Columbia River Survey Technician – Scientific Technician 2 – Non-Permanent – *01637-23

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Agency

Department of Fish and Wildlife

Location

Clark County – Ridgefield, WA

Job Category

Temporary/Seasonal Positions

Salary

$2,957.00 - $3,915.00 Monthly

Last Date to Apply

02/15/2023

Website

https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/3898102/columbia-river-survey-technician-scientific-technician-2-non-permanent-016?keywords=01637-23&pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs

Description

FULL-TIME/NON-PERMANENT COLUMBIA RIVER SURVEY TECHNICIAN SCIENTIFIC TECHNICIAN 2 (ST2) Fish Program Ridgefield, Washington - Clark County Anticipated Appointment Length:  6.5 Months March 16, 2023 - October 31, 2023 Collect data and conduct tagging and monitoring activities for Sturgeon, Eulachon and salmon populations in Southwest Washington! Support WDFW’s mission by gathering the data necessary for setting recreational and commercial harvest guidelines and managing fisheries, rebuilding green sturgeon populations, maintaining robust white sturgeon populations, and monitoring and assessing Eulachon populations to achieve agency goals. With that in mind,  Picture yourself conducting plankton tows to capture Eulachon eggs and larvae on the Columbia River and tributaries. In this dynamic role you will deploy setlines to capture, tag, and record biological data from White Sturgeon during stock assessments conducted throughout the Columbia River. With your experience you will conduct recreational fishery creel surveys on the Columbia River and tributaries. We are seeking a candidate with demonstrated values matching those of WDFW: Accountability, Service, Professionalism, Integrity, Respect, and Empathy (ASPIRE).  Duties Our Columbia River Survey Technician, Field data collection: Deploy and retrieve acoustic receivers in Washington bays and estuaries for Green Sturgeon monitoring.  Work aboard commercial fishing vessels to tag and collect biological data from White Sturgeon and Green Sturgeon. Process Eulachon field samples in a laboratory using microscopes and other equipment to count larvae and obtain biological data from adult fish.  Fishery monitoring: Conduct creel surveys on the mainstem Columbia and tributaries during recreational fisheries for White Sturgeon, Eulachon, salmon, and steelhead. Assist with biological sampling of commercial and/or test fisheries for White Sturgeon, Eulachon, and salmon. Gear preparation and maintenance:  Repair and build field gear and prepare bait for the White Sturgeon stock assessment. Green Sturgeon acoustic receiver maintenance and field equipment preparation. WORKING CONDITIONS: Work Setting, including hazards: Primarily outdoor work under potentially inclement conditions including heavy winds, rain, and daytime temperatures ranging from the 30’s to over 100 degrees. Considerable amount of time spent riding in boats to deploy and retrieve numerous types of sampling gear and tagging fish.  Must be able to negotiate water in emergency situations. Frequently lifting live fish up to 70 lbs. without assistance. A significant amount of time spent driving a truck.  This can include towing and launching research vessels over 20 feet in length. Walking steep or rugged shorelines, riverbanks, along highways and on boat docks while performing creel surveys. Office work may consist of verifying and entering data or sorting, identifying, and counting larvae and eggs under a microscope. Schedule: Flexible schedule, which could include 5 8-hour days per week or 4 10-hour days per week including days, nights, weekends, and holidays as needed.   Must be willing to work overtime as necessary. Travel Requirements: Frequent travel to field work locations involving week-long overnight stays. Tools and Equipment: Vehicles, motorized davits for retrieving Sturgeon and Eulachon sampling gear, electronic data collection devices, hand tools, Passive Integrated Transponders (PIT) tag injectors, Passive Integrated Transponders (PIT) tag detector, acoustic telemetry transmitters and receivers, instruments to conduct surgical biopsies and tag insertions, knives, hemostats, scale cards, snout labels, Coded Wire Tag (CWT) wands, measuring tapes, and binoculars may be used in the course of processing Sturgeon, Eulachon and salmonids.  Lab work will require the use of dissecting scope and tools, counters, and safety gear for handling samples stored in alcohol or formalin.   Customer Interactions: Interviewing anglers, collecting data from their fish, answering questions regarding fishery status and fishing regulations. CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT: WDFW requires all employees to be fully vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of employment.  You will be required to provide proof of vaccination as part of the hiring process. Please do not upload your vaccination documentation with your application materials - your vaccination status will be verified by your supervisor before you will be allowed to work. Exemptions may be granted for religious or medical purposes. Supplemental Information Please note: Failure to follow the instructions below may lead to disqualification. 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 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: Medical/Dental/Vision for employee & dependent(s), Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), Vacation, Sick, and other Leave*, 11 Paid Holidays per year*, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Tuition Waiver, Long Term Disability & Life Insurance, Deferred Compensation Programs, Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP), Flexible Spending Arrangement (FSA), Employee Assistance Program, Commute Trip Reduction Incentives (Download PDF reader), Combined Fund Drive, SmartHealth. 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 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 should 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 should 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. For further information, please contact us at [email protected].  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 may call (360) 902-2276 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].

Qualifications

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 six semester or nine quarter hours of natural science classes. Working knowledge of: Natural habitats of fresh and salt water commercial and sport fish species. Fish spawning habits.  Commercial and sport fishing methods and gear.  Skills and abilities:  Demonstrated skill at recording and compiling research data.  Work independently, under minimal supervision. Communicate clearly and effectively with the public.  Handle live sturgeon and collect and record appropriate data. Certifications/Licenses:  Valid driver’s license. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, Outlook, and basic computer file management. Experience:  With the various aspects of the Department’s complex multi-agency sturgeon and eulachon research and monitoring projects.  Conducting creel surveys.  Sturgeon tagging experience. Working aboard a fishing or research vessel.  With basic boat and boat engine maintenance. With Setline gear.  Standard sized plankton net and gear used for collecting Eulachon eggs and larvae.  Laboratory equipment used to observe and enumerate Eulachon eggs and larvae. Deploying and retrieving acoustic receiver arrays. Ability to:  Obtain accurate length and weight measurements on live fish. Insert PIT (Passive Integrated Transponder) tags into live Sturgeon using PIT tag injectors.  Conduct hard-part sample collection for age analysis and genetic sample collection.   Identify White and Green Sturgeon, Eulachon, and common salmonid and warm water species of the Columbia River. Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:  Successful completion of agency training and/or certification for assigned watercraft is dependent on supervisory direction, position need and training availability.

Contact Person

Natasha Zakarian

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