Post Masters Research Associate – Waterpower Science & Ecology

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory • Richland, WA

23h

About The Position

At PNNL, our core capabilities are divided among major departments that we refer to as Directorates within the Lab, focused on a specific area of scientific research or other function, with its own leadership team and dedicated budget.
Our Science & Technology directorates include National Security, Earth and Biological Sciences, Physical and Computational Sciences, and Energy and Environment. In addition, we have an Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a Department of Energy, Office of Science user facility housed on the PNNL campus.
The Energy and Environment Directorate delivers science and technology solutions for the nation’s biggest energy and environmental challenges. Our more than 1,700 staff support the Department of Energy (DOE), delivering on key DOE mission areas including: modernizing our nation’s power grid to maintain a reliable, affordable, secure, and resilient electricity delivery infrastructure; research, development, validation, and effective utilization of renewable energy and efficiency technologies that improve the affordability, reliability, resiliency, and security of the American energy system; and resolving complex issues in nuclear science, energy, and environmental management.
The Earth Systems Science Division, part of the Energy and Environment Directorate, provides leadership and solutions that advance Earth system opportunities for energy systems and national security. We are a multidisciplinary division connected by a shared commitment to innovate and collaborate towards solving complex problems in the dynamic Earth system.

Requirements

• Candidates must have received a Master’s degree within the past 24 months or within the next 8 months from an accredited college or university.
• An ideal candidate will have a demonstrated commitment to data quality and accuracy, strong written and oral communication skills as evidenced by scientific publications and conference presentations and be able to work independently and in a team setting.
• Strong written and presentation skills for diverse audiences
• Understanding of energy and natural resource issues
• Excellent organizational skills

Nice To Haves

• Masters in Biological Sciences, Environmental Biology, or a related field.
• Experience with fisheries monitoring, fish ecology, and the effects of hydropower operations on their passage.
• Prior fieldwork and laboratory experience with live fish.

Responsibilities

• Conduct fieldwork, including data collection, data analysis, and technical report writing.
• Perform seasonal field studies that may require frequent regional travel.
• Support laboratory research involving live fish, including handling, husbandry in aquaculture systems, and conducting detailed necropsies.
• Perform comprehensive fish injury assessments on specimens exposed to turbine passage (simulated or actual) or other water infrastructure, following established necropsy protocols to document internal and external injuries accurately and ethically.
• Analyze high-resolution imagery to quantify injuries, supporting data collection and model development for AI-based Fish Assessment tools used to improve predictive analytics and mitigation strategies in aquatic environments.
• Work as part of a large, interdisciplinary team studying the effects of hydropower operations on the passage, survival, and injury of juvenile salmon and lamprey in the Columbia, Snake, Willamette, and other Pacific Northwest river systems.
• Assist with research activities including deployment, retrieval, maintenance, and testing of acoustic and radio telemetry equipment.
• Tag fish and/or assist with surgical implantation of transmitters.
• Transport and release live, tagged fish according to detailed project schedules and protocols.
• This Post Masters Research Associate position may have variable hours in challenging conditions, including inclement weather, industrial hydroelectric environments, on-water settings, and tasks requiring heavy lifting.

Benefits

• Employees and their families are offered medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, robust telehealth care options, several mental health benefits, free wellness coaching, health savings account, flexible spending accounts, basic life insurance, disability insurance, employee assistance program, business travel insurance, tuition assistance, relocation, backup childcare, legal benefits, supplemental parental bonding leave, surrogacy and adoption assistance, and fertility support.
• Employees are automatically enrolled in our company-funded pension plan and may enroll in our 401 (k) savings plan with company match.
• Employees may accrue up to 120 vacation hours per year and may receive ten paid holidays per year.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level