Fisheries Monitoring & Research Technician - Scientific Tech - Non-Perm

Fisheries Monitoring & Research Technician – Scientific Technician 2

Number of Vacancies:
Thirty-one (31)

Job Status:
Full‑Time – Non‑Permanent

Program:
Fish Program

Duty Station:
Region 5 – Clark, Cowlitz and Wahkiakum Counties

Posting Timeframe:
Recruitment posted until July 2, 2026. First review of applications will occur on June 11, 2026. Application review is ongoing, and applicants are encouraged to submit their materials as soon as possible. The recruitment may be closed after the first review date.

Salary

Note:

The salary listed above does not include the 2% pay increase that takes effect on July 1, 2026.

Locations:
Multiple locations within Western Washington. Positions may vary in appointment length; candidates may apply for one or all positions with a single application.

• Conduct spawning ground surveys on the Lower Columbia River and its tributaries, identifying and enumerating adult salmonids (live and dead) and redds.
• Assist with daily operation and maintenance of the Grays River and Elochoman River adult fish weirs.
• Collect biological data and perform marking of adult salmonids.
• Interview sport anglers and record catch by species, fishing effort, and biological data; collect samples from salmon, trout, and sturgeon.
• Implement electronic data collection using iPads, digital tablets, or other handheld devices.
• Monitor and observe commercial fisheries and research test fisheries.
• Capture, identify, count, handle, and tag/mark adult salmonids for mark‑recapture programs and distribution monitoring.
• Assist with installation, maintenance, operation, and removal of temporary resistance board salmon weirs and fish traps on Germany Creek and Grays Rivers and other locations as directed.

• Approximately 85 % of work is field-based; the remaining 15 % is performed in an office or laboratory setting.
• Fieldwork may involve exposure to inclement weather, wet, uneven, and slippery surfaces. Walking up to 3–6 miles per day.
• May lift large live or fish carcasses up to 30 lb and occasionally over 100 lb, with or without assistance.
• May assist with spawning ground surveys conducted on foot or by cataraft in whitewater conditions (Class I–III). Float up to 10 miles per day to conduct stream surveys.
• Work may be performed on small vessels, sometimes in adverse weather conditions.

Full‑time, 40 hours per week with flexible scheduling; shifts are not fixed and may vary based on operational needs.

Daily travel from duty station to field locations is required, typically using a department‑issued vehicle or, rarely, a personal vehicle. Overnight travel may occur on rare occasions.

Basic hand and carpentry tools, winches, pulleys, blocks, motorized and non‑motorized watercraft, 4x4 vehicles, 200‑ft beach seines, passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag readers, coded wire tag (CWT) detectors, GPS units, weighing scales, handheld data loggers, personal digital assistants, and computers.

Interact with WDFW staff, personnel from other agencies, commercial fishers, and the public.

• Option 1:
  High school diploma or GED plus one year of high school science coursework and two years of experience as a Scientific Technician 1.
• Option 2:
  High school diploma or GED plus one year of high school science coursework and two years of laboratory or field experience as an assistant to a biologist, chemist, or zoologist.

• Professional or volunteer experience in biology, zoology, fisheries, chemistry, natural resources, engineering, or closely allied fields may substitute, year for year, for required experience.
• College coursework involving major study in biology, zoology, fisheries, chemistry, natural sciences, or closely allied field will substitute, year for year, for experience, provided the coursework includes at least six semester or nine quarter hours of natural science classes.

Valid driver’s license.

• Successful completion of training and/or certification may be required based on position responsibilities, supervisory direction, and training availability.
• Employees may be required…