Do the words self-motivated, strong leader and problem solver describe you? Are you a seasoned professional who is ready for your next challenge? If so, then this opportunity may be the one for you!  The Department of Fish and Wildlife is looking to find a Natural Resource Scientist.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is dedicated to preserving, protecting and perpetuating fish, wildlife and ecosystems, while providing sustainable recreational and commercial opportunities dependent on viable fish and wildlife populations.  Each day WDFW employees facilitate fishing, hunting and wildlife viewing opportunities for millions of residents and visitors.  WDFW’s employees–field and laboratory biologists, geneticists, research scientists, hatchery professionals, policy experts, fully commissioned law enforcement officers, land stewards, lab technicians, property acquisition specialists, customer service representatives and others work throughout the state.  WDFW employees protect and restore critical habitat, strive to facilitate species recovery when necessary, and manage hundreds of fish and wildlife species.  WDFW employees maintain nearly a million acres of public wildlife lands. They interpret, apply and enforce state and federal laws and collaborate with stakeholders to protect fish and wildlife resources.  Find out more about us and the important work we are a part of at www.wdfw.wa.gov

The Department of Fish and Wildlife is recruiting to fill one full time, permanent Natural Resource Scientist 4 position.  This position represents WDFW as the lead for the ESA/Anadromous Fish Investigations Unit within the Fish Management Division – Region 5. The duty station is located at the Southwest Regional office, 5525 South 11th Street, Ridgefield, WA 98642.

This position reports to the Region 5 Fish Program Manager and has oversight of lead species biologists responsible for Chinook, coho, chum and steelhead monitoring throughout Region 5.

• Development and implementation of a region-wide Viable Salmonid Population (VSP) monitoring program for Chinook, chum, coho and steelhead populations.
• Development, assessment and standardization of salmonid population monitoring methods through collaboration with Science Division staff, including study design development/evaluation/implementation & data analysis.
• Interpretation and dissemination of data.

Planning and Coordination
Duties include:

• Development and Implementation of species management, supplementation and recovery plans.
• Participation on the Region 5 Fish Management Team and District teams.

Contract and Budget Development/Management
Duties include:

• Development, management and tracking of federal, state and local contracts and budgets associated with VSP monitoring programs (currently ~$4M).

Lead the ESA/Anadromous Fish Investigations Unit within the Fish Management Division – Region 5.
Duties include:

• Supervision of Unit staff, including providing leadership and clear direction, building morale and teamwork, and promoting a cooperative work environment within and between work units across Region 5 and the Fish Program.
• Oversight of ESA permitting issues for Region 5.
• General administrative and fiscal duties and other duties as assigned.

Working conditions
As a standard, this position follows a 40-hour work week, Monday – Friday with core hours of 8:00AM -5:00PM. Occasionally, this position is expected to work in excess of 40 hours per week, beyond core hours (potentially including nights), and outside of the normal work week (i.e., Saturday, Sunday, holidays) to complete necessary office and field duties.  The position is expected to periodically travel throughout Washington and to other states for meetings and special projects.

This position is the leader of the ESA/Anadromous Fish Investigations Unit within the Fish Management Division – Region 5. Primarily, work occurs in the Region 5 office setting and at field offices throughout the Region (i.e., Kelso, Beaver Creek and Cowlitz). Attendance at offsite meetings occurs regularly.

This position occasionally participates in field work related to work unit projects to conduct QA/QC of project objectives, and to assist with peak workloads. Fieldwork is performed year-round under a wide array of weather conditions. Hazards include: working around streams/rivers in varying weather & flow conditions; working on boats in the Columbia River while setting seine nets; and working on and around rotary screw traps.  Fieldwork may require the ability to lift, carry and load equipment up to 70 lbs. (i.e. pontoon rafts, seine nets, buckets, electrofishing equipment, field gear etc.); walk in and along streams up to 6 miles per day under all weather conditions, including climbing up and down steep and slippery stream banks; the ability to operate pontoon rafts/boats in rivers with fast flowing/whitewater conditions under all weather conditions covering up to 15 miles per day; the ability to snorkel in rivers with fast flowing/whitewater conditions under all weather conditions for up to 6 miles per day.
A valid driver’s license is required.

