Job Description

Posting number: 2026-08445

Department: Dept. of Fish and Wildlife

Job classification: FISH HATCHERY SPECIALIST 2

Posting type: Open & Promotional

Categories: Agriculture, Parks and Recreation, Natural Resources, Wetlands, Sciences, Green-Collar/Environmental, Wildlife

Summary

Classification- Fish Hatchery Specialist 2 (In-Training)

Job Status- Full-Time/Career Seasonal

Season Length- 6 Months - December 1 – May 31

WDFW Program- Fish Program – Hatcheries Division

Duty Station- Arlington Hatchery – Arlington, Washington – Snohomish County

Housing- Housing is not provided

*Standby- Standby is currently assigned

In-Training- We are recruiting to fill this position at the Fish Hatchery Specialist 1 or 2 classification. Candidates hired as a Fish Hatchery Specialist 1 will be required to complete an in-training plan in order to advance to the Fish Hatchery Specialist 2 classification.

Salary- Depending on which level you are hired at, your salary range will be as follows:

Fish Hatchery Specialist 1: $3,653.00 - $4,866.00 monthly

Fish Hatchery Specialist 2: $4,004.00 - $5,376.00 monthly

Learn more about being a member of Team WDFW!

Photo Caption: Hatchery Steelhead Broodstock Collection – Photo Credit: WDFW

Support salmon, steelhead, and trout conservation efforts while providing sustainable recreational, tribal, and commercial opportunities in the state of Washington.

Join the Arlington Hatchery team and perform scientific, technical, and related maintenance duties within the hatchery.

This is an opportunity to rear anadromous (fish born in freshwater who spend most of their lives in saltwater and return to freshwater to spawn) and non-anadromous species of fish.

What to Expect:

Among the varied range of responsibilities held within this role, the Fish Hatchery Specialist 2 will,

Perform Fish Culture:

• Feed fish their calculated daily ration.
• Monitor fish behavior, health, and production.
• Administer therapeutics and calculate/administer drugs as prescribed.
• Clean ponds, raceways, troughs, and incubator systems to maintain fish health.
• Perform fish inventories, splits, grading, marking trailer inventories, weight samples, and plants.
• Pick egg loss by hand or using equipment and incubate eggs using a variety of vessels.
• Collect adult mortality, fill out correct head tags for broodstock, and enter data into hatchery documents and fish books.
• Identify all targeted and non-targeted species, gender, stock origin, and condition of maturity when trapping and spawning adults.
• Conduct remote trapping and spawning operations, including transportation of equipment and gametes.
• Fertilize eggs according to pre-determined ratios using established spawning protocols and Hatchery and Genetic Management Plan (HGMP) requirements.Track temperature units (TU’s) and monitor chillers to adjust TU’s, including tracking thermal marks.

Record Keeping and Reporting:

• Use computers and software for data entry, record keeping, and reporting within and outside of the agency.
• Fill out and submit agency forms such as fish transfer tickets, hatchery invoice forms, and other relevant forms.
• Perform water quality analysis and discharge monitoring reports (DMR) as required by the Department of Ecology to maintain hatchery discharge permits (NPDES).
• Create programs to calculate desired growth rates through yearly rearing cycle (Projection sheets) that monitor fish sizes using samples & feed conversions.

Operation and Maintenance of Facility and Equipment:

• Maintain proper water flow and rearing environments.
• Monitor and maintain facility support systems including diesel generators, domestic and ozone water treatment plants, and alarm panels.
• Apply herbicides or controlled burning for weed control.
• Maintain road access to hatchery by plowing, grading, and using snow blowers.
• Operate forklifts, tractors, non-CDL tank truck, yard maintenance equipment, fish pumps, and common power tools.
• Design/fabricate needed hatchery equipment (such as fish racks, weirs, intake screens, fish transfer equipment, and adult fish gates) using metal, aluminum, plastic, and wood.

Public Contact and Communication:

• Respond to questions from visitors to the facility.
• Conduct organized tours.
• Identify the best way to respond to difficult-to-answer questions, or when information is not readily obtainable, and follow up to ensure that an answer was obtained

Working Conditions:

Work Setting, including hazards:

Work is performed outside in all weather conditions, often independently. Perform strenuous physical activities such as repetitively lifting 50-pound bags of fish feed or salt. Work in and out of wet, dirty, and slippery conditions. This position may involve working in or near water, including tasks that require navigating, negotiating, and performing duties related to water environments.

Schedule: Typically, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Due to the nature and remoteness of this position, work hours may vary greatly at different times of the year, depending on what is happening at the facility on any particular day.

*Standby: Standby duties are currently assigned – standby entails the employee being responsible for overseeing the facility for the remaining 16 hours of the day after the regular 8-hour shift. The standby schedule consists of working 10 consecutive days, including seven (7) days of standby duty, followed by four (4) days off.

Housing: Housing is not provided for this position.

