Cowlitz Monitoring & Evaluation Unit Lead - Fish & Wildlife Biologist

Title

Cowlitz Monitoring & Evaluation Unit Lead

Fish and Wildlife Biologist 4

Full‑Time - Permanent

Fish Program

Toledo, Washington – Lewis County

• Oversee and implement the WDFW Cowlitz River monitoring and evaluation projects, including adult spring and fall Chinook spawner surveys, coho spawner surveys, winter steelhead spawner surveys, creel surveys, hatchery brood biological sampling, weir operations on select tributaries, and oversight of Cowlitz Falls and Mayfield fish facilities.
• Provide oversight and auditing of Cowlitz downstream passage projects to ensure mitigation obligations are being met.
• Observe operations, including fish handling, to verify compliance with regional smolt handling guidelines.
• Collaborate with Science Unit staff to provide independent annual estimates of production and collection efficiency for the CFFF.
• Coordinate with Tacoma Power staff and integrate monitoring efforts with other WDFW Region 5 programs.
• Annually develop scope of work, proposed budget and deliverables for task order contracts between Tacoma Power and WDFW; direct, administer and track budgets; complete and submit status reports; and oversee communication with project staff and Tacoma Power.
• Apply statistical principles to estimate adult and juvenile population abundances, migration timing, size distributions, age structure and other outcomes from studies.
• Summarize data for the Cowlitz Annual Program Review (APR) and participate in APR meetings with Tacoma Power and the public.
• Supervise and mentor technical and professional staff, set goals, develop strategies, establish performance measurements and resolve personnel issues.
• Serve as technical support for Cowlitz Fish Technical Committee (FTC), FTC Downstream Fish Passage Technical Work Group, and Cowlitz Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) groups, providing technical expertise, preparing briefing documents, and representing agency policy objectives.

• Mix of office and field work; field environments include inclement weather, high water, and remote locations.
• Lift, carry, and load equipment weighing up to 70 pounds.
• Walk up to six miles per day along streams, often on uneven and steep terrain.
• Operate pontoon rafts or boats in fast‑flowing rivers for distances up to 15 miles per day, with opportunities for snorkeling.
• Work near and in water, including handling biological materials under unsanitary conditions.

Full‑time, 40 hours per week with variable hours depending on season and fieldwork; occasional evening or weekend work may be required.

Periodic travel throughout Washington and to other states for meetings and special projects.

Vehicles, power boats, pontoon rafts, basic hand tools, knives, coded wire tag wands, CB radios, computers, iPads, Toughpads, and Garmin InReach.

Interactions with the public, landowner contacts, presentation settings, Fish Technical Committee meetings, and data requests.

• Bachelor’s degree in fisheries, wildlife management, natural resource science, environmental science, or related field AND five years of professional experience in fish management, fish research, wildlife management, wildlife research, habitat management, or habitat research.
• OR Master’s degree in a related field AND four years of professional experience in the same areas.
• OR Ph.D. in a related field AND three years of professional experience in the same areas.
• OR four years as a Fish & Wildlife Biologist 3.
• Valid driver’s license.

• Basic skills in the use of hand and power tools.
• Advanced use of Microsoft Excel and Access.
• Knowledge of salmonid life histories, adult fish population estimation methods, and salmonid re‑introduction projects.
• Experience with WinBUGS, R, R Studio, and other programming languages.
• Familiarity with the Cowlitz Basin Fisheries and Hatchery Management Plan and related documents.
• Experience conducting spawning ground surveys, installing and operating resistance board weirs, handling and tagging adult salmonids, and managing permits.
• Experience in project management, supervising field staff, conducting quality analysis on large datasets, and communicating technical information to stakeholders.

Veterans and qualifying spouses who meet the minimum qualifications receive preference during the initial application review stage.