The Department of Fish and Wildlife is recruiting to fill one full-time, permanent Fish and Wildlife Biologist 1 position located in the Habitat Program, Fish Passage Division. The duty station is in the Natural Resource Building, Olympia, Thurston County, but work will be conducted throughout Washington State.

This non-supervisory position serves as a crew leader for nine to thirteen permanent and non-permanent Scientific Technician 3 positions that participate in fish passage inventories designed to locate and assess natural and human-made instream features that may pose a passage problem for anadromous and resident salmonids.

The incumbent will report to the Fish Passage Division Inventory and Assessment Unit Coordinator and assists with first draft writing, producing and editing summary reports, tables, and memos for internal and external customers. This position participates in all Fish Passage Inventory and Assessment Unit field data collection activities, provides extended field training for scientific technicians, and finalizes technician staff deliverables prior to notifying supervisor that task is complete. This position assists in the management of field equipment inventory and notifies the supervisor with crew needs.

The work will typically be Monday through Thursday, 40 hours per week, but applicants must be able and willing to work alternative work schedules including nights and/or weekends, and travel including overnight stays.

The anticipated start date is January 3, 2017.

Duties

This is primarily a field position, with up to 75% of the work to be conducted in field conditions, year round. The remainder of the work week is spent in the office entering data, providing assistance to crew members to support their field surveys and data entry/management, making sure crew members have completed projects before notifying the supervisor, and preparing summary reports. The successful candidate must be willing and able to adapt to flexible work schedules, work along busy state highways, work long hours in adverse weather conditions, and walk streams to take measurements. Walking streams requires safely moving through thick vegetation, climbing over and around log jams, wood debris and walking on uneven terrain and slippery surfaces while carrying up to 30lbs of field gear.

Principal activities include:

  • Independently plan, organize, and conduct advanced on-site evaluations (e.g. slope, velocity, substrate composition) using prescribed protocols and procedures to inspect, analyze, and report human-made structures including (but not limited to) culverts, dams, bridges, fishways, lake outlet screens, and surface water diversions on streams.
  • Use on-site measurements and information to determine the application of the appropriate protocol and techniques for collecting data to assess stream crossings for fish passage. Analyze data to determine barrier status and fish habitat impacted.
  • Produce first draft write ups and edit summary reports, tables, and memos of habitat data, and inventoried barrier features for use in the development of recommendations for barrier corrections and habitat enhancements to benefit both anadromous and resident salmonids.
  • Process physical and biological stream data using established protocols and procedures in Excel spreadsheets. Organize and enter data into the Fish Passage Diversion Screening Inventory (FPDSI) Microsoft Access database.
  • Use GIS software (ArcMap) to analyze data and create maps of assessment sites and fish passage features.
  • Conduct physical habitat assessments (e.g. stream width, depth, and substrate) to evaluate the extent of fish use in streams associated with stream crossings.
  • Train and assist coworkers in data manipulation and management using GIS, Excel spreadsheets and Access databases.
  • Provide technical assistance to other Fish Passage Division staff members in the inventory and evaluation of fish passage barriers and water diversions and conduct training of barrier assessment and habitat qualification/quantification techniques for co-workers and new hires.
  • Collect on-site data that will be used to determine compliance rates for permitted projects.

Qualifications

A Bachelor’s degree in fisheries, wildlife management, natural resource science, or environmental science.
OR
Equivalent education/experience.

  • College coursework involving major study in biology, zoology, fisheries, chemistry, natural sciences, or closely allied field will substitute, year for year, for experience provided the coursework includes at least six semester or nine quarter hours of natural or environmental science classes. Note: while a college degree is not required, it is strongly preferred.

A valid driver’s license. (If selected for an interview, you may be asked to furnish your license and driving record.)

Ability to: think critically; collect, record, and compile data; perform work in a safe manner; work independently and as part of a team; accept supervision; follow prescribed protocols and procedures; follow oral and written direction; develop and maintain positive, productive, respectful working relationships with coworkers, collaborators, and local landowners; make independent judgments in the field; perform a variety of outdoor work in inclement weather; tolerate difficult and sometimes tedious work conditions; abide by all applicable agency policies.

https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/1596215/fish-and-wildlife-biologist-1-12024h