Title- Sport Fishery Monitoring Technician
Classification- Scientific Technician 2 (ST2)
Job Status- Full-Time / Non-Permanent
Number of Vacancies- Four (4)
Appointment Length- 1.7 months – October 22, 2025 – December 12, 2025
WDFW Program- Fish Program – Fish Management Division – Region 3
Duty Station- Pasco, Washington – Franklin County

Learn more about being a member of Team WDFW!

These positions play a key role in monitoring salmon and steelhead fisheries in the Tri-Cities area, with a focus on sport fishery monitoring during the fall season and assisting with stream surveys in the Hanford Reach and Yakima River from October through December. 

The data collected helps track fishing effort, harvest, and impacts on Endangered Species Act (ESA)-listed species, ensuring that in-season harvest stays within regional allocations. These fisheries are managed under U.S. v. Oregon and guided by pre-season forecasts and ongoing updates from the Technical Advisory Committee. 

By gathering accurate biological and harvest information, technicians directly support run reconstruction, future forecasting, and assessments of both hatchery and natural populations. 

In short, the information you collect in these positions are vital to the sustainable management of salmon and steelhead in Washington waters.

What to Expect-
Among the varied range of responsibilities held within these roles, the Sport Fishery Monitoring Technicians will,

Field Data Collection:

• Sport Fishery Surveys: 
  • Conduct on-site interviews with anglers participating in salmon and steelhead sport fisheries at boat launches and shoreline access areas.
  • Estimate fishing effort through boat trailer index counts and angler interviews. 
  • Identify harvested fish to species and collect biological data including number, length, gender, fin clips, coded wire tags, and scales for aging.
• Stream Surveys: 
  • Collect post-spawn salmon carcasses in-river by boat and along shorelines within the WDFW District 4 waters of the Columbia and Yakima Rivers. 
  • Follow sport fishery sampling protocols with the addition of otolith collection (for aging and origin) and egg retention assessments to evaluate spawning success.
  • Dissect female carcasses to determine spawning success.
  • Cut all sampled carcasses in half to prevent duplicate sampling.

Travel:

• Safely operate state vehicles (including boats) in compliance with state laws and WDFW policies, ensuring protection of staff, the public, and property.
• Tow, launch, and operate state boats ranging from 18’ to 20’ in length. 
• Maintain records including operator, date, boat number, gallons, costs, and collect and file all fuel receipts.

Data Review and Entry:

• Review all field data collected for completeness and accuracy both in the field and upon return to the office. 
• Collect, package, label, and process all biological samples at the end of each shift.

Vehicle and Boat Maintenance:

• Ensure all equipment, boats, and vehicles assigned to them or their crew are fueled, cleaned, sanitized, and maintained daily.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Work Setting, including hazards:

• Work is conducted primarily in the field, requiring travel to multiple public access sites and remote locations, including work on-river in the Hanford Reach area of the Columbia River and the lower 30 miles of the Yakima River.  
• Fieldwork occurs in all weather conditions, including extreme heat, cold, rain, and snow.  
• Duties may involve hiking over rough and slippery terrain.  
• Potential hazards include encounters with dangerous wildlife (e.g., rattlesnakes) and exposure to illegal activities.  
• Work may involve handling chemicals used in biological sampling (e.g., ethanol) and vehicle operations (e.g., gasoline, oil).  
• Responsible for safe use and care of vehicles, boats, field equipment, Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tag readers, and coded wire tag (CWT) wands. 
• May be stationed alone at public fishing areas for up to 10 hours per day to conduct creel sampling. 
• Many work locations are primitive without facilities or quick availability to medical facilities. 
• The majority of the work will be in close proximity to the Hanford Department of Energy site. 
• This position may involve working in or near water, including tasks that require navigating, negotiating, and performing duties related to water environments.

Schedule: Full-time and may occasionally require work over 40 hours per week. Scheduled days and hours of work will vary and will require work on all weekends and potentially on holidays.

Travel Requirements: Routinely travel to public and primitive access sites along the Columbia and lower Yakima Rivers. State vehicle will be provided. Stream surveys will require travel and routinely working from boats in the Columbia River.

Tools and Equipment: Vehicle, boats, knife, sampling and data recording supplies, CWT wand, life jacket, rain gear, gloves, waders, and mask.

Customer Interactions: Daily interactions with anglers and the public during creel surveys. Technicians will be collecting angler information on fishing times, locations, catch, and harvest in addition to biologically sampling all fish from each boat/angler.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Required Qualifications: 

Option 1: Graduation from high school or GED, including one (1) year of high school science AND two (2) years of experience as a Scientific Technician 1. 

Option 2: Graduation from high school or GED, including one (1) year of high school science AND two (2) years of laboratory or field experience as an assistant to a biologist, chemist, or zoologist. 

Please Note:

• College course work involving major study in biology, zoology, fisheries, chemistry, natural sciences, or closely allied field may substitute, year for year, for experience, provided the course work includes at least six (6) semester or nine (9) quarter hours of natural science classes.
• Professional and volunteer experience involving biology, zoology, fisheries, chemistry, natural resources, engineering, or closely allied fields may substitute, year for year, for experience.

Certifications/Licenses:
Valid driver’s license.

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:

• Successful completion of agency training and/or certification for assigned watercraft is dependent on supervisory direction, position need and training availability.
• These positions require completion of all State and WDFW mandatory trainings. Technicians must complete training in field sampling protocols, data collection, recording, data entry, vehicle operation/maintenance, emergency action plan, and District office operations prior to the start of field sampling. 
• Data will be routinely reviewed for completion, accuracy, and to ensure all sampling and safety protocols are closely adhered to.

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

• Undergraduate or Graduate degree in fisheries or closely related field.
• One (1) or more years of experience in field sampling. 
• Proficient in identification of freshwater and anadromous fish species of the Columbia River.
• Experience with entering data into Excel and/or Access databases.
• Boat operation certification.
• Experienced outboard boat operation and/or small river craft.

Include the following with your application materials:

• 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 #2025-06612.

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