The posting
Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission is recruiting candidates to fill the openings for two Fishery Biologist 1 positions located in Klamath Falls at the USGS Klamath Falls Field Station. This is a full-time, benefits-eligible position with an anticipated start date of January 4th, 2027.
Please review the required application materials and the closing disclaimer in the below sections.
Closing Disclaimer:
PSMFC will not accept resumes or cover letters for any position once the job announcement has been removed from the Careers Page. PSMFC will begin reviewing submitted applications the week of November 16, 2026 and may begin interviewing as soon as the week of November 23, 2026. PSMFC reserves the right to remove a job announcement at any time for any reason or close the position prior to the posted close date once a sufficient number of applicants have been received.
The USGS Klamath Falls Field Station has been tracking individual Lost River and Shortnose suckers — two long-lived, endangered fish species — for more than two decades, and is growing an acoustic telemetry program to understand their movement and survival in real time. We're looking for a self-motivated, hands-on fishery biologist to join a field crew working directly on Upper Klamath Lake and Clear Lake Reservoir, helping catch, tag, and track suckers across both long-term capture-recapture and acoustic telemetry efforts. You'll spend your days on the water, running boats, operating nets and traps, maintaining telemetry receivers, and collecting the data that drives sucker recovery decisions in the Klamath Basin. If you like fieldwork, variety, and being part of a close-knit crew, we'd like to hear from you.
Group Definition: Fishery Biologists use professional knowledge and competence in the science of fishery biology to perform work: (a) developing, conserving, propagating, managing, and administering fishery resources; (b) evaluating the impact of construction projects and other socioeconomic activities that present potential or actual adverse effects on fishery resources and their habitats; and (c) producing and managing aquatic resources in their natural habitat and/or within facilities and systems that have been constructed for their benefit and public use.
Position/Project Specifics: The USGS Klamath Falls Field Station (KFFS) conducts research on rare and imperiled fishes in the Klamath Basin, helping managers make informed decisions about resource use in a sensitive arid ecosystem. The program has tracked long-lived endangered Lost River and Shortnose suckers for decades using PIT tags as part of a long-term capture-recapture effort and is growing an acoustic telemetry program to understand seasonal movement, survival, and habitat use.
This position works as part of a USGS field crew from the Klamath Falls Field Station, operating primarily on Upper Klamath Lake and Clear Lake Reservoir as part of a long-term monitoring program tracking survival and recruitment of adult and juvenile Lost River and Shortnose suckers using PIT tags. This position also maintains PIT tag detection equipment, including PIT antennas and associated field infrastructure, and supports the station's growing acoustic telemetry program, assisting with receiver array maintenance, fish capture for tagging, and telemetry data collection across multiple water bodies. This is a field-based, non-supervisory position.
The field season runs from February through November, generally scheduled as a standard 40-hour work week (a mix of four 10-hour days or five 8-hour days depending on seasonal need). Some winter night fishing is also required to capture adult suckers as they stage for spawning. Most fieldwork is conducted within approximately a 2-hour radius of Klamath Falls.
Essential Functions:
- Lead and participate in survey crews that conduct fishery presence/absence research, recreational/commercial fishing surveys, anadromous fish escapement surveys (carcass, redd, trap/weir, snorkel, etc.), or tag detection and mark recovery surveys. Make standardized observations such as species identification, length, weight, behavior, growth, survival, reproductive condition, and/or signs of parasites, diseases or pathogens, fin clips or tags.
- Lead and perform data entry for data from recovered tags, representative biological samples, telemetry devices, oceanographic data, fish tickets, commercial landing estimates, logbooks, scale cards, port sampling, onboard observers, etc. Error check the data, maintain and update database, analyze and organize data in the appropriate format (table, spreadsheet, memorandum, or report) necessary for transfer to individuals, agencies, and organizations. Modify software programs and perform data queries. Prepare summary reports to transfer data.
- Lead crew or assist hatchery manager with maintenance of fish including feeding fish, cleaning tanks, establishing feeding schedules, assessing growth, and monitoring fish health. Collect samples of blood and tissues. Monitor and maintain facility systems, equipment, and water quality. Maintain records of data and perform routine analysis.
- Assist researchers in investigations of long term and short term fisheries resource management problems. Collect biological samples, record data, perform routine analyses of data, and contribute draft sections to scientific papers for publication.
