Spawning Ground & Creel Monitoring Technician- Scientific Technician 2- Career Seasonal- 2026-06120

Working Title– Spawning Ground & Creel Monitoring Technician
Classification- Scientific Technician 2
Job Status– Full-Time/Career Seasonal
Appointment Length– 5 Months – August 1 – December 31
WDFW Program– Fish Program – Fish Management
Duty Station– Montesano, Washington – Grays Harbor County

Learn more about being a member of Team WDFW!

Are you passionate about conserving and protecting native fish?

This is an opportunity to collect information that is needed to assess stock status, build fishery models, and to forecast salmon returns.

The optimal applicant has experience identifying river and ocean stage salmonids, juvenile salmonids, and other game fish species.

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

Spawner Surveys – Stock Assessment.

• Conduct salmon spawner surveys according to Region 6 – District 17 – Willapa Bay procedures and protocols.
• Collect data used to estimate stock status of hatchery and natural stocks by measuring abundance. productivity, diversity. and spatial distribution of salmon on the spawning grounds. These data will be used to calculate the spawning escapements of each salmonid stock by origin within the Willapa Bay watershed in Pacific County.
• Conduct stream surveys on foot and/or by raft, pontoon, drift boat, or jet powered river sled following Region 6 standard practices and procedure protocols.
• Biological collection of dead fish (carcasses) includes identification of mark status (adipose/dorsal fin, scale sampling (age/origin). coded wire tag recovery (CWT: stock composition). fork length, sex identification. identifying opercle punch presence or absence, t-tags or jaw tags. DNA tissue samples. or collect other biological samples, as needed.
• Maintain regular and professional contact and continue positive relationships with landowners to gain access to surveyed reaches through private property.

Marine Recreational Creel Monitoring.

• Conduct recreational creel monitoring according to region 6 District 17 – Willapa Bay procedures and protocols.
• Collect data from the marine recreational fishery (Marine Area 2.1) through angler interviews and examination of landed salmon that are used to estimate catch, effort. species origin, age, stock composition, and encounter rates of Chinook or coho.
• Conduct angler interviews and identify, record, and sample salmon and other species landed and/or released (encounters throughout the marine recreational fishery in Willapa Bay marine area 2.1).
• Fieldwork requires identifying, recording, and sampling of salmon and other species landed and/or recording data regarding the encounter of released fish in the marine recreational fishery in Willapa Bay. Data collection is recorded, summarized, and tabulated utilizing electronic devices (iPads) through the iForms program and/or paper field forms.
• Maintain regular and professional conduct and continue positive relationships with recreational anglers to facilitate public cooperation in reporting of encounters and overall fishing effort. Respond to questions with the highest level of proficiency. contacting your supervisor or other management staff with questions unable to be answered.

Commercial Fishery Monitoring and Sampling.

• Collect data from the commercial fishery through observer on-board monitoring and examination of landed salmon at fish house buyer locations that are used to estimate catch, effort, species origin, age stock composition, and encounter rates of Chinook, coho, and chum.
• From August through November, this position may participate in the commercial gillnet fishery sampling landed catch and/or commercial on-board monitoring within Willapa Bay and/or Grays Harbor.
• Commercial on-board monitoring duties may include documentation of gillnet soak times, summarize catch for retained and released fish by species, identify mark status (adipose fin presence or absence), determine presence or absence of coded wire tag (CWT), collect genetic DNA tissue sample, document bycatch and incidental encounters, and collect any other biological samples, as needed.
• Commercial biological sampling duties include sampling catch for scales (age composition), identification of mark status (adipose fin), coded wire tag recovery (CWT), DNA genetic tissue samples, fork length, sex identification, and any other biological samples, as needed.

Other duties as assigned.

• Perform routine maintenance of assigned field gear, fleet vehicles, agency watercrafts and/or equipment as assigned. Check all equipment to ensure it is maintained and properly stored, accounted for, and meets safety requirement daily.
• Depending upon district priorities, additional work may be assigned. These may include assisting at hatcheries, traps, or weirs, or other field related projects.

Working Conditions:

Work setting: Primarily work is in the field. There are seasonal high workload periods during the salmon and steelhead seasons and fishery prosecution and monitoring. The work environment is typically outdoors in and around water, rivers, and streams. For spawner surveys, field work involves traveling via agency vehicles, boating on freshwater river systems that may include Class 3 whitewater, hiking over difficult terrain, in varying weather conditions that may include inclement weather within varying stream flows and visibility conditions in a variety of terrain and stream conditions. Field work can be strenuous and includes a wide range of hazards such as strains, sprains, breaks, scratches, lacerations, infections, animal encounters, hypothermia, and drowning. This position must be comfortable working alone or with a partner in remote and isolated environments in all weather conditions and in swiftly moving water for periods up to 10 hours a day. Tasks may include navigating, negotiating, and performing duties related to water environments. For recreational fishery and commercial monitoring, duties are conducted at a dock, boat launch, gillnet vessel or fish house. Handle fish up to 40 lbs. Commercial onboard monitoring involves boarding gillnet vessel in early morning hours and in wet conditions.

This position may snorkel and must be able to navigate in cold, fast-flowing/white water conditions. Must be comfortable in, on, and around swift water (streams and rivers) and able to navigate, negotiate, and perform duties related to the water environment possibly maneuvering watercraft.

Schedule: Work hours can vary due to inclement weather, river conditions, access, stream flow patterns, fish densities, and length of daylight hours. Work hours usually fall outside of the normal 9 – 5 work schedule. Weekends, non-consecutive days off, and occasional long hours required. There is often a need for a flexible work schedule during peak periods where an unpredictable and irregular schedule is needed to prosecute fishery monitoring and be available to staff for issues and check-in and out. Night, weekend, and holiday hours may be required.

Travel requirements: All travel will be conducted by using state vehicles from duty station to assigned port or freshwater river system within Pacific or Grays Harbor Counties via state, county, or private roads throughout the district. Survey locations are often located on private logging or county roads, and travel times will fluctuate daily. Operators must comply with all driving laws and any rules forwarded by the agency. Operators need to drive in a safe manner adjusting according to road and weather conditions.

Customer Interactions: Regular interaction with internal WDFW staff, local, county, state and Federal biologists, staff, and researchers. Position will frequently interact with the public directly and will need to interact and maintain professionalism with colleagues, comanagers, peers, and the public. This position should respond to data requests and general questions in a timely manner. Answer basic questions as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Required Qualifications:

Option 1: Graduation from high school or GED, including one year of high school science and two (2) years of experience as a Scientific Technician 1.

Option 2: Graduation from high school or GED, including one year of high school science, and two (2) years of laboratory or field experience as an assistant to a biologist, chemist, or zoologist.

Please note: College course work involving major study in biology, zoology, fisheries, chemistry, natural sciences, or closely allied field will substitute year-for-year for experience, provided the course work includes at least six semester or nine quarter hours of natural science classes.

For both options above:
License: Valid driver’s license.

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

• Knowledge of salmonid species, their spawning behavior, general life histories, sampling methodologies and protocols, fishery management methods, recreational creel, commercial fisheries, and spawning ground surveys.
• Experience identifying river and ocean stage salmonids, juvenile salmonids, and other game fish species in varying weather conditions.
• Collecting and recording data with attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and in teams.
• Operating watercraft safely and efficiently through treacherous instream obstacles.
• Navigating with primitive maps and a GPS to find survey locations.
• Experience with ArcGIS software.

Your application must 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 #2026-06120.

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