Wildlife Biologist ; PCN

Position: Wildlife Biologist 1 (PCN 112266)
Job Description

Effective July 1, 2026 the wage for this position increased by 3%. The wage listed in this job posting reflects the increase.

This position is open to Alaska Residents only.

Please check our residency definition to determine if you qualify.

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The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation is recruiting for a Wildlife Biologist 1 located in Fairbanks, Alaska!

What you will be doing:

This position serves to assist the overall operation of the Arctic Marine Mammal Program (AMMP) by conducting field research (e.g., collecting eDNA samples, instrumenting marine mammals with satellite transmitters and sampling subsistence harvested marine mammals), laboratory work (e.g., sorting and recording marine mammal tissues received from the Native subsistence harvest and processing stomachs for diet analysis), maintaining field equipment (e.g., nets, eDNA sampling equipment, motion activated cameras, shotguns, biopsy and tagging instruments, trailers, snowmachines, boats, and ATVs), working with databases by entering, compiling, and error checking data, and assisting with report and manuscript preparations.

Our organization, mission, and culture:

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game strives for a diverse and inclusive workforce where safety and wellbeing are paramount and employees at all levels promote a culture where everyone is valued, treated equitably, and treated respectfully. The mission of the Division of Wildlife Conservation is to conserve and enhance Alaska's wildlife and habitats and provide for a wide range of public uses and benefits.

The Marine Mammal Program mission is advancing science to promote the sound management of marine mammals for the people of Alaska. The Arctic Marine Mammal Program (AMMP) conducts research on 11 species of marine mammals (i.e., ringed, bearded, spotted, and ribbon seals, bowhead, humpback, gray, killer, and beluga whales, walruses, and polar bears) important for subsistence purposes in western and northern Alaska.

The AMMP is almost entirely funded by competitive grants for salary, benefits, overhead, and research. This Wildlife Biologist 1 position will be responsible for conducting field research, conducting laboratory activities (e.g., sorting stomach contents for prey identification), maintaining field equipment, compiling, entering, and error checking data, and assisting with report and manuscript preparation. Field work will be conducted in remote areas with minimal amenities and outside in inclement weather conditions.

Marine mammal research and monitoring are a major component of the AMMP and high quality, published results in a timely manner are necessary for grant-based research to be successful. This position is mission critical so that AMMP can continue to provide marine mammal research results to marine mammal managers in a rapidly changing Arctic.

The benefits of joining our team:

The Arctic Marine Mammal Program includes biologists, technicians, and college interns that understand the importance of marine mammals to Alaskans and to the Arctic marine ecosystem. Research includes species distribution, habitat use, abundance estimation, evaluating indices to population status (i.e., vital rates), and harvest monitoring. This position works with Alaska Native marine mammal hunters and co-management organizations and local governments (e.g., North Slope Borough) on marine mammal research projects.

This position also works with federal agencies (e.g., National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey).

The working environment you can expect:

This position is located in Fairbanks at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game office at the Creamer's Migratory Waterfowl Refuge in Fairbanks. Offices are in the main building. This is a permanent seasonal position, but we intend for it to be 12 months a year. The non-field work schedule is based on a 7.5 hour day, 37.5 hours per week.

Field work can involve 7/days/week and long hours. Field work will be conducted in remote locations and often includes working out of small boats, using snowmachines, or using ATVs. Other travel includes attending Alaska Native Organization and scientific meetings. Requires travel within the State for meetings (1-5 days up to 2 times/year). Requires field work (7-21 days up to 5 times/year traveling to remote locations, working in harsh weather conditions, and using small, motorized boats, snowmachines, and ATVs).

Who we are looking for:

The ideal applicant will have most or all of the following experience
1) conducting field research (e.g., capture, biological sampling, remote biopsy, genetic sampling, telemetry, and boat or aerial surveys) in remote locations of Alaska;
2) working in a laboratory processing specimens (e.g., sorting stomach contents for prey identification and extracting teeth for aging);
3) maintaining field equipment (e.g., maintaining nets, genetic sampling equipment, biopsy and tagging instruments,…