- Assist in design, development, and installation of components of naturalistic environments. Assist with analysis of the behavior of different species in simulated environments. Videotape, photograph, and record data for characteristics such as growth, health, fitness, social activity, reproductive success, foraging success, and anti-predator behavior.
- Establish and direct sport, commercial, hatchery, and natural spawn sampling and bio-sampling protocols to best meet data requirements.
Knowledge Required by the Position:
- Knowledge of fishery biology (including knowledge of particular species of fish).
- Knowledge of fish husbandry.
- Knowledge of aquatic habitats.
- Knowledge of the scientific method.
- Knowledge of personal computer applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, e-mail, publishing software, presentation software, database software, topographic software, bibliographic software, and statistical analysis packages.
- Knowledge of technical writing protocols.
- Knowledge of statistics and mathematics.
- Knowledge of database management.
- Knowledge of programming languages such as SQL .
Additional Mandatory/Desirable Skills:
- Lift 40-50 lbs
- Valid driver’s license
- Tow & maneuver trailers
- Load boats on trailers
- CPR/First Aid
- Oral communication skills
- Written communication skills
- Repair & maintain equipment with acoustic telemetry receiver deployment, maintenance, or data download.
Additional Desirable Skills:
- Snorkeling
- Operate trap/weir
- Electrofishing-boat
- Electrofishing-backpack
- Operate nets (seine, gill, etc.)
- Elec. detection technology
- Operate motorized boats
- Operate non-motorized boats
- Hiking
- Motorboat Operator Certification Course (MOCC) or similar boating certification
- Operate GPS
- Literature search/review
- Fish ageing (scale, otolith, other)
- Fish species ID skills
- Using fish keys
- Compile and collect neat and accurate data
- Handheld data recorder
- Specific software skills (spreadsheet, word processing, database, GIS, statistical)
Physical Demands: Demands can range from sedentary, to moderate --where there is walking, climbing stairs and ladders, reaching, lifting, and bending, to rigorous. In the latter case, the employee must be able to handle buckets of water or gear weighing up to 50 pounds. Long daily periods of hiking, carrying equipment, swimming, and/or standing may be required. Camping out for extended periods may be required. Some work requires the ability to maintain footing in fast-moving water.
Work Environment: Some work is performed in an office setting with adequate lighting, heating and ventilation. Some work may be performed in fish processing labs, fish holding areas, and/or in the field. Employees may work on narrow, elevated walkways and platforms that are over or adjacent to water. Field work involves exposure to all types of weather, slippery rocks or docks, trails, irregular terrain, insects, poison oak, rough or fast-moving water, or cold water temperatures. Work at high elevations or aboard boats may be required.
PSMFC is an EEO/AAP employer. We maintain a drug free workplace.
Minimum Qualification Requirements:
A range of education and experience may be presented. At the lower end of the range, candidates must present successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree that included a major in biological science with at least 6 semester hours in aquatic subjects and at least 12 semester hours in the animal sciences. An equivalent combination of experience and education is also qualifying.
At the upper end of the range, candidates must present one year of Specialized Experience** OR a year of graduate education that is directly related to the work of the position.
**Specialized Experience is experience that equips the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position being filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled.
To work with USGS Data Systems, the Candidate must also meet the below minimum requirements:
- Federal System Access: Must meet federal eligibility requirements to access and utilize federal data systems.
- Citizenship & Residency: Due to federal security mandates, this position requires U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residency (Green Card holder) maintained for a minimum of three consecutive years.
- Background Investigation: Position is contingent upon the successful completion of a comprehensive federal agency background investigation.
- Driving Clearance: Offers of employment for positions located in Oregon are contingent upon supplying and clearing an MVR check. The selected candidate must provide PSMFC with a copy of their 3-Year Oregon Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) and are responsible for all associated DMV fees.
Required Applications Materials
Applications that do not include material listed under Requirement A and B will be considered incomplete.
Requirement A – Resume
Resume (max 6 pages) that clearly demonstrates relevant education and experience.
Requirement B – Cover Letter
Explain your interest in this specific position and how your background and career goals align with the role, the long-term sucker dataset, and the KFFS research program. The cover letter should communicate your interest in contributing to endangered species recovery and informing management decisions, rather than restating your CV.
