Fish Culture Specialist

State of Montana • Miles City, MT

7d

About The Position

The Fish Culture Specialist performs fish culture operations, facility and equipment maintenance, hatchery administration, and public outreach. The role supports hatchery operations and fishery management, including care and monitoring of fish, water quality analysis, egg collection and incubation, and transporting and stocking fish. The position shares rotating 24-hour standby duties and may train and supervise seasonal employees. It also involves extensive travel, unusual work hours, work outdoors year-round, handling hazardous chemicals, and physical work on uneven terrain. A Montana Commercial Driver’s License Type 2 Class B may be required.

Requirements

• Education and experience equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in biology, fisheries, aquaculture, environmental sciences, zoology, wildlife, or an associated field, and at least one year of job-related experience; other combinations of education and experience may be considered case by case.
• Ability to lift and carry 60 pounds over uneven terrain.
• Ability to work outdoors year-round in adverse weather and handle hazardous chemicals.
• Availability for extensive travel, unusual work hours including weekends and holidays, and rotational 24-hour water-supply and fish-protection duty.
• A Montana Commercial Driver’s License Type 2 Class B and ability to safely operate combination vehicles over 26,000 pounds GVW may be required; maintaining the license requires an initial and random drug and alcohol testing.

Responsibilities

• Perform daily fish culture activities, including cleaning tanks, feeding fish, removing dead and moribund fish, monitoring automatic feeders and feed schedules, maintaining rearing records, and monitoring fish health.
• Sample fish for size and growth, project growth, and calculate tank density.
• Establish and monitor water-quality parameters in rearing units.
• Conduct water-quality analysis on recirculating aquaculture units using probes, titrations, and colorimetric tests, and initiate corrective action based on the results.
• Assist with remote egg collection, including fish collection, spawning, fertilization, triploid induction, disease screening, and genetic sampling.
• Assist with receiving and incubating eggs, including disinfecting, enumerating, shocking, picking, and ponding fry.
• Transport and stock fish in area lakes, making decisions to maintain fish health and life-support systems during transport.
• Share rotating 24-hour standby duties and respond immediately to hatchery alarms when assigned.
• Train and supervise seasonal employees, including Fish Technicians, interns, and volunteers.
• Fabricate equipment and perform routine equipment and grounds maintenance.
• Assist with purchasing hatchery equipment and supplies.
• Schedule and document maintenance of vehicles and mechanical equipment.
• Assist the Hatchery Manager with program development, planning, and implementation.
• Manage databases, spreadsheets, and documents supporting hatchery operations.
• Assist with management of a safety program protecting FWP employees and the public.
• Communicate with Fishery Biologists, Fishery Managers, the Hatchery Bureau Chief, and other hatchery personnel to coordinate hatchery programs and state fishery management.
• Give hatchery tours and answer questions about hatchery programs and production for employees, sporting and school groups, other natural-resource agencies, and the public.

Benefits

• Health insurance for employees who exceed 1,040 hours in a calendar year
• Dental insurance for employees who exceed 1,040 hours in a calendar year
• Life insurance for employees who exceed 1,040 hours in a calendar year
• Retirement
• Paid vacation
• Sick leave
• Paid holidays
• The position may be covered by a VEBA (Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time