Conservation Genetics Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Fish Culture Member- Abernathy Fish Technology Center

Summary

American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, 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.

For more information about ACE, please visit our website.

Start Date: September 2026

Estimated End Date: July 2027

*a 42-week minimum commitment is required *

Location Details/Description: Abernathy Fish Technology Center, Longview, WA

Abernathy Fish Technology Center (FTC) was built to mitigate for the impacts of Bonneville Dam on Pacific salmon. Today, Abernathy FTC has three research units: Conservation Genetics, Nutrition, and Ecology and Physiology, that conduct applied studies and provide technical assistance and expertise to internal and external partners and stakeholders. These programs provide technical expertise to assist in conservation, mitigation, Tribal trust responsibilities, restoration, and recovery efforts for fishery resources. This is accomplished through the development and evaluation of new methods, concepts, and systems, as well as the application of existing methods and concepts to emerging issues. All of Abernathy FTC's research involves collaborations with various partners: other FWS offices and resource programs as well as various external partners (other federal agencies, state agencies, Tribal governments, and non-governmental organizations).

For more information about Abernathy FTC, please visit the FWS website.

Position Overview: The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. This position will help FWS realize the 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.

• Fish Rearing: Fish feeding, raceway (large tank) cleaning and upkeep, fish transfers, and water quality and fish health monitoring
• Fish Spawning: Fish sorting, egg extractions, egg fertilizations, and egg monitoring and transfers.
• Hatchery Evaluation: 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.
• Fish identification and data collection (length, weight, scale samples, tag scans, etc)
• Abiotic data collection such as substrate sampling and water salinity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen and temperature.
• Data entry and management
• Laboratory processing and data collection, including 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.
• Public engagement: 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

Schedule: Duties are tentatively carried out between 7:30am and 4:00pm Pacific, Monday through Friday, 5 days/week. Some weekend work might be necessary if there is a need specifically at the hatchery. Daily work hours may also vary due to supplemental field work assistance. Bi-weekly totals should not exceed 80 hours. A flexible work schedule will be required, which could involve work performed outside of normal work hours including early field work departures (6:00am) and/or late returns (6:00pm) depending on the season and field project. Time off may be granted, and requests should be directed to ACE and the FWS for approval.

Position 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. If the duration of a PLC-eligible term is not long enough for Members to accrue 640 hours of service (~16 weeks), the total hours served at the completion of the term may be eligible to be combined with hours accrued from another PLC-eligible term to meet the 640 hours requirement. PLC projects also include specific eligibility requirements such as age (You must be between the ages of 16 and 30. Some agencies also interpret these guidelines to include veterans up to age 35) and citizenship. Please contact ACE staff with questions about eligibility, or view general eligibility information on our website.

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. Scholarship recipients will be able to allocate this funding to financial need(s) of their choosing. A limited number of scholarships are available.

Qualifications

Required:

• 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.
• To learn more about eligibility requirements, please visit our website located on our Indeed homepage.

Preferred:

• 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.

Technical Methods:

• 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.
• 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.

Biological Sciences:

• Knowledge of the basic principles of a biological science to assess readings and measurements taken, tests executed, observations made, service completed, samples collected, etc.
• Ability and willingness to understand and relate the significance of the results to the higher objectives to which the activity is related.

Data Analysis:

• 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.

Communication:

• 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 users, e.g., 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.
• Deep interest in providing hands-on instruction to others.
• Ability and willingness to demonstrate proficient communication skills in written form. Specifically for the purpose of informal science communication. Creative/story-telling writing skills are ideal.
• 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.
• Deep interest in becoming a competent instructor once trained in the subject matter.

Equipment:

• Willing and able to operate lawnmowers, weedwhackers, power tools, powerwashers, pumps, and leaf blowers and to work independently.

Physical Demands, Work Environment and Working Conditions:

• Physical Demands: 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. In many situations, the duration of the activity (such as most of a workday) contributes to the arduous nature of the job.
• 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.
• Vision Requirements: Requires close, distance, peripheral, and depth perception vision as well as the ability to focus.
• Weight Lifted or Force Exerted: Frequently moves up to 40 lbs., ability to move up to 40 lbs.
• Environmental: 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.
• Noise Environment: Moderate to high noise such as hand and power tools. Moderate noise such as in a business office with equipment and light traffic.
• Travel: This position may require domestic travel.

Environmental Conditions/Hazards: 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. An array of mandatory training will be provided upon initiation of the position.

Vehicle and Equipment Use/Safety: If a vehicle is required for the accomplishment of the duties, one will be provided by the FWS or ACE. Any tools required for the accomplishment of the duties will be provided by the FWS. 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.

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