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.

JOB KNOWLEDGE & ABILITIES

• Knowledge of salmonid population monitoring (adult and juvenile) techniques, methodologies, study designs and analyses focused on abundance and survival estimation (e.g., mark/recapture, AUC, redd count expansion, peak count expansion, etc.).
• Knowledge of adult and juvenile salmonid identification and salmonid redd identification.
• Knowledge of salmonid life histories.
• Knowledge of fish trapping and collection methods including: seining, hook and line sampling, electrofishing, rotary screw traps, fence weirs, adult salmonid weirs, adult salmonid traps, etc.
• Knowledge of safe fish collection, handling, sampling, and tagging techniques and procedures, including the use of fish anesthesia.
• Ability to collect high quality biological data, complete summarization and analysis and interpret results.
• Proficient in the use of MS Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint.
• Experience developing and managing multiple large and complex contracts/budgets.
• Knowledge of the ESA and various permit types associated with the ESA.
• Ability to communicate Agency policies, management decisions, and scientific results effectively to WDFW management and field staff, external entities (i.e., NOAA, USFWS, USFS, NGOs, LCFRB, etc.) and the general public.

Preferred Work Experience

• Knowledge of the WDFW contracting process, including Novatus.
• Proficiency in BPA Pisces software, RCO PRISM software, and WDFW CAPS Financial.
• Knowledge of Region 5 salmon and steelhead populations.
• Basic knowledge of data management and statistical programs (R, BUGS, MARK, etc.).

Mental requirements:

• Professional Behavior – Ability to maintain a calm demeanor when interacting with WDFW staff, the public, personnel from other state agencies, and local landowners.
• Ability to prioritize monitoring programs based on budget constraints, population priority rankings and Agency needs and by utilizing basin-wide guidance from NOAA, NPPC, and BPA.
• Ability to accurately interpret data and information gathered through monitoring programs.
• Ability to make informed decisions regarding fieldwork activities {scheduling, staffing, priority areas, etc.) in response to changing weather and stream flow conditions to allow for efficient use of staff time and accomplishment of project goals.
• Ability to effectively multi-task, balancing analysis/office work, administrative/fiscal work and field work.

Willingness:
Office Work:

• Willingness to work long days, nights, weekends, and some holidays when projects require it.
• Willingness to periodically travel throughout Washington and to other states for meetings and special projects.

Field Work:

• Willingness to work outdoors under all weather conditions; fieldwork performed in this position may occur year-round under a wide array of weather conditions.
• Willingness to work alone in remote locations; stream surveys, adult trapping and other fieldwork performed in this position are often completed alone under the guidelines of the WDFW Working Alone in Remote Locations Policy (Policy# 2001).
• Willingness to work outdoors at night; adult trapping operations sometimes require nighttime work and/or monitoring at night during high stream flow events.
• Willingness to sample salmon carcasses in various states of decay with very strong odors; salmonid population monitoring fieldwork performed by this position requires the handling and sampling of salmon and steelhead carcasses recovered during stream surveying.
• Willingness to work long days, nights, weekends, and some holidays when fieldwork and/or other projects require it.

To be competitive for this position, an applicant should demonstrate the following competencies:
Functional Competencies
Analysis/Statistical Procedures
Coaching, Mentoring
Managing Workloads
Mathematical Reasoning
Planning
Researching/Gathering Information
Stress Tolerance
Using Personal Computers
Reading, Comprehending, Retaining Information
Verbal Communications
Written Communications
Professional Behavior
HIGH PERFORMANCE:
Communications Effectiveness
Team Leadership
Adaptability
Results Orientation/Initiative
Resourcefulness in Problem Solving
Technical Writing
Proposal Development

• A cover letter describing how you meet the competencies qualifications 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 understanding and encourage you to use the online process and avoid calling for information.

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.