What are the responsibilities and job description for the Fishery Biologist/Biometrician position at Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission?
The Fish Passage Center (FPC) is hiring a Fishery Biologist/Biometrician to join the FPC Team in Portland, Oregon. This is a full-time, full-year position benefits-eligible position with an expected start date of September 15th, 2026.
This Biometrician/Fishery Biologist position works in the Fish Passage Center (FPC), a project administered by Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission. The FPC is a small office (10 employees) located in Portland, Oregon, U.S.A. The FPC was established in 1982 to provide technical assistance and information to the state and federal fishery agencies and Native American tribes, and the general public, on matters related to juvenile and adult salmon passage through the mainstem hydro system in the Columbia River Basin.
A cover letter, to your resume is required, which describes the relevance of your experience to the primary responsibilities and requirements of this position.
Primary Responsibilities:
1) To lead and mentor the analytical team of three FPC staff, provide statistical, analytical support and guidance to the FPC analytical team and regional research teams when requested. Responsible to stay current with developments in Biostatistics and related fields. Advise on collection and handling of data to be used in biostatistical analyses and mathematical model development and analyses.
2) To act as Comparative Survival Study (CSS), Coordinator / Liaison with the CSS Oversight Committee. To provide technical support to CSS Oversight Committee members in statistical analytical methods, development of statistical models and analyses as needed. Responsible for lead role in the development of CSS study design modifications with the CSS Oversight committee. Responsible for organizing and compilation of the CSS Annual Report.
3) Responsible for conducting specific CSS model analyses and statistical analyses regarding salmon and steelhead life cycle survival relative to Columbia River Basin environmental variables and hydrosystem operations.
4) Responsible for reporting analytical results to the fishery management agencies and tribes, and other regional entities. Responsible for assuring that the CSS is consistently addressing and relevant to the prevailing resource management questions of the regional state, tribal and federal fishery managers
6) Responsible for Coordination of CSS annual contract deliverables, organizing, scheduling CSS Oversight Committee meetings, developing agendas, and maintaining close communication with the CSS Oversight Committee representatives.
7) Collaborate with other FPC staff to respond to data, review and analyses requests from the region. Responsible for development of statistical models to interpret biological data.
8) Work with other FPC staff, provide technical support for other FPC staff and regional staffs when requested, in development and review of study designs, statistical models and review of draft reports.
Essential Skills:
1) Experience and proficiency with statistical software packages, such as R, SAS or SPSS
2) Strong knowledge of biological sciences
3) Previous research experience in a relevant field
4) Excellent written and verbal communication skills
5) Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment, over a broad scope of different agencies and Native American tribes
6) Strong analytical and problem solving skills
7) Ph.D or Masters Degree in Biostatistics or Statistics or Mathematics
8) Experience with data analyses and statistical modeling
9) Ability to interpret complex data and present findings clearly to non-technical as well as technical audiences
10) Ability to work independently and manage multiple projects and quickly adjust work to prevailing needs of the states and tribal fishery managers
Physical Demands:
Demands are typically sedentary. Sitting for long periods of time.
Work Environment:
Most work is performed in an office setting with adequate lighting, heating and ventilation.
Qualifications:
Minimum Qualification Requirements
At least 5 years of specific experience in Statistical analyses of Columbia River Basin salmon and steelhead fish passage, population dynamics and hydrosystem operations.
Ph.D or Masters Degree in Fishery Biology, Biostatistics, Statistics,