The posting
Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission is recruiting candidates to fill the role of a Fishery Biologist 3 to work closely with U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) researchers at the Klamath Falls Field Station (KFFS), serving as the project lead for sucker research on long-lived endangered Lost River and Shortnose suckers. This is a full-time, benefits-eligible position with an anticipated start date of January 4th, 2027.
We're looking for a curious, applied-minded fishery biologist to lead research using an exceptional long-term dataset, collaborate with biologists and data managers, and help answer questions that shape sucker recovery and water management in the Klamath Basin. This position has a leading role in advancing sucker research in the Klamath Basin, guiding one or more projects from study design and field data collection through analysis and publication. Working closely with field leads, partner agencies, and tribes, you'll help ensure management-relevant questions are answered, and that research provides actionable information for sucker recovery and water-management decisions.
The incumbent will have room to bring their own questions to the table, not just execute someone else's. This position also offers room for the successful candidate to help shape and pursue new research directions using the long-term dataset, including by developing and securing additional funding for questions of their own interest, as time and station priorities allow.
If you enjoy translating complex ecological data into answers managers can use, this position offers an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to sucker recovery. We're looking for someone who gets energized by turning open biological questions into answers managers can actually use—someone curious enough to dig into two decades of individual-fish data and find what it can still tell us.
Please pay close attention to 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.
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 habitat; and (c) producing and managing aquatic resources in their natural habitat and/or within falities 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 fish in the Klamath Basin, helping managers make informed decisions about resource use in a sensitive arid ecosystem.
For more than two decades, USGS KFFS researchers have been tracking individual Lost River and Shortnose suckers—two long-lived, endangered fish species—using passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags as part of a long-term capture-recapture effort. This exceptional dataset creates a rare opportunity to investigate patterns in wild fish populations over time.
The KFFS team has also been growing an acoustic telemetry program to go even further, tracking fish movement and survival in real time. The expanding program investigates seasonal movement, survival, and habitat use.
These data directly inform sucker recovery actions and water-management decisions in the Basin, connecting adult survival, recruitment, and lake conditions to management options.
The successful candidate will have opportunities to pursue research questions using these data, including determining methods for reducing parasite burdens, avoiding predation, relocating fish populations, and evaluating hatchery-driven supplementation efforts. Working with USGS Klamath Falls Field Station researchers, field leads, partner agencies, and tribes, the successful candidate will help shape research that addresses important biological questions and supports the recovery of these endangered species.
Essential Functions:
PSMFC is seeking a Fishery Biologist 3 who is comfortable performing most of the below tasks. The ideal candidate will have experience leading or co-leading research projects from design through completion and publication and have 2+ years of work experience in addition to a PhD or Post-Doc.
- Perform complex tests and/or procedures that require using highly specialized methods or techniques
- Recognize and identify unusual and diverse entities, occurrences, or investigative outcomes relevant to the program area
- Modify or adapt established protocols and procedures in response to test or study findings Plan studies that require making significant departures from previous approaches
- Revise standard methods to improve or extend test and study systems
- Recommend and approve studies.
- Participate in preparing briefing documents and communicating and coordinating with other staff
- Prepare and present technical studies and reports
- Contribute telemetry and capture-recapture expertise to fish passage and screening evaluations
- Assist in writing contract proposals and progress reports. Assist in developing detailed contract specifications, task statements, quality of work criteria, and other specifications.
- Monitor budget expenses for projects, control purchasing, and manage equipment inventories.
- Analyze and interpret complex biological and movement data, including Bayesian and state-space modeling
Knowledge Required by the Position:
- Knowledge of the theories, principles, and methods of Fishery Biology.
- Ability to define problems, perform background research, develop and execute a project plan, organize and evaluate results, and prepare reports of findings.
Additional Mandatory Skills:
- Valid driver's license
- Ability to apply quantitative and statistical methods to complex ecological datasets, including Bayesian modeling approaches for survival, movement, or population analysis.
- Ability to define problems, perform background research, develop and execute a project plan, organize and evaluate results, and prepare reports and publications of findings.
- Ability to design and adapt experimental protocols to address evolving management questions.
- Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with scientific and management audiences.
- Ability to build and sustain productive working relationships with a broad range of partner agencies, tribes, and cooperators.
- Experience with acoustic telemetry study design, tag deployment, receiver array maintenance, and analysis of detection data.
- Experience with experimental design and statistical analysis of mark-recapture or movement datasets, including comfort working in a Bayesian modeling framework (e.g., JAGS, Stan, NIMBLE, or similar).
- Field experience with fish capture, tagging, and handling techniques.
- Familiarity with fish passage and screening issues as they relate to fish movement and survival (not required, but a plus).
- Some background in salmonid research is a plus, though not required.
- Experience with PIT-tag or other mark-recapture technologies.
- Experience coding in R or Python for data management and analysis; ability to effectively use AI tools to support coding, analysis, or writing workflows is a plus.
- Demonstrated experience securing funding for research projects, including writing competitive grant proposals, developing project budgets, and identifying and pursuing federal, state, and private funding opportunities.
Additional Desirable Skills:
- Knowledge of budget development and project management practices.
- Knowledge of acoustic telemetry and/or PIT-tag technologies and their application to long-term monitoring programs.
- Ability to code in R or Python for data management and analysis, or similar coding languages.
Physical Demands:
The work is sedentary with moderate walking between workstations and carrying folders, reports, and similar light loads.
Work Environment:
The work is performed in an office setting with adequate lighting, heating and ventilation. There are the normal risks of an office environment.
PSMFC is an EEO/AAP employer. We maintain a drug free workplace.
Minimum Qualification Requirements:
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. In addition, candidates must also present 1 year of Specialized Experience** AND a Ph.D. or equivalent doctorate degree in fields directly related to the position being filled. An equivalent combination of experience and education is also qualifying, such as a master's degree in fisheries biology, ecology, or a closely related field, with additional years of Specialized Experience,*
**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, B, and C 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.
Requirement C – Technical Responses
- Submit three examples of completed products (in any combination of data products, technical reports, or peer-reviewed journal articles) in which you played a significant role in their development.
- Include a brief summary of each product (no more than one page per product) describing the product, your role in producing it, and its relevance to management or decision-making.
