Fisheries Research Technician

* The Fisheries Research Technician is a grant funded position; therefore, the duration of this position is subject to the guidelines outlined in the grant(s). This position is grant funded for 3 years.

SUMMARY

The Fisheries Research Technician actively participates in the annual assessments and collects and processes data for the overall fisheries management of the Great Lakes, as guided by the annual Biological Services & Assessment Program Work Plan, in addition to protecting, managing, and preserving natural resources for the benefit of Tribal Members, and protection of their usufructuary rights as outlined in the Tribal Constitution.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor of Science Degree with emphasis in aquatic sciences.
• Minimum of two years of relevant experience with demonstrated abilities in fisheries techniques.
• Must have a valid unrestricted Driver's License and be insurable by the GTB insurance carrier.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Assist in coordinating and implementing yearly Great Lakes assessment schedule.
• Assemble, deploy, and tend camera pods, gill nets, seines and other related gear.
• Use video imaging software to identify and quantify fish and habitat.
• Assist with field assessment of tribal commercial and subsistence harvest.
• Transport, operate and coordinate maintenance on field equipment, boats and vehicles within the department.
• Work cooperatively with other fisheries agencies such as the Governmental (Tribal, State and Federal) of Natural Resource Departments, and Universities.
• Assists in acquiring, organizing, and analyzing assessment data to serve purpose in developing management plans, future assessments, impact reports, status report and prescribing other measures to protect the fishery resource.
• Give oral presentations to peers and public on research findings from fisheries assessments.
• Develop and promote knowledge of Tribal natural resource issues; with particular emphasis as to a level of understanding of tribal Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and its applicability and correlation to conventional scientific principles, practices, and techniques.
• Incorporate and maintain data from assessments into the Departments relational database.
• This position regularly utilizes specialized and sometimes dangerous equipment including boats, camera pods, gill nets, trap nets, seines, trawls, gill net lifter, pot hauler, water quality instruments and construction tools.
• Performs age analysis (utilizing maxillae, scales, otoliths or spines) of commercial and assessment samples.
• Provides monthly summary of activities to Lead Great Lakes Fisheries Biologist.
• Other duties assigned.

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• General understanding of local fishery.
• Experience in operating and trailering vessels up to 28 ft in length
• Experience in multiple fisheries techniques used in fisheries independent monitoring.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
• Comfortable at public speaking and oral presentations
• Excellent interpersonal skills as demonstrated in the Seven Grandfather teachings.
• Exceptional detail and follow-up skills.
• Capable of working independently on task and in group settings.
• Able to effectively establish priorities and meet deadlines.
• Ability to quickly evaluate alternatives and decide on a plan of action.
• Familiar with computer programs, including Microsoft Office Suite, ArcGIS, Event Measure, VIAME, email and Internet.
• General mechanical ability is required.
• Basic proficiency with smartphones and other office equipment.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor of Science Degree with emphasis in fisheries ecology preferred.
• Minimum of four years of relevant experience in fisheries techniques preferred.
• Experience in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and statistical analyses of resource systems preferred.
• Experience in Event Measure and VIAME software preferred.
• Successful completion of Program Director Training within first year of employment.
• SCUBA certification preferred.

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS

Must have a current unrestricted driver's license and an acceptable driving record. Must be insurable by the GTB Insurance carrier.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

No supervisory responsibility required.

EQUIPMENT TO BE USED

General office equipment including computers, copiers, faxes, smartphones, and cameras. Computer programs including ArcGIS, Event Measure, Eureka Calibration Software, Internet, Microsoft Office Suite (Access, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Teams, and Word), R Studio, VIAME and Zoom. Specialized equipment including electrofishing equipment, outboard vessels, camera pods, gill nets, trap nets, seines, trawls, net hauler, pot hauler, water quality instruments, digital photographic equipment, microscopes, geographic positioning systems, ice augers, and power tools.

TYPICAL PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
• Regularly operates/rides in a motorboat.
• Regularly involves light work: exerting up to 10 pounds of force and/or a negligible amount of force to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body.
• Frequently involves exerting up to 50+ pounds of force to move objects.
• Occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds.
• Regularly requires the ability to give and receive detailed information through verbal communication.
• Regularly requires verbally expressing or exchanging ideas of important instructions accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Regularly requires working with fingers rather than the whole hand or arm.
• Regularly requires repetitive movement of the wrists, hands and/or fingers.
• Regularly requires walking or moving about to accomplish tasks.
• Regularly requires standing and/or sitting for sustained periods of time.
• Regularly requires ascending or descending stairs or ramps using feet and legs and/or hands and arms.
• Regularly requires raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally.
• Regularly requires stooping which entails the use of the lower extremities and back muscles.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

TYPICAL MENTAL DEMANDS

• Receives work assignments with defined objectives, priorities, deadlines, and clear indications of any special considerations or unusual requirements.
• Responsible for planning and carrying out recurring assignments, and for exercising judgment in the selection of supporting data, industry sources, and work techniques to be followed within established procedures, and in line with established precedent.
• Recognizes technical problems or deviations from normal procedure and confers with the supervisor or higher-level specialist to resolve them after searching precedents to develop a recommended solution.
• For actions that do not have clear precedent, the assignment is given with an explanation of policies and procedures to be followed or is provided with clear direction through a comprehensive discussion of the work to be performed.
• Uses judgment in interpreting guidelines, in adapting department procedures, or in recommending approaches or solutions for specific problems.
• Completed work is usually presented in the form of a recommendation for action.
• Completed work is reviewed prior to finalization by a higher authority to ensure that appropriate factors have been considered that all necessary information has been gathered, and to assure soundness of analysis, good business judgment, compliance with department procedures, and adequacy of results, while the methods used in arriving at the end results are not usually reviewed in detail.
• Guidelines include, but are not limited to, departmental regulations, written policies, and existing precedents.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.
• Frequently exposed to moving mechanical parts and mechanisms.
• Regularly subject to inside environmental conditions, which provide protection from weather conditions, but not necessarily from temperature changes.
• Frequently subject to outside environmental conditions including, but not limited to hot, cold, dry wet and/or humid conditions.
• Regularly requires working onboard a vessel for more than 6 hours at a time.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
• Local travel is frequently required.
• Travel outside of the state is infrequently required.
• Typical travel time is generally less than a week.

COMMENTS

Native American preference will apply. Must be willing and able to pass a background investigation and a drug and alcohol urinalysis as a condition of employment. Adherence to strict company policy regarding confidentiality is a must.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified. Management retains the right to add or to change the duties of the position at any time. Any qualifications to be considered as equivalents in lieu of stated minimums require prior approval of the Director of Human Resources.

Current Openings for Fisheries Research Technician Jobs at Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians