JOB SUMMARY: The Science and Technical Support Section of the Water and Land Resources Division has an exciting opportunity for a senior fish ecologist and project manager. The Section is composed of 40+ staff with a broad range of technical expertise including freshwater and marine ecology, hydrology, geology, and ecotoxicology.  The Section carries out applied science work that supports King County’s natural resource management functions. The Section leads environmental monitoring programs, manages technical projects, delivers specialized scientific services and informs evidence-based policies and regulations. Our partners include other King County groups, (e.g., the Environmental Lab), state and federal agencies, and other entities around Puget Sound. For more information, please see our website.

The purpose of this position is to serve as a fish ecologist and project manager who will lead, manage, and support important and high-profile scientific projects. These projects will inform aquatic habitat restoration, salmon recovery, and flood risk management. The person in this position will carry out both office and field work. The person in this position will have exceptional leadership skills and extensive technical expertise and experience. The person will bring exceptional written and oral communications skills to the work. The work includes: applying science to inform natural resource policies, regulations, programs; developing and implementing fish ecology and habitat studies; and providing expertise to projects and programs in the Science Section and its clients and partners. The person will bring advanced knowledge of fish ecology and biology, lotic and floodplain ecology, principles and practices of ecological restoration, and knowledge of salmon recovery in Puget Sound including goals, existing programs, and institutions involved. The person will bring a collaborative approach to all work and serve as a King County technical expert on various external watershed teams and stakeholder groups.

WHO MAY APPLY: This position is opened to all qualified applicants.

King County values diverse perspectives, life experiences and differences. The Water and Land Resources Division encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, men, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, and veterans. We are committed to being equitable and fair in providing equal access to opportunities for all. The Science and Technical Support Section is committed to workplace and service equity. We value diverse perspectives and life experiences in our workforce, and are committed to building a culturally diverse and inclusive environment for staff. The Section strives to embed equity and social justice in all services.

WORK LOCATION: King Street Center-201 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98104.  A valid Washington or other State Driver’s License, and the willingness to travel throughout King County, adjacent counties, or other travel destinations in a timely manner.

REQUIRED MATERIALS TO APPLY: Applications without the following required materials may not be considered for this position.

1. King County application (applying online satisfies this requirement)
2. Resume
3. Cover Letter detailing your background and describing how your education and experience meets the qualifications and has prepared you to perform the essential functions of the job (please limit to no more than two pages)

WORK SCHEDULE:  This position works a 40-hour workweek, and is an hourly position governed by the overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and/or the Washington State Minimum Wage Act, and is eligible for overtime pay or compensatory time accrual with prior approval.Job Duties

• Plan, lead, and conduct fish surveys and habitat assessments in streams, rivers, lakes, nearshore, and estuarine environments.
• Prepare technical scopes of work, statistical approaches and experimental designs, and sampling-and-analysis plans for scientific studies.
• Conduct biostatistical analysis of empirical data.
• Write technical reports for technical audiences and prepare executive summaries and summary reports for senior managers and the general public.
• Provide reviews of technical studies and consultant reports for county projects and programs.
• Write, carryout, and manage grant projects. Collaborate with finance staff to produce and track grant budgets and ensure compliance with grant requirements.
• Develop and manage consultant contracts and governmental agreements to support division projects and programs.
• Serve on interdisciplinary project teams to support salmon recovery projects and monitoring efforts with King County, other agencies, jurisdictions, Tribes, and universities.
• Serve as project manager for monitoring and assessment projects, ensure that customer expectations for cost, quality, and timeliness of deliverables are met. Perform all project management duties: develop, monitor, and control scope, schedule and budget, prepare field safety plans, oversee staff, manage equipment, communicate with project team and supervisors regarding milestones and accomplishments, and perform all required project reporting on schedule.
• Coordinate program and project work with other King County technical staff, decision-makers and management, Tribes, other jurisdictions, and partner agencies. This includes coordinating and leading interdisciplinary and inter-jurisdictional meetings.
• Identify local, state, and federal environmental permits needed for project implementation and prepare, submit, and manage permit applications for timely acquisition. This includes developing efficient permit strategies and schedules for projects and negotiating permit conditions and issues with clients and regulatory agencies (e.g., NMFS, WDFW).
• Provide technical reviews, policy analyses, recommendations, technical briefings, and presentations to technical staff, partner agencies, the general public, management, and elected officials.
• Conduct work activities as part of an interdisciplinary team as well as work independently with a high degree of professional and personal integrity.
• Carry out work activities with a high level of communication and collaboration with internal and external clients and colleagues

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

• Master’s degree in fisheries biology/ecology, aquatic ecology, stream/river ecology or closely-related field and/ OR an equivalent combination of education and experience which provide the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform all the duties described in this job announcement.
• At least five years of increasingly responsible experience leading and conducting stream, river, lake and nearshore fish surveys (e.g., red surveys, seining, snorkeling, rafting and small boat) using standard fisheries and safety protocols.
• At least five years of increasingly responsible experience designing and conducting stream and river assessments to evaluate habitat quantity and quality for aquatic and wildlife species, including federally-listed species in Puget Sound, e.g., Chinook and Steelhead.
• At least five years of experience carrying out project management practices and procedures, including writing scopes, preparing and tracking budgets, etc.
• Demonstrated ability to manage fish and habitat studies and to lead and manage multidisciplinary technical teams.
• Demonstrated experience identifying species and life stages of freshwater and marine fish species of the Pacific Northwest, especially native species.
• Experience organizing and analyzing habitat, fisheries, and related resource data using databases, spreadsheets, maps, and GIS.
• Demonstrated experience conducting biostatistical analysis and interpretation.
• Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office products (MS-Excel, MS-Word, and PowerPoint).
• Demonstrated experience in writing reports for both scientific and non-scientific audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to write, manage, and track grant proposals.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver effective oral presentations to both scientific and non-scientific audiences on technical and policy issues.
• Demonstrated ability to carry out local, state, and federal permit requirements to support scientific surveys and habitat restoration projects.
• Demonstrated experience and savvy working collaboratively on complex technical projects with stakeholders and staff from other agencies.

DESIRABLE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Demonstrated knowledge and experience working in streams, rivers, lakes, and shorelines in King County.
• Experience designing, implementing, and monitoring small stream restoration projects.
• Training certifications in river safety, electrofishing, and snorkeling.

Supplemental InformationSELECTION PROCESS:
Application materials will be screened for clarity, completeness, and responsiveness to the list of qualifications, skills, and abilities. The most competitive candidates will be invited to participate in one or more panel interviews. References and/or background checks may also be conducted.
The successful candidate will be required to complete First Aid and CPR training, Swift Water Awareness Training and other safety training deemed necessary for employee safety within the first 6 months of being hired.

A final offer of employment will be contingent upon successfully passing a pre-employment physical examination.

UNION MEMBERSHIP:  This position is represented by Local 17 – PTE union.

For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact:
Queniya Lassiter
Senior Human Resources Analyst
Email: Queniya.Lassiter@kingcounty.gov
Phone: 206-477-3773

Class Code:  7520300