Assistant Pygmy Rabbit Biologist - Fish & Wildlife Biologist 1 - Permanent - 2026-07961
State of Washington•Grant County – Ephrata, WA
•Hybrid
About The Position
In this role, you will assist in the essential tasks on the Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbit Recovery Project, one of the largest endangered species reintroduction efforts in Washington State! In this dynamic role, you will assist in maintaining a semi-wild breeding enclosure program, translocate juvenile rabbits into the wild to establish self-sustaining populations, and conduct field surveys to determine survivorship, abundance, and distribution of free-ranging pygmy rabbits.
Requirements
- A Bachelor’s degree in fisheries, wildlife management, natural resource science, or environmental science.
- Equivalent education/experience in fisheries, wildlife management, natural resource science, or environmental science.
- Four (4) years of experience in fisheries, wildlife management, natural resource science, or environmental science.
- Valid driver’s license.
Nice To Haves
- At least 2 years of experience in wildlife-related field.
- At least 6 months of wildlife survey or capture/handling experience.
- Experience leading crews in field setting, comfortable in large groups.
- Skilled use of GPS units and GIS software (working knowledge level).
- Able to handle remote field conditions, navigation, and strenuous hiking/snowshoeing.
- Good communication and organizational skills.
- Experience with snowmobiles and UTVs.
Responsibilities
- Safely capture rabbits within breeding enclosures or in wild populations using traps and nets.
- Handle captured rabbits while collecting biological samples and data.
- Assist in tissue biopsy, pit tagging, and administering medications.
- Translocate rabbits to established release sites in the wild.
- Provide direction to other staff, interns, and volunteers during capture events.
- Perform intensive transect surveys for pygmy rabbit burrows in cold winter conditions - walking up to 10 miles a day and occasionally using snowshoes, snowmobiles, and tire chains.
- Perform intensive transect surveys for pygmy rabbit burrows in hot summer conditions - walking up to 10 miles a day and occasionally using UTVs.
- Follow established protocols, use GPS device for navigation, collect data on mobile app devices, and collect biological samples at burrow sites.
- Occasionally use drones to survey for pygmy rabbit activity and burrows.
- Utilize ARC GIS software and GPS units during survey efforts.
- Construction and repair of breeding enclosures, acclimation pens, with use of hand tools.
- Setting up fencing materials at field sites involves lifting materials (up to 50 lbs) and carrying them up to 300m in uneven ground and dense vegetation.
- Disease monitoring: regular fecal sample collection, laboratory preparation and microscopy analysis, and data recording following protocols.
- Provides supplemental feed and disease treatment as needed in breeding enclosures.
- Organizes, enters, and edits field data in mobile data apps, spreadsheets, and databases (Excel and Access).
- Enters and manipulates spatial data with use of GPS units and GIS software (ArcGIS, ArcOnline, Survey123 mobile app).
- Summarizes data as needed.
Benefits
- There are other benefits that WDFW employees may be eligible for.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
