Fisheries Technician 1- Rotary Screw Traps

Position/Project Specifics:

We are looking to fill six Fisheries Technician positions to work on the Lower American River and Stanislaus River Rotary Screw Trap Projects based out of Sacramento, CA, from December, 30 2024 through late June or July 2025. Fisheries Technicians will assist with daily field activities and data collection using rotary screw traps to monitor the emigration of juvenile Chinook Salmon and steelhead. A successful candidate will participate in a cohesive crew and will identify various species of fish, assess life stage and run and collect environmental data. The candidate will demonstrate safety consciousness and adhere to all safety and data collection protocol.

The candidate Duties and responsibilities include:
· Operate and maintain 16 foot motorized water craft and 4WD trucks
· Operate and maintain four 8 foot rotary screw traps
· Identify, handle, anesthetize, and collect biological data from juvenile fish
· Handle endangered or threatened species according to permits and protocols
· Assist with daily QA/QC of datasheets and entered data
· Assist with other project tasks as assigned
Mandatory Qualifications:
· Must be able to lift 50 lbs.
· Ability to swim 50 yards and tread water for 10 minutes
· Ability to follow oral and written directions
· Knowledge of computer applications and software (Access, Excel, Word, Outlook)
· Must be able to read, write and speak English
· Ability to identify juvenile Chinook Salmon and steelhead
· Must be comfortable working from, operating, and trailering motorized watercraft
· Must have a valid drivers license with a clean driving record
· Must work a flexible schedule, including the ability to work weekends, nights, and overtime.

Essential Functions:  (The functions listed below are characteristic of the type and level of work associated with this group and pay band.  They are not all-inclusive. Individual positions may perform some or all, as well as other similar work.)

• Participate in survey crews that conduct regional fishery presence/absence research, recreational/commercial fishing surveys, anadromous fish escapement surveys (carcass, redd, trap/weir, snorkel, etc.), or tag detection and mark recovery surveys. Make standardized observations such as species identification, length, weight, behavior, growth, survival, reproductive condition, and/or signs of parasites, diseases or pathogens, fin clips or tags.
• Collect and organize biological and habitat samples and collections (such as scales, otoliths, ageing structures, other tissues, water quality, etc.).
• Support captive fish rearing activities including spawning, incubating, feeding, sampling, sorting, handling, medicating, anesthetizing, and transporting fish. Monitor the status of facility systems and equipment. Assist in development, fabrication, construction, and maintenance of systems.
• Make regular facility inspections including, for example, dewatering equipment, pumps, flumes, gates, tanks, screens, filters, gatewells, and/or tag interrogation equipment. Monitor and maintain water quality levels. Record findings and adjustments made. Respond appropriately and immediately to emergencies.
• Support watershed and stream assessments by working as part of a field team that performs habitat surveys. Includes road inventories, stream habitat inventories, channel typing, habitat typing, woody debris and riparian inventories.
• Summarize and input biological or habitat data on field forms, electronic data loggers, and/or desktop computers. May assist with preliminary data summaries and analyses, technical report writing, or database management.
• Perform precision ageing of various fish species in a laboratory setting. Record age and growth data in the appropriate format.
• Research the land ownership of survey sites and assist in processes for gaining access approval, which may include direct landowner contact.

Knowledge Required by the Position:

At the lower end of the range, employees use knowledge of basic arithmetic, reading, writing, and data collection to perform routine or repetitive tasks. 

At the upper end of the position range, employees use knowledge of the basic principles and protocols of fish biology to make readings, measurements, and observations; execute tests; collect samples, etc.   If complex equipment systems are operated, the employee has the knowledge to perform calibrations or adjustments to achieve desired results. 

Additional Mandatory/Desirable Skills:  (A pick list.  Supervisor makes selection and indicates whether M or D for candidate to possess at time of hire.)

• snorkeling                                           
• electrofishing-boat                  
• electrofishing-backpack
• scuba diving                                       
• repair nets (seine, gill, etc.)    
• trap/weir
• mark fish                                            
• perform creel census              
• carcass and redd surveys
• electronic detection technol.               
• able to swim                           
• lift 40 - 50 lbs.
• load boats on trailers                         
• tow & maneuver trailers        
• valid driver's license
• operate motorized boats                     
• operate non-motorized boats  
• hiking                                                 
• camping                                 
• field cooking skills
• CPR/First Aid                                    
• survival training                     
• operate GPS
• habitat typing                                     
• habitat monitoring                  
• restoration proj. monitoring research land ownership                   
• literature search/review
• fish ageing (scale, otolith, other)        
• fish species ID skills               
• using fish keys
• operate handheld data recorder         
• compile and collect neat and accurate data   
• specific software skills (spreadsheet, word processing, database, GIS, statistical)
• oral communication skills                  
• written communication skills
• construction, fabrication and installation skills                                  
• repair & maintain equipment
• other ________________

Supervisory Controls: 

At the lower end of the range, the supervisor or higher graded employee assigns specific tasks and provides clear, detailed, and specific instructions on the methods to be used in completing those tasks.  An experienced employee is available to solve problems that might arise.

At the upper end of the range, the employee receives daily, weekly, or even monthly directions and is expected to independently perform the recurring work. Within established procedures, the employee independently performs tasks sequences.  Direction is available when technical or procedural problems are encountered. 

In all cases, supervisors review overall project progress to insure that the employee works effectively and produces a high quality end product.

Guidelines:

Guides may be regulations, maps and charts, sampling and survey methodologies, standing operating procedures, emergency response protocols, oral instructions, equipment or instrument manuals, hardware/software manuals, and/or fish identification keys. 

At the lower end of the range, the guides are directly applicable, specific, and used repetitively.  At the upper end of the range, the guides often require careful study or cross-referencing to locate the applicable rule or answer and can involve some interpretation or judgment to resolve the issue. 

Complexity:

At the lower end of the range, tasks are clear-cut and directly related.   There is little or no choice in deciding what needs to be done.  Actions to be taken or responses to be made are readily discernible.

At the upper end of the range, duties often have steps or processes that vary depending upon factors such as the reason the work is being performed or the conditions under which it is being performed.  The employee has to be independent in recognizing such differences, choosing the right course of action, and then executing the proper sequences to complete the work. 

Scope and Effect:

The employee's work affects the quality of day-to-day operations of a significant, ongoing program.  Operation of equipment outside of prescribed ranges can cause serious injury or death to employee(s) and/or thousands of fish.  Incorrectly collected or processed biological samples or statistical data can result in faulty assessments and unsound management decisions. 

Personal Contacts:

Contacts are with project/program co-workers, project supervisor, program manager, PSMFC HR staff, landowners, and the general public.

Purpose of Contacts

Contacts are established to exchange information, request repairs or supplies, update and inform others of changes or problems encountered, and assure that scientifically correct methods and procedures are being followed.

Physical Demands:

Demands can range from moderate --where there is walking, climbing stairs and ladders, reaching, lifting, bending, and strenuous sweeping-- to rigorous.  In the latter case, the incumbent must be able to handle buckets of water or gear weighing up to 50 pounds.  Long daily periods of hiking, carrying equipment, swimming, and/or standing may be required.  Camping out for extended periods may be required. Some work requires the ability to maintain footing in fast-moving water. 

Work Environment:

A portion of the work is performed in an office setting with adequate lighting, heating and ventilation.  The majority is performed in fish processing labs, fish holding areas, and/or in the field.  Incumbents may work on narrow, elevated walkways and platforms that are over or adjacent to water.  Field work involves exposure to all types of weather, slippery rocks, trails, irregular terrain, insects, poison oak, rough or fast-moving water, or cold water temperatures. Work at high elevations or aboard boats may be required.

Minimum Qualification Requirements:

A range of experience and education may be presented.  At the lower end of the range, candidates must present six months of General Experience* OR one year of education above the high school level that included at least six semester hours in any combination of scientific or technical courses.  An equivalent combination of experience and education is also qualifying.

At the upper end of the range, candidates must present one year of Specialized Experience** OR a 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with a major or at least 24 semester hours of coursework in any combination of scientific or technical courses.  An equivalent combination of experience and education is also qualifying.

*General Experience is (1) any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position or (2) experience that provided a familiarity with biological sciences or the processes of the biological sciences.

**Specialized Experience is experience that equips the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position being filled

PSMFC is an EEO/AAP employer. We maintain a drug free workplace.