Fish Culture Member- Abernathy Fish Technology Center

EPIC • Longview, WA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

American Conservation Experience (ACE), in partnership with Abernathy Fish Technology Center, is seeking ONE Fish Culture Member to contribute to fish hatchery operations and provide supplemental support for field and laboratory science and public outreach projects alongside Abernathy Fish Technology Center Staff. This position will help FWS realize its mission at Abernathy FTC by supporting fish hatchery operations and providing supplemental field science and public outreach support. The fisheries supplementation support at this hatchery includes spawning, egg incubation care, fish rearing, water quality monitoring, fish disease monitoring and other related duties. There will also be opportunities to provide supplemental assistance for field, lab and hatchery evaluation projects for experience diversification and career exposure. This opportunity is intended for enthusiastic young professionals with a deep interest in advancing their career goals in fisheries conservation. This individual placement is meant to facilitate professional development and promotes exposure to land management agencies and networking with professionals. This could include gaining experience in different conservation fields and shadowing different work groups.

Requirements

• Members must be authorized to work in the United States. ACE does not provide sponsorship for employment visas.
• Willing and able to represent ACE and the partner organization in a professional, positive, and enthusiastic manner.
• Ability to be both self-directed/work alone, and be a positive, contributing member of a group.
• A valid driver's license and an insurable driving record (documentation to be provided upon request).
• Members must be 21+ to drive due to ACE's insurance and liability requirements.
• Willing to undergo and must pass the required criminal history checks
• Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
• ACE Members will need to complete bi-weekly timesheets, beginning of term feedback forms, end of term evaluations and for longer terms, a mid-term evaluation.
• Member may not participate in any prohibited activities as listed in the Member Service Agreement.
• Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Ability to be both self-directed/work alone, and be a positive, contributing member of a group.
• Ability and willingness to execute specific rules, regulations, or procedures, such as those found in common technical manuals, laboratory handbooks, and administrative manuals.
• Ability and willingness to compile and summarize protocols into standard operating procedures.
• Ability and willingness to understand and relate the significance of the results to the higher objectives to which the activity is related.
• Data collection (written and computers) and entry.
• Awareness of work products affecting the accuracy, reliability, or acceptability of further procedures, processes or services, or the quality of day-to-day operations of a significant program in land management.
• Ability and willingness to collect and analyze data from samples, conduct tests and assist in the identification of any problems.
• Ability and willingness to compile and summarize data from survey, biological evaluations, and pilot tests.
• Ability and willingness to run routine computer programs and check resulting data for inconsistencies.
• Ability and willingness to provide results to professional personnel for refinement, adjustment, and analysis and may assist in the preparation of reports.
• Relay daily mission, technical skills and safety concerns to interns and other crewmembers as assigned.
• Personal contacts are with employees in the agency and immediate organizations. In some work situations, personal contacts may be with the public, contractor personnel, or special interest groups.
• Contacts are for the purpose of obtaining, clarifying, or exchanging information and receiving instructions regarding work assignments.
• Ability and willingness to engage and speak with the public, particularly explaining scientific information to non-scientists.
• Ability and willingness to demonstrate proficient communication skills in written form. Specifically for the purpose of informal science communication.
• Ability and willingness to demonstrate formal and informal public speaking skills. This includes: speaking to a diverse age range; a diversity of group sizes; and in various settings.
• Willing and able to operate lawnmowers, weedwhackers, power tools, powerwashers, pumps, and leaf blowers and to work independently.
• This position requires physical exertion in the form of hiking in mountainous and swampy terrain over long distances in various weather conditions while carrying equipment (40lb+).
• Other demands include stooping, lifting, reaching, talking, hearing, regular and recurring running, walking, or bending, climbing ladders or scaffolds to observe, collect, or record research data.
• Manual dexterity required for use of various tools, computer keyboard/mouse and other office equipment and may involve fine and precise procedures, delicate adjustments, or exact measurements.
• Requires close, distance, peripheral, and depth perception vision as well as the ability to focus.
• Frequently moves up to 40 lbs., ability to move up to 40 lbs.
• Outdoor and indoor conditions. Work environment conditions can change frequently, working under adverse weather conditions and in various climates.
• When indoors, office environment conditions; indoor air quality is good and temperature is controlled.
• Moderate to high noise such as hand and power tools. Moderate noise such as in a business office with equipment and light traffic.
• The ACE members may encounter environmental conditions/hazards including extreme heat or cold, rocky terrain, swamp or wetland conditions, biting insects, and potentially dangerous wildlife.
• The member is expected to conduct duties in a safe and orderly manner so as not to endanger self, fellow staff/members, or resources.
• This position includes the inherent risk of working around water and watercraft, as well as the risks associated with the operation of electrofishing units.
• Use of personal protective equipment (PPE), typically provided by the FWS, will be mandatory for any activity that requires it.
• Strict adherence to FWS and ACE equipment training, certification and safety protocols is required.
• The service involves regular and recurring moderate risks or discomforts which require special safety precautions.
• This position will require an understanding of the communication plan, and a basic level of comfort using both cellular and inReach devices.
• Members are required to use protective clothing or gear such as hard hats, masks, gowns, earplugs, coats, boots, goggles, gloves, or shields to moderate risks, or to follow procedures for minimizing risk.

