Title- Olympic Peninsula District Biologist
Classification- Fish & Wildlife Biologist 4
Job Status- Full-Time / Permanent
WDFW Program- Fish Program – Fish Management Division
Duty Station- Port Townsend, Washington – Jefferson County
Posting Timeline- This recruitment is scheduled to be posted until August 17, 2025.  The first review of applications will take place on August 1, 2025. Application review is ongoing, submit your application materials as soon as possible, this recruitment may be closed at any time. 

Learn more about being a member of Team WDFW!

As our fishery management expert for the Olympic Peninsula, you’ll play a vital role in conserving and managing anadromous salmonids and inland fish populations. 

Through rigorous stock assessments, collaborative negotiations with Treaty Tribes, and data-driven policy recommendations, you’ll ensure the sustainable use of fish resources. 

This role directly supports WDFW’s strategic goal of protecting native fish by addressing critical data gaps and guiding science-based management decisions.

What to Expect-
Among the varied range of responsibilities held within this role, the Olympic Peninsula District Biologist will,

Program Oversight and Coordination:

• Develop and implement stock assessment studies to support escapement and catch estimates, stock run reconstructions, and forecast of adult salmon and steelhead abundance.
• Lead a stock assessment team comprised of permanent and temporary Fish and Wildlife Biologists and Scientific Technicians.
• Oversee the development of harvest models used to establish non-treaty commercial and recreational fisheries. Provide analyses and recommendations for in-season run size model updates and fishery adjustments.
• Develop and maintain salmon and steelhead forecasting models, ensuring accurate data management and implementation to support forecasting and fishery scheduling.

Treaty and Non-Treaty Fishing Season Setting, including Direct Involvement in the North of Falcon Process:

• Serve as District Liaison with WDFW's policy, tribal co-managers, federal agencies, and constituency to facilitate resolutions to technical and policy issues associated with the annual development of salmon fisheries.
• Provide technical expertise and policy guidance for fishery development during the North of Falcon/ Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) process.
• Develop, write, and implement final salmon fishery management, including permanent and emergency fisheries regulations.

Administer and Supervise:

• Supervise a team of salmon, steelhead, and trout biologists conducting stock assessments, adult abundance estimations, and fishery monitoring and research in District 16.
• Manage recruitment, hiring, budgeting, and oversight to ensure objectives outlined in position descriptions are met.

Formal Communication of Information and Ideas:

• Publish scientific findings in peer reviewed publications, books and/or internal reports/memos.
• Disseminate science to the scientific community at the highest level.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Work Setting, including hazards:

• Primarily an office working environment with periodic fieldwork.
• Seasonal high workloads occur during the salmon and steelhead season-setting processes, as well as spawner survey and research activities.
• The salmon season-setting process may involve air travel, long road trips, hotel stays, and ground transportations in unfamiliar locations.
• Fieldwork includes driving and hiking into remote areas on both private and public lands, often conducted alone on foot or in boats. For larger streams, work is conducted in teams.
• Fieldwork is often performed in inclement weather, with varying stream flows, limited visibility, and diverse terrain and stream substrate conditions.
• Tasks may require strenuous activity, such as walking in or along streams with slick boulders, crawling over logjams, wading through moderate to fast currents, or maneuvering watercraft.
• Occasionally lift and carry equipment upwards to or greater than 40 pounds.
• This position may involve working in or near water, including tasks that require navigating, negotiating, and performing duties related to water environments.
• May include snorkeling in cold, fast-flowing/whitewater conditions, and walking over rough terrain in varying environmental conditions.

Schedule:

• Primarily Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM. However, there is often a need for flexible work scheduling during peak periods.

Travel Requirements:

• The salmon season-setting process requires traveling up to seven (7) days per week approximately two (2) times each year. Occasional out-of-state meetings are necessary to report findings from research activities.

Tools and Equipment:

• Computer (either desktop and/or laptop) and necessary software, power and drift boats, electro fishers, nets, GPS equipment, motor vehicles, digital camera, flowmeter, radio communication equipment, and a variety of tagging/monitoring equipment including various types of nets.

Customer Interactions:

• Interact with the public directly and conduct public meetings, prepare and present before the WDFW Commission, member of multi-agency work groups, primary liaison with tribal co-managers.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Required Qualifications: 

Four (4) years as a Fish & Wildlife Biologist 3.

OR 

A Bachelor's degree in fisheries, wildlife management, natural resource science, or environmental science AND five (5) years of professional experience in fish, wildlife, or habitat management or research, wildlife management or wildlife research, or habitat management or habitat research.

