Fish & Wildlife Biologist

Job Description

SUMMARY

The Fish and Wildlife Biologist will support the implementation and integration of the Tribes environmental and forestry programs. This position will primarily be responsible for biological and habitat monitoring and assessment activities (fish and wildlife population surveys, fish and wildlife habitat surveys, zooplankton and phytoplankton (including cyanobacteria), macro-invertebrates, etc.) and education and outreach relating to those activities. Administrative assistance may be requested for grant writing, grant implementation, and natural resource policy review.

Principal Activities & Responsibilities

• Works as part of a team as well as independently to implement the Tribes Environmental and Forestry Programs.
• Responsible for field monitoring for biology-specific parameters: flora, fauna and other biological parameters that supports the Tribes mission, and vision as well as the Tribes Water Quality Standards throughout the Tribes area of interest.
• Performs fish and wildlife surveys (observing behavior, collecting specimens, tagging, population dynamics) for culturally significant and endangered, threatened, sensitive, and candidate species found on the Tribes Forest Tracts and other specified areas within the Tribes ancestral territory.
• Performs fish and wildlife habitat (summer, transitional, and winter; including high quality cover, forage, security, travel, and water resources) monitoring for culturally significant and endangered, threatened, sensitive, and candidate species found on the Tribes Forest Tracts and other specified areas within the Tribes ancestral territory.
• Evaluates species objectives and management needs; developing individual stewardship plans for culturally significant and endangered, threatened, sensitive, and candidate species found on the Tribes Forest Tracts and other specified areas within the Tribes ancestral territory.
• Engages in adaptive management decision-making to ensure that forestry management practices comply with the Tribal Conservation Management Plan, Forest Management Plan, and Tribal Water Quality standards.
• Operates, maintains, and troubleshoots associated monitoring equipment (sondes, field sampling equipment, small inland vessel, etc).
• Reinforces the basic laboratory facility hygiene, ensuring cleanliness and organization.
• Aids as needed in quality assurance requests, such as health and safety, updating SOPs and QAPPs, QA/QC of laboratory data.
• Assists with updates to relevant components of the EPA-Tribal Environmental Plan, Tribal Conservation Management Plan, Forest Management Plan, Tribal Spill Response Plan, Land Quality Assurance Project Plan, Surface Water and Fixed Station Quality Assurance Project Plan, the Air Quality Assurance Project Plan, the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan, the Non-point Source Pollution Management Plan, the Integrated Water Quality Monitoring Strategy, and the Water Quality Standards (as needed).
• May assist in grant applications, grant reporting, and contract development and implementation.
• Regularly attends Federal, State, local meetings and stakeholder meetings within the Tribes area of interest as directed.
• Assists program education and outreach activities as requested.
• Provides input for Environmental Site Assessments and/or NEPA EA/EIS review as needed and directed.
• Works various special projects as assigned by the Director, Assistant Director, the Chief Operating Officer, or the Chief Executive Officer.
  
  

LEVEL OF AUTHORITY & RESTRICTIONS

• No supervisory authority.
  
  

PHYSICAL & MENTAL DEMANDS

• Requires the ability to manage moderate levels of stress arising from schedules, workload, diverse or adversarial stakeholders, etc.
• Must be able to walk, talk, hear, use hands to handle, feel or operate objects, tools, or controls, and reach with hands and arms.
• Vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distant vision, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Must be required to push, pull, lift, and/or carry up to 50 pounds.
  
  

WORKING CONDITIONS & ENVIRONMENT

• Work may be performed in an office environment, laboratory environment, or field environment.
• Moderate noise level with frequent interruptions and distractions
• Work effectively in a team environment with a diverse variety of technical, professional, and administrative staff.
• Work effectively in a negotiating environment where others may have diverse and competing interests and may be uncooperative or adversarial.
• May require the ability to walk, hike, swim, drive, and boat in difficult conditions at various hours and days of the week.
• Requires occasionally irregular working schedules around tides, other cycles or events, evening and weekend meetings, out-of-area travel for meetings, conferences, workshops, trainings, etc.
  
  

Required Experience

MINIMUM JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Must be at least 25 years of age per vehicle use policy.
• Valid drivers license, adequate transportation, and eligibility to operate GSA vehicles required.
• Bachelors Degree in Biology, Fish and Wildlife Management, Zoology, Environmental Science, or a related discipline required.
• Two years or more experience in the collection, management, analysis, and reporting of environmental data (including habitat and/or fish) and laboratory work.
• Knowledge of species identification, taxonomy, fish and wildlife surveying, tagging, and monitoring.
• Requires the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing with federal, state, county, and local governments, and the ability to work well with Tribal members, the general public, private landowners, and stakeholder organizations in a courteous, professional, and efficient manner.
• Must be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Must possess reasonable ability to communicate in English.
• This is a Covered position and is subject to pre-employment drug testing and criminal history background check, which includes fingerprinting.
• Must have employment eligibility in the United States.
• Indian preference will be observed in the hiring process.
  
  

Benefits

BENEFITS

• Full time with benefits including medical, dental, short and long term disability, life insurance.
• 401(k) Deferred Compensation plan.
• Paid holiday, vacation and sick leave.
  
  

Keyword: Biology, Zoology, Environmental, Science, Tribal, Native, Fish, Wildlife, Environmental Science