Fisheries District Management Biologist

THE OUTSIDE IS IN US ALL. Please remember to attach the required documents listed in this announcement. Applications missing the requested documents will be considered incomplete and may not progress further in the process. The State Application is not a substitute for a Resume. This position closes at 11:59 PM Mountain Time on June 22nd, 2025. You must apply through the State of Montana Career site.

Special Information: This position may be eligible for a statutory base pay increase of $1.00 an hour effective July 1, 2025, and July 1, 2026. Field work is often carried out alone or with a single technician in the vast prairie region of northeastern Montana. Field work often occurs during unpredictable and inclement weather conditions and the incumbent must be in good physical condition and capable of lifting and carrying 50 lbs or more in the field. Hours of work are often long and include travel to and from sampling sites. Evening meetings and occasional weekend work are required.

The responsibilities of this position are broad and require a diverse skill set, including:

• Broad fisheries management categories (large rivers to prairie ponds/native species inventory to sportfish management)
• Assisting with public outreach and aquatic education

The incumbent must be people-oriented and well-rounded with “people skills” equivalent to his/her “technical” skills and experience. This position requires experience in conducting biostatistics on fish populations, graphing data, database management, spreadsheet management and presenting data and programs to their peers and the public both digitally and verbally. This is a full-time, year-round position. Normal office hours are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, but hours will be varied in many different climates throughout the year.

Job Duties: The Fisheries Biologist is responsible for fisheries management in the northeast portion of FWP’s Region 6. This area of Region 6 is situated inside Valley, Roosevelt, Daniels, Sheridan, McCone, (portions of Dawson and Richland) counties. Significant water bodies that this position is responsible for include the Missouri and Milk Rivers and associated tributaries, numerous ponds and prairie streams on both public and private land. The biologist will coordinate with County Conservation Districts within the area on stream permitting. The Fort Peck Indian Reservation is situated within this management district, requiring close coordination with the Ft Peck Indian Tribes on cross-jurisdiction.

This position will be the lead on FWP’s Pallid Sturgeon recovery efforts within the Missouri River downstream of Fort Peck Dam. Oversee management of many ponds on public and private lands (with public access). Manages several ponds that receive moderate/high use (relative to Eastern MT) and are very important to associated communities. Primary management authority over the migratory component of the Lake Sakakawea paddlefish population that uses the Missouri River. Has management authority over the sport fish in the approximately 185 miles of Missouri River below Fort Peck dam including the coldwater fishery below Ft Peck Dam. Oversees some of the highest species diversity in Montana including the following species of special concern; Blue Sucker, Sauger, Paddlefish, Northern redbelly dace, Iowa Darter, Shortnose Gar, Sturgeon Chub, Sicklefin Chub, Northern Pearl Dace. Pearl Dace reside in several streams that will require coordination with landowners and development of conservation strategies. The area also contains excellent fisheries for non-native game fish including but not limited to Walleye, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout and Crappie.

Minimum Qualifications: The knowledge, skills, and abilities of this position are normally attained through a combination of education and experience equivalent to a master’s degree in Fish and Wildlife Management, Wildlife Biology, Range Management, Zoology or Biology, including completion of a field research project presented in a successfully defended thesis. Other combinations of education and experience will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Equivalent experience is defined as five (5) years of progressively responsible experience as a fisheries biologist or senior fisheries technician that includes the examples of:

• Literature review and development of a problem statement and/or hypothesis for a particular issue.
• Development of a detailed study plan or sampling protocol for a field-oriented project based on the above-noted hypothesis.
• Data collection and the effective management of data with an appropriate application.
• Interpretation and analysis of data, including a quantitative assessment of that information.
• Completion of a final report in a peer-reviewed publication or a publication comparable to a refereed journal.
• If appropriate to the project, formulation of any recommended changes in management prescriptions and/or actions.
• Oral presentation on results of investigation to agency staff or public audience.

If you feel you meet the equivalent experience, please provide a supplemental document in your application that indicates your experience level relative to each point listed above.