Sturgeon Fishery Monitoring Technician - Scientific Technician 3 - Permanent - 2026-02135

Full Job Description

Title- Sturgeon Fishery Monitoring Technician

Classification- Scientific Technician 3

Job Status- Full-Time - Permanent
WDFW Program- Fish Program - Division
Duty Station- Ridgefield, Washington – Clark County

Learn more about being a member of Team WDFW!

Photo Caption: White Sturgeon – Photo Credit: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

This is an opportunity to gain hands-on fisheries experience throughout the Columbia River Basin.

Envision yourself working on foot or from watercraft while conducting sturgeon and eulachon stock assessment and fishery monitoring surveys.

With an emphasis on quality control and analysis, you will also review data collected during sturgeon and eulachon fisheries.

What to Expect-

Among the varied range of responsibilities held within this role, the Sturgeon Fishery Monitoring Technician will,

Perform sturgeon and eulachon stock assessment surveys:

Lead and conduct sturgeon and eulachon fishery monitoring surveys:

Perform quality analysis and control on sturgeon and eulachon fishery monitoring data and contribute to annual reporting:

• Review and verify angler interview and effort data collected during recreational sturgeon and eulachon fisheries for accuracy and completeness.
• Cross reference sturgeon passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag codes logged on detectors against electronic forms.
• Review and check adult eulachon sampling data from mainstem Columbia commercial and test fisheries, recreational and test fisheries in Columbia River tributaries, and sampling data collected outside of the basin for accuracy and completeness.

Working Conditions:

Work setting, including hazards:

• Significant time may be spent driving or riding in agency or commercial fishing vessels in unprotected waters during severe inclement weather, while deploying and retrieving setline, gillnet gear, larval and egg collection gear.
• Communicate using marine VHF radios and cell phones and hear on board staff over loud motors and other vessel equipment.
• Handle large fish ranging from a few feet up to six (6) feet long and more and lift and move items weighing up to 70 lbs. without assistance
• Spend one (1) or more hours a day driving a pickup truck, sedan or SUV. This may include towing and launching research vessels over 20 feet in length.
• Creel and fishery monitoring work may require several hours per day walking alone on slippery, uneven, steep or moving docks, highways, boat ramps and riverbanks.
• Additional hazards may include vessel mechanical failure, puncture wounds or lacerations from sampling equipment, knives, sturgeon scutes, or fish spines and repetitive stress injury from processing fish samples and computer data entry.
• This position may involve working in or near water, including tasks that require navigating, negotiating, and performing duties related to water environments.

Schedule: Typically, Monday – Friday, 8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. Work may exceed 40 hours per week, hours outside of the standard schedule and weekends.

Travel Requirements: Travel to fieldwork locations involving week-long overnight stays throughout the year.

Tools and Equipment: 25 foot research vessels, 16-20 foot jetboats, hydraulics to deploy research setline and gillnet sampling gear, marine radar and VHF radios, personal locator beacons, personal floatation devices (PFD), GPS and satellite equipment, passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags, acoustic telemetry transmitters and receivers, instruments to conduct surgical biopsies and tag insertions, knives, hemostats, scale cards, snout labels, coded wire tag (CWT) wands, PIT tag detectors, measuring tapes, digital or spring scales, and binoculars.

Customer Interactions: Interview anglers, collecting data and answering questions regarding fishery status and fishing regulations

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications:

Option 1: Graduation from high school or GED, including one (1) year of high school science.
And
Four (4) years of experience as a Scientific Technician.

Option 2: Graduation from high school or GED, including one (1) year of high school science.

And Four (4) years of laboratory or field experience as an assistant to a health or safety professional, 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 (6) semester or nine (9) quarter hours of natural or environmental science classes.

Certifications/Licenses:

Valid Driver’s License.

Preferred Qualifications:

In addition to the required qualifications, our ideal applicant will possess one or more of the following:

Experience with the following:

• Natural habitats of fresh and saltwater commercial and recreational fish species.
• Fish spawning habits.
• Commercial and recreational fishing methods and gear.
• Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, Outlook, and basic computer file management.
• Working aboard a fish or research vessel
• Recording and compiling research data.
• Working effectively as part of a team in the field while conducting fish research.
• Communicating clearly and effectively with the public.
• Handling large fish, such as sturgeon several feet in length and collecting and recording appropriate data.
• Setline and gillnet gear.
• Operation of standard sized plankton net and gear in riverine habitats
• Laboratory equipment used to observe and enumerate larval fish and eggs.
• Recording accurate length and weight measurements on live fish.
• Implementation of passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags using a PIT tag injector and handheld PIT reader.
• Fin ray sample collection for age analysis.
• Fish tissue sample collection for genetic analysis.
• Operating a 16+ foot boat in rivers and reservoirs during a range of weather and flow conditions.
• Conducting creel and/or fishery monitoring surveys and interacting with recreational anglers and commercial fishers.
• Various aspects of WDFW’s complex multi-agency sturgeon and eulachon research and monitoring projects.
• Identifying white and green sturgeons, eulachon, longfin smelt, salmonids, shad, and native and non-native resident fish species of the Columbia Basin.
• Basic boat and boat engine maintenance.

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 professional references with current contact information.

Additional 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 Elizabeth.Bullard@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 Elizabeth.Bullard@dfw.wa.gov and reference job #2026-02135.

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