Great Lakes Fisheries Biologist

SUMMARY

The Great Lakes Fisheries Biologist actively participates in the management of the Tribal commercial fishery and assists in the development and implementation of a yearly assessment plan. This position includes collection and processing of biological data for the overall fisheries management of the Great Lakes (including surveys required to fulfill obligations of the 2000 Consent Decree), 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's degree in Biology required, with emphasis in Fisheries Management; Master's degree preferred.
• Must have background in statistical analysis.
• Must have experience in statistical catch at age modeling (e.g. (AD) Model Builder, R and/or RStudio).
• Must have experience in Geographical Information System (GIS) data manipulation utilizing ArcMap.
• Must have a valid Michigan Driver's License and be insurable by the GTB insurance carrier.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Collect monthly harvest reports from GTB commercial and subsistence-licensed fishers. Copy and provide data to the Chippewa Ottawa Resource Authority (CORA) and Harvest Data Specialist.
• Coordinate with the CORA Harvest Data Specialist to verify data and generate monthly year-to-date harvest summaries for the GTB Natural Resources and Environmental Committee (NREC) for significant commercial species.
• Assist in developing and implementing yearly Great Lakes assessment schedule.
• Perform field assessments of Tribal commercial and subsistence catch of all target and important incidental fish species.
• Set and tend gill nets, hoop nets, seines and other related gear to collect fish samples.
• Assist with field assessment of tribal commercial and subsistence harvest of all target and important incidental fish species.
• Performs age analysis of commercial and assessment samples.
• Operate and coordinate maintenance of field equipment within the department, including boats and trucks.
• Assists in acquiring, organizing, and analyzing biological information to serve in developing management plans, future assessments, impact reports, status report and prescribing other measures to protect the fishery resource.
• Responsible for computer modeling of fishery related data for statistical catch at age models used to develop annual harvest limits for the Tribal commercial fishery.
• Meet with the Tribe's Natural Resources and Environmental Committee and Tribal Attorneys to discuss the management of the Tribal fishery.
• Incorporate data from commercial samples and field assessments into the computer database as needed.
• This position regularly utilizes specialized and sometimes dangerous equipment including boats, gill nets, trapnets, seines, trawls, sampling equipment and construction tools.
• Represent the Tribe at interagency meetings (as required).
• Provides monthly summary of activities to Lead Great Lakes Fisheries Biologist.
• Conduct surveys/field work targeting invasive species populations.
• Build new and expand existing collaborations between the State, Tribal, Federal, Nonprofit and academic partners. Collaborations may include work such as acoustic telemetry, SCUBA surveys and other types of data collection and/or analysis.

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Use Microsoft Windows operating system, Microsoft Office Suite, and other computer software.
• SCUBA, Advanced Open Water Certification (preferred).
• Provides educational presentations to youth and school groups as requested.
• General knowledge of business and accounting systems and methods.
• General knowledge of applicable law, regulations, rules, procedures, and administration is required.
• General knowledge of budgeting, planning, control methods, and applications.
• Advanced ability to operate vessels and research equipment
• General mechanical ability is required.
• General understanding of local fishery.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with demonstrated patience, tact, and respect.
• Exceptional detail and follow-up skills.
• Able to effectively establish priorities and meet deadlines.
• Ability to quickly evaluate alternatives and decide on a plan of action.
• Must be able to read and write legibly.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree in Biology required, with emphasis in Fisheries Management; Master's degree preferred.
• Successful completion of Program Director Training within one year from the date of hire.
• Must have background in statistical analysis.
• Three years of experience preferred.
• Must have experience in statistical catch at age modeling (e.g. (AD) Model Builder, R and/or RStudio)
• Must have experience in Geographical Information System (GIS) data manipulation utilizing ArcMap.

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS

• Must have a valid Michigan 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, phone systems, calculators, and PowerPoint projectors.
• Specialized equipment include electro fishing equipment, boats and motors, gill nets, trap nets, seines, trawls, water quality measuring devices, digital and conventional photographic equipment, remote temperature recording devices, microscopes, microfiche, Geographic Positioning Systems, ice augers, and construction 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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• 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, and 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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Regularly operates/rides in a motorboat on northern Lake Michigan.
• Regularly exposed to tobacco smoke, fumes, or airborne particles.
• The employee is frequently exposed to moving mechanical parts and mechanisms.
• The employee is regularly subject to inside environmental conditions, which provide protection from weather conditions, but not necessarily from temperature changes.
• The employee is frequently subject to outside environmental conditions and to wet and/or humid conditions.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
• Local travel is frequently required.

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 in regard to 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 through approved motion by Tribal Council. * Any qualifications to be considered as equivalents in lieu of stated minimums require prior approval of the Director of Human Resources.

Current Openings for Great Lakes Fisheries Biologist Jobs at Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians