Seasonal Senior Biological Technician

Great opportunity for a SEASONAL SENIOR BIOLOGICAL TECHNICIAN to support juvenile Chinook salmon population assessments on Quartzville Creek. The location can be in Sweet Home, Lebanon, or Eugene, Oregon. This position offers a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in fisheries research and contribute to meaningful conservation projects. If you have a background in biology/ecology/natural resources and a passion for fish conservation, we encourage you to apply!

DETAILS:

• Openings: One (1)
• Focus & Location: To support juvenile Chinook salmon population assessments on Quartzville Creek
• Field Work: This position will lead a team of biological technicians in juvenile Chinook assessments on Quartzville Creek (located in East Linn County, 30 minutes from Sweet Home). Field work will be conducted in three-person teams typically 5 days per week, for 8 hours per day. Occasional camping may be required. Field technicians will be supervised by the Fish Ecology Lab in Portland, OR.
• Approximate Employment Dates: Mid-January to November 2025.
• Pay Rate: $24-$25/hour depending on experience.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Lead, mentor, and manage a three-person crew conducting weekly juvenile Chinook salmon surveys. Make independent decisions while fostering team effectiveness, morale, and safety throughout the field season.
• Maintain routine communication with supervisors, project leads, and field staff to ensure project requirements are met and personnel needs are effectively addressed.
• Conduct snorkel surveys for juvenile Chinook salmon, with the ability to identify salmonids and differentiate between Chinook salmon and O. mykiss.
• Operate and carry a Smith-Root LR-24 backpack electrofisher in challenging field conditions. Responsibilities include fish handling, species identification, and ensuring fish health during sampling.
• Execute beach seining activities, including pulling heavy nets through uneven and slippery terrain. Handle fish safely and accurately identify species while prioritizing their health and well-being.
• Oversee the tagging of juvenile Chinook salmon, ensuring accurate collection of tagging data and biological measurements (e.g., fork length, weight).
• Collect data with accuracy and precision. Will be responsible for accurate field data collection, data offloads, and data QA/QC.
• Collaborate with the Cramer team to plan and execute sampling techniques based off river conditions.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Fisheries Science, Ecology, Environmental Science, or related field preferred.
• 2+ years of experience in fish identification skills, handling, and biological data collection
• Proven leadership skills with the ability to motivate and manage a team under challenging conditions.
• Excellent communication skills, both with the team and external stakeholders.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365.
• Valid driver’s license.
• Ability to work well with others in difficult and stressful conditions.
• A positive attitude.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience with snorkel surveys, beach seining, electrofishing.
• Experience tagging juvenile salmonids with PIT and elastomer tags
• Experience leading field crews
• Experience with QA/QC
• Wilderness First Aid/ CPR
• First Aid certification
• Swift Water Rescue certification

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Ability to work 8+ hour days in diverse outdoor conditions, such as forests, rivers, streams, and lakes, often in remote locations. This includes working in inclement weather conditions at times.
• Ability to effectively and safely drive in inclement weather, including hot, cold, rainy, foggy, or smoky conditions.
• Ability to perform physical tasks including lifting up to 50 lbs. and performing fieldwork in uneven terrain or cold water.
• Ability to participate in various projects across the Willamette Valley watershed with the ability to adjust work locations and sampling methods as conditions or project priorities shift.
• Ability to be flexible with work hours, including weekends and evenings, and travel to remote areas for 4-5 days at a time.

ABOUT CRAMER FISH SCIENCES: We are a fisheries research consulting firm serving throughout the Pacific States and Idaho. We are a growing, employee-owned company whose mission is to rigorously apply scientific methods to afford our clients innovative, scientifically robust solutions to address a variety of fisheries and environmental challenges. Our team achieves this through effective and unbiased data collection, insightful analysis and interpretation, and clear communications and publication of results in scientific journals.

DEI: Diversifying our profession is a vital and on-going journey and we are committed to fostering a culture that embraces and celebrates diversity in all its forms.

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION: Cramer Fish Sciences is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against based on disability.