Fishery Biologist 1

Position is open to Alaska Residents only.

Please check our residency definition to determine if you qualify.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Commercial Fisheries is recruiting for a Fishery Biologist 1 located in Fairbanks, Alaska!

What you will be doing:

This Fishery Biologist 1 position (11 months) serves as the Field Monitor in the Upper Yukon River drainage and is based in Fairbanks, Alaska. This position has the opportunity to enjoy beautiful Interior Alaska summers while leading a variety of fisheries fieldwork and assisting Yukon and Tanana River fishermen in the Fairbanks ADF&G office. This position leads a Fish and Wildlife Technician 2 to help monitor the personal use, subsistence, and commercial salmon and nonsalmon fisheries in the Yukon and Tanana rivers. In late summer through early winter, this position leads salmon enumeration surveys throughout the Yukon River drainage during aerial (helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft), river boat, and foot (river walks) surveys. As research projects arise in the Yukon River drainage, this position has an opportunity to participate and gain fisheries career skills.

Our mission, values, and culture:

The mission of the Division of Commercial Fisheries is to manage subsistence, commercial, and personal use fisheries in the interest of the economy and general well-being of the citizens of the state, consistent with the sustained yield principle, and subject to allocations through public regulatory processes.

The fisheries tasks associated with this position will contribute to the management decisions that provide fishing opportunities for over 55 Alaskan communities in the Yukon River drainage. The diverse fisheries data collected will help to manage for wild, sustainable salmon runs. This position engages with Alaskan residents that rely on salmon along the river system to share information about personal use, subsistence, and commercial fisheries.

The Alaska Department of Fish & Game strives for a diverse and inclusive workforce where safety and wellbeing are paramount and employees at all levels promote a culture where everyone is valued, treated equitably, and treated respectfully.

The benefits of joining our team:

The State of Alaska is an excellent employer that offers benefits, including medical and retirement. In working with salmon populations and residents of the largest river system of Alaska, this position provides a solid foundation of fundamental fisheries career skills to allow growth within the department.

The working environment you can expect:

This position offers a nice balance of office and fieldwork, primarily based out of the Fairbanks ADF&G office. This position works daily in the office to convey fishing schedule and salmon run strength information to the public, issue subsistence and personal use fishing permits, assist commercial fishermen with registration forms and licensing, enter a variety of fisheries data (assessment, harvest, and biological), and plan fieldwork logistics. Compile and analyze fisheries data that contributes to fisheries management decisions for subsistence, personal use, and commercial fisheries throughout the Yukon River drainage. The majority of the fieldwork takes place between Fairbanks and Delta Junction for day trips, with potential for travel to remote fishing sites for multiple days or weeks along the Yukon and Tanana rivers. This position will be able to enjoy working outside occasionally by leading monitoring trips to drive riverboats and snowmobiles to remote fishing sites, document fishing effort, visit with fishermen on the river, check for compliance with regulations, and collect biological samples as needed. From late July to early December, this position plans and leads a variety of spawning salmon surveys in the Lower and Middle Yukon River (up to 10 days), Tanana River drainage (majority of the surveys), and Upper Yukon River (infrequent). Surveys include walking on riverbeds for up to 8 hours (weekly), flying in helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft (half or full days), and riding or driving in riverboats to count spawning Chinook, chum, and coho salmon. This position performs routine maintenance and minor repairs on outboard motors, four-wheelers, trailers, and snowmobiles.

Who we are looking for:

We are interested in candidates who possess some or all of the following position specific competencies:

• Experience driving 16 to 24-foot outboard skiffs (35-150 HP) on rivers, driving snowmobiles, loading and unloading boats and snowmobiles on trailers, and performing basic motor maintenance.
• Experience using Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, and Outlook), ArcGIS, and R. Experience with data entry, computations, mapping, and writing.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to explain complex fishing assessment data, regulations, and fishing schedules to the public.
• Ability to conduct spawning salmon surveys by distinguishing salmon species, counting salmon, walking on a riverbed for 2 to 9 miles, and conducting multi-day aerial surveys.

Special Note:

• A valid driver's license is required.
• This position may be in possession of, or have access to, firearms/ammunition.
• First Aid/CPR. For those not already certified, training will be provided by the department at no cost to the employee.

A bachelor's degree from an accredited college in biology, a branch of biology, limnology, biometrics, oceanography, forestry, fisheries science, or natural resource management.

Substitution:

A bachelor's degree from an accredited college that includes or is supplemented by the following credit hours will substitute for the degree in a specific field:

• at least 24 semester hours (36 quarter hours) in biology, a branch of biology, limnology, biometrics, oceanography, forestry, aquaculture, aquatic ecology, fisheries resources, or natural resource management (excluding courses that focus on agricultural husbandry techniques, human population dynamics, or the design and manipulation of landscapes), of which 16 semester hours (24 quarter hours) are upper division courses; and
• at least 12 semester hours (16 quarter hours) in any combination of two or more of the following: chemistry, physics, mathematics, statistics, geology, hydrology, or GIS.

Special Note:

"Upper division courses" means courses that are specialized, in-depth and advanced. Such courses emphasize problem-solving, analytical thinking skills, and theoretical applications, with depth and rigor in a discipline's theories and methods; specialization in a particular field or profession; refinement of general education; and/or development of specific intellectual and professional skills. Upper division courses are commonly identified in college catalogs as 300 level and higher.

Some positions may require training in specialized areas such as hydroacoustics, microscopic analysis, underwater research, or fish habitat restoration or enhancement.

An individual who will complete the educational requirements and obtain the required bachelor's degree within six months may apply and be considered for a vacancy. Such applicants may be given a conditional job offer but may not be appointed until receipt of the required degree has been documented.

To view the general description and example of duties for a Fishery Biologist 1, please go to the following link:

For specific information in reference to the position please contact the hiring manager:

Matt Olson, Yukon Area Management Biologist

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