Please Note:

• A Master’s degree in the applicable science may substitute for one (1) year of the required experience.
• A Ph.D. in the applicable science may substitute for two (2) years of the required experience.
• Closely related qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-by-year basis.

AND all of the following:

• One (1) year or more of supervisory experience, including overseeing staff performance, providing guidance, and ensuring project completion.
• Experience analyzing and interpreting complex data to evaluate options and recommend effective courses of action.
• Experience designing and implementing scientific studies to support the management and understanding of fish populations and fisheries.
• Experience delivering verbal reports and presentations to a variety of audiences to convey findings and recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to prepare written, peer-reviewed publications or technical reports to communicate statistical and scientific findings.
• Proficiency in current fishery science methodologies, including tagging techniques (e.g., Passive Integrated Transponders [PIT], acoustic, radio, genetic), age analysis (e.g., scale and otolith), and habitat assessment.
• Strong communication skills with a proven ability to collaborate with biologists and research scientists across inter- and intra-agency teams.

Certifications/Licenses:
Valid Driver’s License.

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:
Successful completion of agency training and/or certification for assigned watercraft, stream surveying, and snorkeling is dependent on supervisory direction, position need and training availability.

Preferred Qualifications:
In addition to the required qualifications, our ideal applicant will possess some or all the following:

• Master’s degree in fisheries management or a similar natural resource field.
• Experience with operating power and drift boats, electro fishers, nets, GPS equipment, motor vehicles (e.g., cars, trucks, 4-wheel drive vehicles), digital cameras, Flowmeters, and radio communications equipment.
• Advanced knowledge of spreadsheets (e.g., Excel), word processing and databases (e.g., Access), PowerPoint presentation software, GIS software (e.g., ArcView), and statistical methodologies.
• Published article(s) as lead author in a peer reviewed journal.
• Experience using a variety of tagging methods to assess the status of fish populations (e.g., PIT, acoustic, genetics, etc.).
• Snorkel Certification.

Your application should include the following:

• A completed online application showcasing how your qualifications align with the job requirements.
• An up-to-date resume.
• A cover letter detailing your interest in the position, your relevant skills and experience, and why you are the ideal candidate.
• At least three professional references with current contact information.

Supplemental Information

In addition to pay and other special employee programs, there are other benefits that WDFW employees may be eligible for. Click the “Benefits” tab at the top of this announcement to learn more.

Important Note: 

All new employees must complete an Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9 Form) on their first day of work. If hired for this or any position at WDFW, you will be required to provide documentation proving you are eligible to work in the United States. For a list of acceptable documents, please use the following link:  https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents

Union - WAFWP:

This position is in the bargaining unit represented by the Washington Association of Fish & Wildlife Professionals and is subject to the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the State of Washington, Department of Fish & Wildlife, and the Washington Association of Fish & Wildlife Professionals.

Veteran and Military Spouse Preference Notice: 

Per RCW 73.16.010 Veterans and qualifying spouses who meet the minimum qualifications of a position are eligible for preference during the initial application review stage. To receive this benefit, please do the following: 

• Notify us of your veteran or military spouse status by email at Ashley.Lee@dfw.wa.gov. 
• Veterans only – Attach a copy of your DD214 (Member 4 copy), NGB 22 or USDVA signed verification of service letter.
  • Please redact any PII (personally identifiable information) data such as social security numbers.
• Subject line must include recruitment number, position, and spouse/veteran (example: 2024-1234 – Biologist 1 – Veteran)
• Include your name as it appears on your application in careers.wa.gov.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Employer

As part of WDFW’s efforts to advance respectful and inclusive work environments, the Agency expects inclusivity as part of our professional interactions and communications.  Therefore, we want to ensure that all individuals feel welcome, are treated fairly and respectfully.  All staff are empowered to fully contribute to serving their work unit, Agency, and the citizens of Washington.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife is an equal opportunity employer.  We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and gender identity diversity.  Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of disability, persons over 40 years of age, disabled and Vietnam era veterans and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply.

Request an accommodation: Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format please contact Jayme Chase by phone 360-902-2278 or email Jayme.Chase@dfw.wa.gov, or the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at 800-833-6388.

Technical Difficulties: If you are having technical difficulties creating, accessing, or completing your application, please call NEOGOV toll-free at (855) 524-5627 or support@neogov.com. 

Other questions: If you have other questions regarding this position, please reach out to Ashley.Lee@dfw.wa.gov and reference job #2025-04995.

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