Wildlife Biologist ; Aquatics

FT / PT Status – Full-Time
Benefits Eligibility – This position is eligible for a full benefits package.
Salary – $22.17 - $28.16 Hourly Wage
Remote Work / In-Office – In-Office / On-Site
Recruiter – Karen Weir | kweir |
Final date to receive applications – 11/3/2026*

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) Aquatic Section is seeking a highly motivated, well-educated Aquatic Research Biologist I to join our team. This role supports applied research projects statewide, working both independently and collaboratively within the fish health and research teams.

Our scientists are industry leaders in problem-solving and program efficiency. In this role, you will advise on all aspects of aquatic science, conduct literature reviews, evaluate novel methods and equipment, and rapidly deploy solutions in the field. We pride ourselves on innovation—trying what hasn't been tried and continuously learning to support statewide aquatics priorities.

To be successful in this role, candidates must demonstrate proficiency or experience in the following technical areas:

• Laboratory and Molecular Biology:
  Hands-on experience with cell culture, DNA extraction, and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) workflows.
• Research and Design:
  Solid understanding of experimental design and conducting comprehensive literature reviews.
• Field and Aquaculture Operations:
  Experience with field collections, parasite identification, and aquaculture design (specifically incubation and rearing habitats).
• Communication:
  Strong scientific writing skills with the ability to summarize complex data.

This position will offer a wide variety of experiences in the natural resource field that include working with Utah Division of Wildlife Resources fisheries research, fish health, native species, and aquatic invasive species programs. The selected candidate will carry out field collections, laboratory-based projects, literature reviews, and a variety of consultation or training tasks. As scientists working for the State of Utah, we are commonly tasked with jobs we have never done before.

A successful candidate will be able to adapt, learn, and implement methods they were previously unfamiliar with. Duties will be variable and may include but are not limited to:

• Fisheries Research:
  Fish and invertebrate surveys using diverse methods (angling, backpack and boat electrofishing, gill nets, plankton tows, schindler trap, etc.), limnology and habitat surveys, data entry and QA/QC, otolith preparation and aging, stable isotope preparation, eDNA sampling & collaboration, literature review, and writing reports & peer reviewed publications. Successful applicants will take on tasks they have never done before. Learning on the job is expected.
• Fish Health responsibilities:
  Travel to various sites around the State to assist with fish health inspections, perform necropsies, prepare specimens for laboratory analysis, analyze laboratory samples, collect tissue, and transport biological samples, maintain quality control parameters, prepare media and reagents, prepare and stain slides and work with potentially hazardous materials.
• Native Species responsibilities:
  Develop and carry out literature reviews and participate in research projects associated with native species and populations. Fish health inspections on native species in hatcheries and field sites. Fabricate incubation and rearing systems and carry out daily fish rearing and propagation tasks.

• A Bachelor’s or higher degree in Natural Resources, Fish Health, Fisheries Biology, Microbiology, Wildlife Sciences, biological sciences or a directly related field of study with general coursework in…