North Coast Area Fish Biologist – Fish & Wildlife Biologist 3 – Permanent – 2025-09080

Working Title– North Coast Area Fish Biologist
Classification- Fish & Wildlife Biologist 3
Job Status– Full-Time/Permanent
WDFW Program– Fish Program – Fish Management Division
Duty Station– *Port Angeles, Washington – Clallam County
*While this position may offer a telework option, the successful candidate must be available to report to the duty station as needed.

Learn more about being a member of Team WDFW!

Are you passionate about conserving and protecting native fish and wildlife?

In this dynamic role, you will design and oversee stock assessment and fishery management activities focused on anadromous salmonids and inland water fisheries.

With your experience, you will be responsible for fishery management activities for free-flowing waterways and tributaries of the northern coast of Washington and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

WHAT TO EXPECT –
Among the varied range of responsibilities held within this role, this position will:

Oversee North Coast salmon and steelhead stock assessment activities and associated field work.

• Plan, direct, and adapt activities of staff for collection of fish monitoring data and coordinate fieldwork logistics within District 16, considering budgets, crew availability, survey reach length, current environmental conditions, weather forecasts, daylight hours, available equipment, priority of work, and landowner relations.
• Collaborate with co-managers to design and develop pre-season and in-season management models, including annual escapement estimates and pre-season forecasts.
• Maintain run reconstruction and historical databases.
• Assist in development of management plans with other WDFW staff and tribal co-managers that meet agency conservation objectives while maximizing harvest opportunities.
• Organize and assess in-season data to estimate general abundance trends and recommend in-season management actions to Regional and Statewide WDFW leadership staff.

Conduct fieldwork related to salmon and steelhead stock assessment.

• Conduct salmonid redd surveys and live and dead fish counts by foot, raft or aircraft during all weather conditions and over difficult terrain.
• Snorkel for fish counts, inspects weirs, deploys nets for capture of fish for sampling, snorkels for juvenile coho presence/absence observations.
• Sample carcasses for scales, DNA tissue, otoliths, coded wire tags, and other biological samples.
• Record sampling results, prepare samples for laboratory analysis, and maintain accurate field records.

Represent WDFW in discussions and at meetings with comanaging tribes, State, Federal, and County biologists and/or stakeholders.

• Independently attend and participate in meetings that are primarily focused on issues related to fisheries and stock assessment or projects or proposals that may impact one or more life stages of salmonids including char (bull trout, Dolly Varden).
• Serve as regional specialist for monitoring freshwater fisheries.
• Attend North of Falcon season setting meetings as assigned. Represent WDFW as local expert during NOF annual salmon planning process.
• Provide technical support for the District Biologist and Regional Program Manager in policy discussions.

Supervisor.

• Hire, train and supervise technicians to perform statistically valid redd surveys in watersheds within District 16.
• Independently plan and assign day to day activities of subordinate employees.
• Monitor and evaluate performance of employees and regularly mentor to keep employee skills and work quality as high as possible.

Reporting.

• Independently write, review, edit, and finalize study protocols and periodic reports describing activities and observations, to be distributed within WDFW and/or to comanaging tribes, federal authorities, and others.
• Contribute to ESA reporting, including encounters, impacts and observations of fish species.
• Write peer-reviewed manuscript and technical reports summarizing the results of research activities in the region.

Working Conditions:

Work setting: Approximately 30% field work and 70% office work. Field duties are performed in all weather conditions, ranging from dry and hot to extreme cold and snow. Work includes hiking long distances over very difficult terrain, both in and out of moving water, while carrying gear. Duties also involve boating on rivers, streams, lakes, and potentially marine areas, including class III whitewater. Staff may fly in fixed-wing or helicopter aircraft to perform fisheries monitoring tasks.   This position may involve working in or near water, including tasks that require navigating, negotiating, and performing duties related to water environments. Work also includes snorkeling in cold, fast flowing or whitewater conditions, and walking over rough terrain in varying environmental environments.

Schedule: This position is full-time, working 40 hours per week. The standard work schedule is Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM, and includes the potential for occasional evening or weekend work as needed. Schedules may vary based on business needs, time of year, and/or weather conditions.

Travel requirements: Travel may include overnight stays in hotels for meetings, air or ground transportation, and camping during remote field work.

Customer Interactions: Regular interaction with WDFW biologists and researchers, other state agency staff, tribal administration and biologists, county and federal biologists and researchers, and public utility district staff. This position also frequently interacts with members of the public and is expected to remain calm, professional, and respectful during tense or combative interactions with passionate resource users.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Required Qualifications:

Option 1:

A bachelor’s degree in fisheries, wildlife management, natural resource science, or environmental science.

  And

Three (3) years of professional experience in fish management or research, wildlife management or research, or habitat management or research.  Please note:  Closely related qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-by-year basis. A Master’s degree in fisheries, wildlife management, natural resource science, or environmental science will substitute for one (1) year of the required experience.  A Ph.D. in fisheries, wildlife management, natural resource science, or environmental science will substitute two (2) years of the required experience

  And

One (1) year or more of leadership/supervisory duties including conflict resolution, training and development, planning and assigning work, and evaluating performance.

Option 2:

Two (2) years as a Fish & Wildlife Biologist 2.

  And

One (1) year or more of leadership/supervisory duties including conflict resolution, training and development, planning and assigning work, and evaluating performance.

License: Valid driver’s license.

Preferred Qualifications:
In addition to the required qualifications, our ideal applicant will possess some or all the following:

First aid certification.

Five (5) years or more of professional experience in fish management or research. 

Three (3) years or more of professional experience in/with the following: 

• Sport fishing experience or experience working with sport fishers.
• R statistical computer programming.
• Rowing/rafting in rivers and streams.
• Conducting redd surveys.
• Snorkeling.
• Tagging and tracking fish.
• Statistics.

Your Application should include the following:

• A completed online application showcasing how your qualifications align with the job requirements.
• An up-to-date resume.
• A cover letter detailing your interest in the position, your relevant skills and experience, and why you are the ideal candidate.
• At least three (3) professional references with current contact information.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:

In addition to pay and other special employee programs, there are other benefits

that WDFW employees may be eligible for. Click the “Benefits” tab at the top of this announcement to learn more.

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

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 and Military Spouse Preference Notice: 

Per RCW 73.16.010 Veterans and qualifying spouses who meet the minimum qualifications of a position are eligible for preference during the initial application review stage. To receive this benefit, please do the following: 

• Notify us of your veteran or military spouse status by email at Cheri.Potter@dfw.wa.gov.
• Veterans only – Attach a copy of your DD214 (Member 4 copy), NGB 22, or USDVA signed verification of service letter.
  • Please redact any PII (personally identifiable information) data such as social security numbers.
• Subject line must include recruitment number, position, and spouse/veteran (example: 2024-1234 – Biologist 1 – Veteran).
• Include your name as it appears on your application in careers.wa.gov.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Employer

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.

Request an accommodation: Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format please contact Jayme Chase by phone 360-902-2278 or email Jayme.Chase@dfw.wa.gov, or the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at 800-833-6388.

Technical Difficulties: If you are having technical difficulties creating, accessing, or completing your application, please call NEOGOV toll-free at (855) 524-5627 or support@neogov.com.

Other questions: If you have other questions regarding this position, please reach out to Cheri.Potter@dfw.wa.gov and reference job number/title from the top of this posting.

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