Fish Biologist / PBT Coordinator

Closing Date: Open until filled.

We are seeking to fill the position of PBT Coordinator (Parentage Based Tagging) with experience in coordinating teams for fisheries fieldwork and maintaining collection data in an organized manner. This research group is involved in many kinds of genetics studies related to salmonids and other fishes and has developed PBT hatchery baselines for Chinook, Sockeye, and Coho salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River. The PBT Coordinator will act as a liaison between the CRITFC staff of the Genetics Lab and other staff of the CRITFC departments of Fishery Science and Fish Management and external staff at hatcheries across the Columbia River Basin that represent state, federal, and tribal agencies. The PBT Coordinator will help to maintain a set of robust PBT baselines by coordinating technicians’ schedules and participating themselves in sampling at hatcheries; updating and coordinating PBT data across databases; facilitating feedback between hatchery managers and CRITFC staff to improve metadata and utility of the PBT baseline in Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation (RM&E) objectives; participating in outreach and communication of analytic results to hatchery managers to further understanding of the role of PBT in RM&E. The PBT Coordinator will need to understand and coordinate all aspects necessary to update PBT baselines each year (e.g., field collections, tracking tissue samples, organizing and uploading genotypes, and providing standard reports). This position will be based at one of the primary duty stations in Portland, OR or Hagerman, ID to complete duties that will require in-person work and the potential for partial remote work. The PBT Coordinator will be supervised by a Senior Fisheries Geneticist or Lead Geneticist, with support from CRITFC geneticists, biologists, and technicians.

CRITFC offers competitive compensation and an exceptional benefits package, including medical, dental, 401(k), 12 days of vacation (to start), 12 paid holidays, and paid sick time. We provide professional development opportunities, promote from within, and have a Native hiring preference as part of our commitment to our people. As a result, you will find a work environment that supports and inspires our shared goals of protecting the natural world and the tribal cultural connection to it.

Position Details

• Position Title: Fish Biologist/PBT Coordinator (Parentage-Based Tagging)
• Salary Range: $53,417 – $74,946
• Location: Portland, Oregon OR Hagerman, Idaho

Responsibilities

• Coordinate with regional hatchery managers to collect brood stock tissue samples for PBT.
• Coordinate technician schedules to assist with sample collection.
• Travel to hatchery locations to collect tissue samples and assist hatchery staff with PBT sampling.
• Organize and track tissue samples collected along with relevant metadata.
• Ensure that a chain of custody is maintained for samples.
• Coordinate sampling materials and permits for collecting fish tissue samples in the field.
• Work with hatchery managers to link juvenile release data (stored in Fish Passage Center database) with genetically-sampled brood stock collections to quantify the total effective coverage of the PBT baselines and strategize ways to improve coverage.
• Data entry into Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and data import/export to and from Progeny database.
• Complete QA/QC of metadata and upload to databases (internal and external).
• Complete standard analyses and reporting for PBT collections.
• Communicate effectively with internal staff and other agencies.
• Other duties as assigned and as appropriate to CRITFC goals and purposes.
• Contribute to reports and publications of key scientific results.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

The PBT Coordinator is required to meet one of the following education criteria: a degree in the field of science or at least 2 years of previous experience in a related position. Demonstrated skills in the following areas would be value added:

• Knowledge of basic scientific principles is achieved through experience or education.
• Proficiency with computer hardware and software (i.e., Microsoft Excel, Word).
• Willingness to learn protocols necessary for maintaining PBT baselines.
• Ability to perform repetitive tasks while maintaining concentration.
• Strong organization skills and attention to detail.
• Dedicated work ethic.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Physical ability to travel and perform sampling duties in field settings. Includes standing up to 4-6 hours/day, performing lab duties (requires keen motor skills), and lifting up to 30 pounds. Will be required to follow safety protocols and wear appropriate safety gear.
• Familiarity with databases (data uploads, queries, exports).

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience with fieldwork in fisheries setting.
• Understanding of hatchery programs in the Columbia River Basin.
• Experience using mapping software such as ArcGIS.
• Master’s degree in the field of science.
• Experience using and modifying R scripts for data manipulation and analysis.
• Experience with genotyping SNP markers in a lab setting.

Supervision

This position has no supervisory role

Working Conditions

This position will involve a combination of working conditions ranging from fieldwork (approximately 30-40%) to an office setting (60-70%). The position requires travel and it will be necessary to participate in field sampling at various times of the year. There may also be a need to attend regional meetings, conferences, and workshops.

CRITFC Motor Vehicle Policy

This job frequently requires driving a CRITFC vehicle or your own vehicle for business (mileage compensated), and therefore you must be able to meet the terms of the CRITFC Motor Vehicle policy. Per the policy, applicants are required to have a valid driver’s license and a clean driving record for the past three years. This includes a three-year record clear of the following:

• Reckless Driving
• Driving Under the Influence
• Suspension or revoked license
• No more than two at-fault accidents
• One major violation or two minor violations.