Fish Hatchery Specialist 2 (In-Training) - Priest Rapids Hatchery - Permanent - 2026-06231

Description

Classification
- Fish Hatchery Specialist 2 (In-Training)

Job Status
- Full-Time / Permanent

WDFW Program
- Fish Program – Hatcheries Division

Duty Station
- Priest Rapids Hatchery – Mattawa, Washington – Grant County

Housing
- No additional housing is provided

• Standby
  - Standby is not currently assigned

In-Training
- We are recruiting to hire at the Fish Hatchery Specialist 1 or 2 level, and we will train a Fish Hatchery Specialist 1 up to the Fish Hatchery Specialist 2.

Salary
- Depending on which level you are hired at, your salary range will be as follows:

Fish Hatchery Specialist 1 Salary Range: $3,653.00 - $4,866.00

Fish Hatchery Specialist 2 Salary Range: $4,004.00 - $5,376.00

Learn more about being a member of Team WDFW!

Summer Chinook Spawn – Photo Credit: WDFW

This is an opportunity to build your knowledge and gain hands‑on experience in hatchery operations.

Join the team and perform scientific, technical, and related maintenance duties within the Priest Rapids Hatchery, rearing anadromous and non‑anadromous species of fish.

Among the varied range of responsibilities held within this role, the Fish Hatchery Specialist 2 will,

• Calculate and feed fish according to pond populations and weight samples, adjusting feed size and amount fed as needed.
• Monitor fish behavior, health, and production.
• Administer therapeutics and calculate/administer drugs as prescribed.
• Clean ponds, raceways, troughs, and incubator systems to maintain fish health.
• Pick egg loss by hand or using equipment, fertilize eggs according to pre‑determined ratios, and incubate eggs using a variety of vessels.
• Identify marked adults and collect tags/marks for biological sampling.
• Load fish into trucks for transport according to safe hauling densities, utilizing proper oxygen levels and monitoring fish during transport.

• Use computers and software for data entry, record keeping, and reporting within and outside of the agency.
• Fill out and submit agency forms such as fish transfer tickets, hatchery invoice forms, and other relevant forms.
• Perform water quality analysis and discharge monitoring reports (DMR) as required by the Department of Ecology to maintain hatchery discharge permits (NPDES).
• Create programs to calculate desired growth rates through yearly rearing cycle (Projection sheets) that monitor fish sizes using samples and feed conversions.

• Maintain proper water flow and rearing environments.
• Perform standby which requires responding to alarms and taking appropriate action to preserve facility programs, tests alarms and reports failures to agency personnel.
• Monitor and maintain facility support systems, including alarm panels and other critical infrastructure.
• Perform routine maintenance and minor repairs on hatchery facilities and housing, including fencing, plumbing, and basic electrical work.
• Maintain access to hatchery facilities and residences by plowing and clearing roads.
• Operate forklifts, tractors, yard maintenance equipment, fish pumps, and a variety of common power tools.

Work Setting, including hazards:
Work is performed outdoors in all weather conditions on wet, slippery, uneven, and rugged terrain, often in and around bodies of water. Frequent walking, climbing, and lifting or carrying up to 50-pound bags of fish feed or salt. This position may involve working in or near water, including tasks that require navigating, negotiating, and performing duties related to water environments.

Typically, Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Work hours may vary greatly at different times of the year, depending on the work schedule and weather conditions.

• Standby:

Standby duties are not currently assigned. This position may require standby, which involves overseeing the facility for the remaining 16 hours of the day when on duty. The standby schedule consists of working 10 consecutive days, including 7 days of standby duty, followed by 4 days off.

• All applicants applying for this position should understand that standby is a requirement for all positions in the Fish Hatchery Specialist series.
• Management…