State of Washington
Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
invites applications for the position of:
Career Seasonal Scientific Technician 2
*00302-15
SALARY: $2,426.00 – $3,135.00 Monthly
OPENING DATE: 01/12/15
CLOSING DATE: 01/22/15 05:00 PM
DESCRIPTION:
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is dedicated to protecting native fish and wildlife, and
providing sustainable fishing, hunting and wildlife viewing opportunities for millions of residents and visitors.
Working throughout the state, WDFW’s employees–field biologists, enforcement officers, land stewards, lab
technicians, customer service representatives and others—manage hundreds of fish and wildlife species,
maintain nearly a million acres of public wildlife lands, provide opportunities for recreational and commercial
fishing, wildlife viewing and hunting, protect and restore habitat and enforce laws that protect fish and wildlife
resources. Find out more about us and the important work we are a part of at www.wdfw.wa.gov
This recruitment is to fill one (1) 9-month full-time Career Seasonal Scientific Technician 2 position in the Fish
Program, Science Division – Region 2. The duty station in the Wenatchee Field Office located at 3515 State
Hwy 97A, Wenatchee, WA. The season for this position is March 1st through November 30th.
The incumbent will be part of a team performing field work related to the operation, and maintenance of rotary
smolt traps in the Wenatchee River Basin. Work will primarily consist of sampling juvenile fish; applying PIT
tags, measuring and recording lengths, weights and a variety of other biological metrics. Additional work will
consist of capture of spring Chinook by electrofishing and PIT tagging in remote locations on the Chiwawa
River and Nason Creek or assisting with sampling of adult salmon carcasses or adult trapping facilities.
DUTIES:
Smolt trap operations, Mark-recapture efficiency trials, PIT Tagging
Tasks include:
Functions as part of a team in daily rotary screw trap operations, collection of biological data using standard
collection methods. Carries out mark-recapture efficiency trials to enable the estimation of natural production of
target species within the Wenatchee Basin. Applies PIT tags to salmon
Equipment Management
Job Bulletin
http://agency.governmentjobs.com/washington/job_bulletin.cfm?JobID=1042542[1/12/2015 1:11:46 PM]
Tasks include:
Ensures that all equipment needs for trapping operations are met including maintenance and repair.
Assist in all facets of equipment inventory, organization, and maintenance. Ensures storage and office areas
are fully functioning and contributing to an efficient work environment.
Electrofishing and or Dipnetting
Tasks include:
Spends 1 – 2 months a year with an electrofishing crew, capturing and PIT tagging juvenile salmon, bulltrout
or steelhead in remote areas of the Wenatchee Basin. Ensures equipment with associated project is
maintained and functioning properly.
Other duties as assigned.
Tasks include:
As needed may assist with other work units as need arises.
Working Conditions:
Scheduling will include nights and weekends. The ability to walk up to 5 miles of stream per day is
necessary. Also must be able to lift and carry adult salmon weighing up to 40 pounds. Work will often occur for
extended periods at night and/or during inclement weather. Applicant should have excellent interpersonal
communication and time management skills and the ability accurately enter data.
Smolt Trapping:
A variety of working conditions are experienced during smolt trapping activities. During peak workloads (March-
June & October-November), night work, highly variable work schedule, overtime, and cold inclement weather
can be expected. It is required that you can navigate a rope-guided boat across the river to access the smolt
traps during periods of high water. Smolt traps are floating platforms that experience periods of instability and
random movement and can at times be very icy. There can be times of frequent noise exposure due to the
operation of generators and water pumps. The sampling of fish requires the use of anesthesia chemicals (MS-
222) as well as concentrated alcohol for sterilization and tissue preservation. Lifting and carrying buckets full of
water, sometimes up and down ramps, is necessary. At times, these duties can be very mentally and physically
demanding, particularly in the spring during periods of high fish abundance and high river discharge.
Remote Sampling and PIT Tagging Activities:
Working conditions during these sampling efforts will be performed in remote river environments. The applicant
should have the ability to hike in rough terrain and slippery conditions, wade streams, navigate over log jams
and carry live fish in buckets or an electrofishing backpack weighing up to 40lbs. Overnight camping trips may
be required. During peak bulltrout spawning other methods of salmonid capture may be utilized such as
nighttime dip-netting, angling, or snorkel herding/seine netting.
Union
This position is covered by a collective bargaining agreement between the State of Washington, Department of
Fish & Wildlife, and the Washington Association of Fish and Wildlife Professionals (WAFWP). As a condition of
employment you must either join the union and pay union dues, or pay the union a representational or other
fee within 30 days of the date you are put into pay status.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Graduation from High school or GED, including one year of High school science and two years of experience
as a Scientific technician 1. Or 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.
College course work involving major study in biology, zoology, fisheries, chemistry, natural science, or closely
allied field will substitute, year for year, for experience, provided the course work includes at least six
semesters or nine quarter hours of natural science classes.
Preferred/Desired work experience:
Ability to identify juvenile and adult salmonids.
Familiarity with anadromous populations in the Upper Columbia Basin.
Ability to apply PIT tags and familiarity with P3 and other tagging software.
Ability to conduct spawning ground and carcass recovery surveys for salmonids.
Basic computer skills with emphasis on Microsoft Office software.
Job Bulletin
http://agency.governmentjobs.com/washington/job_bulletin.cfm?JobID=1042542[1/12/2015 1:11:46 PM]
Familiarity and working knowledge of rotary smolt trap, mark-recapture methods and study design.
Familiarity with protocols of electrofishing and other remote capture methods.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:
To 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 and competencies of this position (generic cover
letter will not be accepted)
A current resume (please make it succinct)
Three professional references (personal references do not count as professional)
Please note: Failure to follow the above application instructions will lead to disqualification. E-mailed
documents will not be accepted in lieu of attaching your documents to the online profile.
Upon submission of your online application, you will immediately receive a confirming e-mail. You will then be
notified via e-mail of your status during the process. In addition to the e-mail notifications, you can check the
status of your application at any time by visiting your online profile at www.careers.wa.gov. Due to the high
volume of applications that we receive, we ask your