Nice To Haves

• Base level experience in fisheries field work and/or hatchery supplementation.
• Deep interest in Fisheries, natural resource management or other related disciplines appropriate to the position.
• Knowledge of the technical methods and procedures for a work area to employ them in carrying out (alone, as crew lead, or as a fully functioning crewmember) a variety of technical duties common to fisheries.
• Knowledge to operate complex equipment systems such as those with numerous components or parts which must be calibrated and synchronized to achieve desired results.
• Knowledge of the basic principles of a biological science to assess readings and measurements taken, tests executed, observations made, service completed, samples collected, etc.
• Deep interest in providing hands-on instruction to others.
• Creative/story-telling writing skills are ideal.
• Deep interest in becoming a competent instructor once trained in the subject matter.

Responsibilities

• Fish feeding, raceway (large tank) cleaning and upkeep, fish transfers, and water quality and fish health monitoring
• Fish sorting, egg extractions, egg fertilizations, and egg monitoring and transfers.
• Mass marking and tagging of juveniles, tag retention sampling, adult tag scans, biological sampling of tagged adults.
• Field biological sampling, including minnow traps, electrofishing, seins, gill nets, and screw trapping.
• Abiotic data collection such as substrate sampling and water salinity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen and temperature.
• Data entry and management
• Coded wire tag retrieval from hatchery salmon samples, fish tissue and fish feed analysis, and genetic sampling kit preparation.
• Supporting upkeep of sampling instrumentation used for core position functions.
• Answering questions from visitors, leading hatchery tours, supporting school visits, supporting school programming, and event preparation and implementation.
• Maintenance duties and potential forklift use in support of hatchery operations as required

Benefits

• Living Allowance: The ACE Member is expected to contribute ~40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $800/week to offset the costs of food and incidental expenses, dispersed bi-weekly.
• Public Land Corps Hiring Authority: Members serving under this agreement may be eligible for a federal hiring authority upon completion of their term of service and 640 hours of service.
• Housing: ACE members will be accommodated in provided housing at no cost for the duration of the term.
• Gear Reimbursement: ACE members will have up to $200 to spend on eligible gear purchases and must be approved by ACE staff prior to purchase.
• Provided Training/Orientation: ACE members will receive position specific training and an orientation outlining ACE policies and procedures, clear guidance on prohibited activities, and networks for support.
• Scholarship Funding Opportunity: The selected candidate(s) for this position will be eligible to apply for ACE's Access and Inclusion Scholarship. This is a $500 scholarship which is intended to make participation in ACE positions more accessible to individuals who are underrepresented in the conservation field.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed