Fisheries Management Biologist

State of Montana•Kalispell, MT

14h•Onsite

About The Position

This position is located in Kalispell, a city in northwestern Montana with about 35,000 people in the city and 116,000 people in the county. Kalispell has many amenities that make it an attractive place to work and play. Outdoor recreation in the area is fantastic, with many lakes and streams for water-based sports and miles of trails for hiking, biking, and skiing. Kalispell is located less than an hour's drive from Glacier National Park, and also offers quick access to the Bob Marshall Wilderness. At times, this is a physically demanding job involving backpack and drift boat electrofishing in small streams to large rivers, hiking into and sampling remote lakes or streams, and operating and working from various jet, propeller and manually powered watercraft on flowing and flat waters. The incumbent must have the ability and willingness to work in and around water in adverse and hazardous conditions, including inclement weather. A large portion of the management area is located within the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, and requires the biologist to adapt to rules/laws associated with wilderness designation. This may include the use of horses/mules to access work areas. The work schedule is sometimes variable, requiring work outside of normal business days and hours and may involve overnight stays in remote field locations for multiple days.

Requirements

Thorough working knowledge of fisheries management principles & techniques of fish sampling methods and equipment
Thorough working knowledge of electrofishing and water safety
Thorough working knowledge of aquatic research methods & equipment
Thorough working knowledge of stream mechanics & habitat management
Thorough working knowledge of computer use for data processing
Thorough working knowledge of telemetry techniques and analysis
Thorough working knowledge of statistical analysis
Skills in writing, speaking and working effectively with a broad spectrum of individuals, groups & agencies
Ability to operate a wide variety of vehicles, boats, motors, instruments and sampling equipment
Physical ability to do strenuous outdoor work in all weather conditions & locations ranging from valley bottom river and reservoirs to high altitude lakes and streams
Excellent work habits
Technical ability
Applied knowledge
Leadership skills
Master’s degree in Fish and Wildlife Management, Wildlife Biology, Range Management, Zoology or Biology, including completion of a field research project presented in a successfully defended thesis
Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience as a fisheries biologist or senior fisheries technician that includes: Literature review and development of a problem statement and/or hypothesis for a particular issue; Development of a detailed study plan or sampling protocol for a field-oriented project based on the above-noted hypothesis; Data collection and the effective management of data with an appropriate application; Interpretation and analysis of data, including a quantitative assessment of that information; Completion of a final report in a peer-reviewed publication or a publication comparable to a refereed journal; If appropriate to the project, formulation of any recommended changes in management prescriptions and/or actions; Oral presentation on results of investigation to agency staff or public audience.

Nice To Haves

Ability to learn, critically evaluate, and adopt new information is crucial
Working knowledge of hydrology
Ability to evaluate engineering designs

Responsibilities

Survey and inventory of fisheries and habitat
Fish stocking and harvest regulation recommendations
Non-native fish suppression
Protecting habitat through river and stream project review and permitting
Pursuing aquatic habitat enhancement opportunities
Conducting typical sampling including boat and backpack electrofishing, gill netting, hook-and-line sampling, snorkeling, and genetic sampling and assessments
Administering laws related to fishery resources