• Following standard operating procedures in the lab and field.
• Demonstrated ability to perform tedious lab procedures for long periods of time.

Knowledge of:

• Clean techniques to obtain high quality tissue samples for chemical analysis.
• Puget Sound fish and invertebrate species identification.
• Puget Sound riverine and nearshore habitats.
• Basic toxicological principles.

Your application should include the following:

• A completed online application showcasing how your qualifications align with the job requirements.
• An up-to-date resume.
• A cover letter detailing your interest in the position, your relevant skills and experience, and why you are the ideal candidate.
• At least three 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 RecruitmentTeam@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 diana.humes@dfw.wa.gov

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