Tools and Equipment: Hand and power tools, lawn care equipment, tractors, small and large fish transportation trucks, passenger vehicles, computers and software, trash pumps, pressure washers, diesel generators, and other small engine powered equipment.

Customer Interactions: Regularly interact with small community groups and individual members of the public visiting the hatchery grounds to answer questions and give tours.

Qualifications:

This Fish Hatchery Specialist 2 (In-Training) series provides mentoring and career development opportunities for candidates with limited hatchery and fish culture experience.

Candidates will be hired as a Fish Hatchery Specialist 1 or 2, dependent on skills and experience.

Upon satisfactory completion of the 12-month in-training plan, the selected candidate will automatically be promoted to a Fish Hatchery Specialist 2.

Required Qualifications for the Fish Hatchery Specialist 1:

Option 1: Three (3) years of experience performing a variety of fish culture duties in a hatchery.

Option 2: An Associate’s degree in fisheries technology, biology, or a closely allied field.

Option 3: Three (3) years of education towards a Bachelor’s degree in fisheries, biology, or a closely allied field.

Option 4: Successful completion of a fish culture program from a vocational school.

Certifications/Licenses:

Valid Driver’s License.

Required Qualifications for the Fish Hatchery Specialist 2 (Goal Class):

Option 1: Four (4) years of experience performing a variety of fish culture duties in a hatchery.

Option 2: One (1) year of experience as a Fish Hatchery Specialist 1 and successful completion of agency supervised training program.

Option 3: An Associate’s degree in fisheries technology, biology, or closely allied field and one (1) year of experience performing fish culture duties in a hatchery.

Option 4: Two (2) years of education towards a Bachelor’s degree in fisheries, biology, or closely allied field and one (1) year of experience performing fish culture duties in a hatchery.

Option 5: Successful completion of a fish culture program from a vocational school and one (1) year of experience performing fish culture duties in a hatchery.

Certifications/Licenses:

Valid Driver’s License.

Preferred Qualifications:

In addition to the required qualifications, our ideal applicant will possess some or all the following:

Experience with:

• Basic fish culture techniques and rearing procedures.
• Water dynamics (such as flows, flow patterns, availability, temperature, and dissolved oxygen).
• Calibrating specialized instruments (such as scales and dissolved oxygen meters).

Ability to:

• Complete basic math equations (add, subtract, multiply, and divide).
• Calculate and understand quantities and proportions.

Knowledge of:

• Computers, with a basic understanding of spreadsheets and word processing.
• Safe and proper use and maintenance of tools and equipment.

Your application must include the following:

• A completed online application showcasing how your qualifications align with the job requirements.
• An up-to-date resume.
• A cover letter detailing your interest in the position, your relevant skills and experience, and why you are the ideal candidate.
• At least three professional references with current contact information.

Supplemental information

In addition to pay and other special employee programs, there are other benefits that WDFW employees may be eligible for. Click the “Benefits” tab at the top of this announcement to learn more.

Important Note:

All new employees must complete an Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9 Form) on their first day of work. If hired for this or any position at WDFW, you will be required to provide documentation proving you are eligible to work in the United States. For a list of acceptable documents, please use the following link: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents

Union - WAFHP:

These positions are in the bargaining unit represented by the Washington Association of Fish & Wildlife Hatchery Professionals and is subject to the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the State of Washington, Department of Fish & Wildlife, and the Washington Association of Fish Hatchery Professionals (WAFHP).

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Veteran and Military Spouse Preference Notice:

Per RCW 73.16.010 Veterans and qualifying spouses who meet the minimum qualifications of a position are eligible for preference during the initial application review stage. To receive this benefit, please do the following:

• Notify us of your veteran or military spouse status by email at danielle.gustafson@dfw.wa.gov.
• Veterans only – Attach a copy of your DD214 (Member 4 copy), NGB 22 or USDVA signed verification of service letter.
• Please redact any PII (personally identifiable information) data such as social security numbers.
• Subject line must include recruitment number, position, and spouse/veteran (example: 2026-1234 – Biologist 1 – Veteran)
• Include your name as it appears on your application in careers.wa.gov.

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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Employer

As part of WDFW’s efforts to advance respectful and inclusive work environments, the Agency expects inclusivity as part of our professional interactions and communications. Therefore, we want to ensure that all individuals feel welcome, are treated fairly and respectfully. All staff are empowered to fully contribute to serving their work unit, Agency, and the citizens of Washington.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and gender identity diversity. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of disability, persons over 40 years of age, disabled and Vietnam era veterans and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply.

Request an accommodation: Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format please contact Jayme Chase by phone 360-902-2278 or email Jayme.Chase@dfw.wa.gov, or the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at 800-833-6388.

Technical Difficulties: If you are having technical difficulties creating, accessing, or completing your application, please call NEOGOV toll-free at (855) 524-5627 or support@neogov.com.

Other questions: If you have other questions regarding this position, please reach out to danielle.gustafson@dfw.wa.gov and reference job #2026-08445.

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