Fisheries Technician 1- Central Valley Steelhead Monitoring

Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission

Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission

Buffalo, NY, USA · Sacramento, CA, USA

Posted on May 4, 2026
Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission is recruiting candidates to fill six (6) Fisheries Technician positions for the Central Valley Steelhead Monitoring Program (CVSMP) based in West Sacramento, CA. This is a temporary position with an anticipated to start July 6, 2026, and go through through December 4, 2026.
 
Under direct supervision of Lead Biologists/Crew Leaders, the Fisheries Technician will assist with daily field data collection and office/lab activities. Fisheries Technicians will collect scientific information to examine the distribution, abundance, and population trends of Central Valley (CV) steelhead trout in the Sacramento River watershed using large-wire fyke traps on the main-stem Sacramento River. The position requires working on 25ft long motorized watercraft. The candidate must be willing to work in inclement weather and on weekends.

Duties and responsibilities include:
· Operate and maintain large wire fyke traps.
· Operate and maintain motorized watercraft and 4wd vehicles.
· Handle, anesthetize, tag, and collect biological samples from adult steelhead trout
· Assist with installation, operation, and maintenance of PIT tag antenna arrays and acoustic receivers.
· Assist with data entry and QA/QC of all data.
· Candidate must be willing and able to work long hours on motorized watercraft, on
rough/uneven terrain, and in adverse weather conditions. A flexible schedule and the
ability to work weekends is mandatory.

Desirable Skills:
· Motorboat operation and trailering experience.
· Adult salmonid trapping and handling experience.
· Technical skills such as equipment repair and electrical work.
· PIT, Floy, and acoustic tagging experience.
· Ability to identify native and non-native fish species in the Sacramento watershed.
· Experience mounting, digitizing, and aging scale samples.

 

Essential Functions: 

  • Participate in survey crews that conduct regional 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.
  • Collect and organize biological and habitat samples and collections (such as scales, otoliths, ageing structures, other tissues, water quality, etc.).
  • Summarize and input biological or habitat data on field forms, electronic data loggers, and/or desktop computers. May assist with preliminary data summaries and analyses, technical report writing, or database management.

Knowledge Required by the Position:

At the lower end of the range, employees use knowledge of basic arithmetic, reading, writing, and data collection to perform routine or repetitive tasks. 

At the upper end of the position range, employees use knowledge of the basic principles and protocols of fish biology to make readings, measurements, and observations; execute tests; collect samples, etc.   If complex equipment systems are operated, the employee has the knowledge to perform calibrations or adjustments to achieve desired results. 

 

Additional Mandatory Skills: 

  • mark fish                                            
  • electronic detection technol.               
  • able to swim                           
  • lift 40 - 50 lbs.
  • load boats on trailers                         
  • tow & maneuver trailers        
  • valid driver's license
  • operate motorized boats                     
  • operate non-motorized boats  
  • operate GPS
  • fish species ID skills               
  • operate handheld data recorder         
  • compile and collect neat and accurate data   
  • specific software skills (spreadsheet, word processing, database, GIS, statistical)
  • oral communication skills                  
  • written communication skills
  • repair & maintain equipment

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, walking up and down levees, carrying equipment, swimming, and/or standing may be required. Some work requires the ability to maintain footing in fast-moving water.

 

Work Environment:

Some work will be in an office setting with adequate lighting, heating, and ventilation. Some work will be on a motorized boat in fast moving water or from the banks of a large river. Field work involves working in inclement weather, exposure to cold, rain, heat, sun, wind, walking on wet / slippery rocks, docks, and boat decks, irregular terrain, insects, poison oak, fast moving water, and cold water temperatures. Field work will involve long days working and standing on boats in a wet environment handling adult steelhead trout.

See more open positions at Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission