Job Title: Seasonal Fisheries Aide
Location: Statewide
Salary: $12.00-$13.00/hour based on fisheries experience
Job Description:
Learn about careers in Fisheries while working alongside biologists and technicians with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Seasonal Fisheries Aides in the Fisheries Bureau perform a variety of duties related to fisheries research, management, culture or invasive species. Successful candidates for these positions may be required to work weekends, holidays, nights, and evenings, but exact schedules will vary by location. Most positions require being outdoors in all types of weather and may require travel overnight.This position announcement covers multiple openings across the state of Iowa. A single application will be used for any desired positions and locations which will be determined during the interview process. Housing is not provided at most work locations.
These are full-time positions (i.e. 40 hours/week), but the dates of employment vary with each position. Three-month positions typically run from mid-May through mid-August, depending upon college semester dates. Six-month positions will start on or after April 1 and end on or before October 13.
Depending upon availability, positions may be open in any or all of the following sections:
FISHERIES RESEARCH: Assist a biologist and/or technician in collecting information about special projects dealing with Iowa’s fish populations and waters, which may include collecting and analyzing water quality data, performing fish population evaluations using a variety of gear types including fyke nets, gill nets, and electroshocking equipment, or working in a laboratory environment observing and monitoring experiments. May be required to enter data using computer software, answer questions and interact with the public, and operate outboard motors using safe boating practices.
FISHERIES MANAGEMENT: Assist a biologist and/or technician with the duties of managing lakes, rivers and streams within a multiple-county district, which includes conducting population surveys using a variety of gear types including fyke nets, hoop nets, electroshocking, gill nets, trawls, and seines. Duties may also include stocking of hatchery fish into desired waters, conducting fishing clinics, entering data, and operating boats. Travel may be statewide as well as within the confines of the assigned district.
FISH CULTURE: Assist a biologist and/or technicians in the daily care and rearing of a variety of fish species that will be stocked into Iowa’s waters. Duties can include spawning of adult fish, feeding, measuring growth, observing behavior of juvenile fish, daily cleaning of rearing units, collecting forage for use as fish food and entering daily data into spreadsheets that calculate growth and adjust feed amounts. Assist with harvest and distribution of species, answer questions and give tours to the public as needed, and assist with collecting fish for aquarium displays.
AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES UNIT:
SURVEY CREW: Assist with summer field work in the area of aquatic invasive species monitoring. The main duty of these positions is to conduct aquatic vegetation and Asian carp surveys in lakes and rivers across the state of Iowa. Additional duties include zebra mussel sampling, watercraft inspections, maintaining boat, motor, and sampling equipment in working order, and entering survey data. Limited opportunities will also be available to assist fisheries biologists and technicians in management and research projects. Extensive travel across the state of Iowa is required. Applicants must be able to work independently or with a team without close supervision.
MANAGEMENT UNIT AIS CREW: Assist with summer field work in the areas of aquatic invasive species outreach and early detection.The main duties of these positions are to conduct watercraft/angler inspections and access point surveys within a multiple-county fisheries management district. Limited opportunities will also be available to assist fisheries biologists in management projects. Travel within the fisheries management district, weekend work, and good communication skills are required. Applicant must be able to work independently or with a team without close supervision.
Qualification:
- Must have a valid motor vehicle operator’s license
- Must be a minimum of 18 years of age
- Graduated from or currently enrolled in or on break between semesters of college or having a keen interest in a biological, conservation or environmental science program, or about to enter first semester of college from high school
- Able to work alone, with the public, in all conditions, on weekends, holidays, nights, and evenings as required.
- Able to withstand physically demanding work, including lifting, bending, or hauling
- Work with minimal supervision, demonstrate responsible behavior and attention to detail
- Follow policy and cooperate with supervisors and co-workers
Locations:
The following are POSSIBLE locations of employment for 2022.
FISHERIES RESEARCH POSITIONS
Rathbun Culture (6 mo., 3 mo.),
Spirit Lake (6 mo.)
Cold Springs (3 mo.)
Creel, Union and Polk Counties (6 mo.)
FISH CULTURE POSITIONS
Big Spring, (6 mo.)
Rathbun (6 mo. 3 mo.)
Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery (6 mo., 3 mo.)
Decorah (6 mo.)
Manchester (3 mo.)
Fairport (6 mo.)
FISHERIES MANAGEMENT and AIS UNIT POSITIONS
Bellevue LTRM Station (6 mo., 3 mo., 2 mo.)
Black Hawk (6 mo., 3 mo.)
Spirit Lake (6 mo., 3mo.)
Clear Lake (6 mo., 3 mo.)
Decorah (6 mo., 3 mo.)
Manchester (6 mo., 3 mo.)
Mt. Ayr (6 mo., 3 mo.)
Boone (6 mo., 3 mo.)
Cold Springs (3 mo.)
Lake Darling (3 mo.)
Rathbun (6 mo., 3 mo.)
Lake Macbride (3 mo.)
Guttenberg (3 mo.)
Bellevue (3 mo.)
To Apply:
Interested applicants must apply using the State of Iowa Career website by 11:59p.m. on January 7, 2021.
•Visit Job Openings on the State of Iowa Career pages
https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/iowa
•Filter for Agency – 542 Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
•Select Seasonal Fisheries Aide.
•Click green Apply box at top.
•In order to apply for State of Iowa positions, you will need to create or log in to your
NEOGOV account by clicking on the SIGN IN link at the top right of the career pages.
Additional help on applying for jobs can be found on the Iowa Department of Administrative Services website at https://das.iowa.gov/human-resources/stateemployment/application-process-faqs
For more information about these positions, contact Bryan Hayes at 712-769-2587 or Bryan.Hays@dnr.iowa.gov.
