Post Masters Research Associate – Waterpower Science & Ecology

Overview

Between the Energy and Environment Directorate and the Earth Systems Science Division, the team conducts interdisciplinary research on the effects of hydropower operations on juvenile salmon and lamprey in the Pacific Northwest. Projects involve deploying and maintaining acoustic and radio telemetry equipment, tagging fish, and transporting and releasing live, tagged fish according to detailed schedules. Field data collection, analysis, and reporting support the mission to understand hydropewr's impact on fish passage, survival, and injury.

Be part of a large interdisciplinary team researching the effects of hydropower operations on the passage, survival, and injury of juvenile salmon and lamprey across the Columbia, Snake, Willamette, and other river systems in the Pacific Northwest. Research activities include deploying, retrieving, maintaining, and testing acoustic and radio telemetry equipment; tagging fish or assisting with surgical implantation of transmitters; and transporting and releasing live, tagged fish according to detailed schedules.

Project responsibilities include fieldwork, data collection, data analysis, and report writing. Seasonal fieldwork may require frequent regional travel. The successful candidate may also support laboratory studies involving fish handling, maintaining fish populations in aquaculture facilities, and conducting detailed necropsies.

In addition, the position may involve conducting comprehensive fish injury assessments on specimens that have undergone turbine passage (simulated or actual) or transit through other water infrastructure facilities. These assessments include documenting internal and external injuries through established necropsy protocols to ensure accuracy and ethical handling. The role may also require analysis of high-resolution imagery to support precise injury quantification and contribute to data collection and model training for AI‑based Fish Assessment tools aimed at improving predictive analytics and mitigation strategies in aquatic environments.

• Candidates must have received a Master’s degree within the past 24 months or within the next 8 months from an accredited college or university.

• Master’s degree in fisheries, environmental sciences, biology, or a related field, earned within the past two years.
• Exceptional written communication and presentation skills, with the ability to engage diverse audiences.
• Strong understanding of energy and natural resource issues.
• Outstanding organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Knowledge of telemetry study design and array maintenance.
• Demonstrated experience conducting field work.
• Hands‑on experience handling and tagging live fish.
• Proficiency in managing large datasets and performing data analysis using tools such as MS Excel, R, SQL, or Python.
• Familiarity with mark‑recapture study designs, survival estimation methods, multiple regression modeling, and/or maximum likelihood estimation.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively, coupled with a strong work ethic.
• Willingness to work additional hours as needed to support project milestones and research objectives.

Not Applicable.

Employees and their families are offered medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, robust telehealth care options, several mental health benefits, free wellness coaching, health savings account, flexible spending accounts, basic life insurance, disability insurance, employee assistance program, business travel insurance, tuition assistance, relocation, backup childcare, legal benefits, supplemental parental bonding leave, surrogacy and adoption assistance, and fertility support. Employees are automatically enrolled in our company‑funded pension plan and may enroll in our 401(k) savings plan with company match.

Employees may accrue up to 120 vacation hours per year and may receive ten paid holidays per year. All benefits are dependent upon eligibility.  For Rockstar Rewards.

USD $80,500.00 / Yr.

USD $ / Yr.