Fishery Technician II/III (Lamprey Project)

Closing Date: Open until filled.

The primary responsibilities of Fishery Technician positions are trapping, transporting, hatchery holding, and monitoring adult Pacific lamprey in support of the tribes’ Pacific lamprey translocation programs. Pacific lamprey is collected using a variety of trapping methods at Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day dams on the Columbia River. Traps are checked daily and collected fish are transported to hatchery tanks where they are held until weekly scheduled transfers to biologists from CRITFC member tribes. Fishery Technicians will be required to accurately enumerate all collected adult lamprey, administer antibiotic injections, and track and record fish numbers in hatchery holding tanks. Technicians will also be responsible for monitoring and collecting data on fish health, processing fish mortalities, and collecting water quality data during transportation and hatchery holding. Ability to work effectively as a team member is required. Technicians will frequently interact with staff from state and federal agencies, tribes, and the public, which requires professional and effective communication. Other duties may include trap repair and maintenance, vehicle maintenance, lamprey dissection, and data entry as needs arise. Technicians may also occasionally assist CRITFC and tribes with seasonal fieldwork (e.g., electrofishing surveys, eDNA sample collections, screw trap monitoring, parentage-based tagging, etc.) as needed.

Work weeks will consist of five consecutive 8-hour days. Workdays may occasionally exceed 8 hours/day during the peak of the lamprey run in July, with overtime accrued for hours that exceed 40 in a given week. Work schedules will consist of five consecutive workdays that include Saturday and Sunday with two consecutive weekdays off; work schedule options will include Wednesday-Sunday, Thursday-Monday, Friday-Tuesday, or Saturday-Wednesday with the other two days off each week.

Position Details

• Salary Range: $17.86 to $23.60/hour
• Duration: SEASONAL 3-4 months (late May through mid-September)
• Location: Portland or The Dalles/Hood River, Oregon

Responsibilities

The Fishery Technician works closely with the Lamprey Project Leader and Lamprey Biologist to perform duties and assignments that may include, but are not limited to:

• Setting and checking traps at Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day dams for collection, transport, and holding of adult Pacific Lamprey for the CRITFC member tribes.
• Driving from the duty station to the mainstem dams daily in CRITFC vehicles during the adult lamprey migration/trapping season.
• Monitoring fish health and water quality parameters during trapping, holding, and transporting of fish.
• Collecting biological data, and tissue samples, and executing technical procedures.
• Operating electronic sampling equipment and computers.
• Taking detailed sampling notes, conducting data entry, and data management.
• Closely follow protocols for handling fish and managing data
• Conducting outreach and education.
• Interact with the public on a regular basis by tending an outreach table at the Bonneville Hatchery Captive Brood Building.
• Must have the ability to work in inclement weather.
• Travel to field sites outside the Portland area.
• Available to work a schedule that includes Saturday and Sunday and to be on call occasionally when necessary.
• Work from Portland duty station, or The Dalles/Hood River.

Qualifications

We seek responsible and dependable individuals with interests in environmental and fisheries sciences who meet the following qualifications:

• Ability to follow an established fish collection, handling, and holding protocols.
• Ability to collect and maintain high-quality data records from field and laboratory work.
• Ability to work effectively, positively, and as a team in field, office, and laboratory settings.
• Strong attention to detail. Science work is detailed work.
• A desire to follow protocols carefully.
• Ability to set personal routines so that data is always collected carefully and handled in precisely the same manner, so as to avoid data errors.
• A strong orientation to safety. The ability to recognize safety risks and exercise good judgment to keep yourself and others safe.
• Ability to follow behavioral and safety requirements while working at federal hydropower dams and state fish hatcheries.
• Strong team skills and a willingness to pitch in and get the work done as a team.
• Enrolled membership in a tribal organization or a strong desire to be of service to a tribal organization. Knowledge of or dedication to learning tribal history and customs of CRITFC’s four member tribes.
• Must be a reliable and on-time person, as our crew works together as a team.
• The ability to lift and carry objects weighing at least 50 lbs. and set and pull traps up to 75 lbs. with assistance.

Preferred Qualifications for Tech III

• Education or experience in fisheries science, fishery technician, or similar field.
• Familiarity with biological research and the ability to execute detailed technical procedures.
• Proven leadership ability in a team/field setting.

Supervision

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Working Conditions

This position will require frequent moving of heavy items including setting and pulling lamprey traps up to 75 lbs. Ability to lift, handle, and carry buckets of water and fish weighing up to 30 lbs. into and out of pickup truck tanks, and up and down stairs. Ability to safely operate motor vehicles including large pickup trucks for up to 6 hours per day on freeways, at Army Corps of Engineers dam facilities, and on state hatchery grounds. Vehicle operation requires extreme caution in the presence of heavy equipment and construction crews, on narrow dam roadways, around tourists and public visitors, and other potential hazards. Additional or extended working hours may be required occasionally to meet job-related duties and functions. Must be able to work in physical environments requiring the employee to work both inside and outside in heat/cold, wet/humid, and dry/arid conditions.

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.