Fish And Wildlife Scientific Aid

Nutria Eradication Scientific Aid

Department of Fish and Wildlife

$18.26 - $21.67 per Hour. New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.

10/8/2026

Able to swim, walk through deep mud and thick vegetation, work on steep or uneven terrain, in extreme weather and under physically challenging conditions. Able to work odd hours/days (weekend work will be required) and be capable of driving a State-owned vehicle. Be willing and able to competently use pellet pistols or firearms as per the Department’s Policy for Non-Enforcement Personnel.

Wear Department uniform. Possess valid Driver's License and be able to safely and effectively operate watercraft and Utility Task Vehicles (UTVs), as well as tow trailers. Boating, kayaking, and wearing waders in the water are a major component of the job. Manual labor and cleaning will be required.

Workdays are limited to 189 days in a 12-month period. Data entry will be required.

The primary geographical focus of this position will be in Fresno, Madera, Merced, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, and Mariposa counties, but work may be assigned in any part of the area of nutria infestation.

• Under the supervision of the Nutria Eradication Operations Supervisor, the incumbent will drive to project sites as needed to support the Department's Nutria Eradication Program.
• Assist Nutria Eradication Program staff with surveying suitable aquatic habitats (wetlands, ponds, river backwaters, sloughs, etc.) to classify habitat suitability, determine property access needs, detect nutria sign or presence, and delineate the current geographic extent of the nutria infestation.
• Survey methods will utilize various detection techniques including, but not limited to, visual observation, camera stations, artificial (vegetation) and wooden platforms, hair snares, use of attractants, baits, and lures, and review of aerial imagery for classifying habitats.
• Utilize project GIS-based mobile applications to locate and manage project equipment; identify wetland plants to species; effectively identify potential nutria sign; review camera images; accurately distinguish nutria from other aquatic mammals; using microscopes, identify hair samples to species; follow project protocols and spatial assignments to efficiently cover project management units.
• Follow project protocols to create, review, and edit project data, primarily using a Department smartphone and/or iPad and mobile applications.
• Data includes, but is not limited to, spatial, quantitative, and qualitative information about trap, camera, platform, and observation locations, trap and camera rechecks, cell habitat classifications and surveys, confirmed detections, nutria taken, and necropsies.
• Drive to sites if required to assist Nutria Eradication Program staff with nutria eradication trapping in infested areas, which includes deploying multiple types of traps, humanely dispatching nutria, and performing necropsies on taken nutria.
• Manage grid-cell trapping assignments; understand and follow protocols within surrounding cells; collect data on use of attractants, baits and lures; transport equipment, carcasses, and live animals; record/enter necropsy data accurately; and collect, label, and organize biological samples.
• Construct, clean, organize, and maintain project equipment; make lures and scent-based attractants for use in surveys and trapping.

You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.

• Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website and the CalPERS website.

The State of California is an equal opportunity…