Natural Resources Job Board

 Hiring one seasonal position with anticipated duration of October 1, 2025 – January 30, 2026

(These are estimated dates. Length of season(s) may be shortened or extended depending on project needs, funding, or factors beyond the project’s control).

Seasonal Opportunity Awaits, Apply Today!  We especially encourage students, early career professionals, and anyone interested in a career in fish, wildlife, and natural resources, to apply! Come learn and train with ODFW and help us fulfill our mission: To protect and enhance Oregon's

As a Biological Science Assistant (Survey Crew Member) at the Elk River Hatchery in Port Orford, Oregon, you will serve as a crew member for field crews working for the Oregon Coastal Chinook Research and Monitoring Project. Duties include:

Creel Surveying: Following prescribed electronic creel protocols, you will conduct in-person creel surveys by interviewing anglers to determine catch and release of salmon and additional fishery information, identifying fish to species, and collecting biological samples primarily from harvested Chinook Salmon. Surveyors also may request permission from private landowners to conduct surveys on their property.

Spawning Ground Surveying: Drive, boat, or walk and navigate to site using written directions, maps, and/or GPS. Identify fish to species, count fish in-river, assess fish activity and condition, and collect biological samples from salmon carcasses encountered. Walk or boat streams to conduct spawning surveys. Use knives and other tools to retrieve parts of fish for aging and/or identification. Work in adverse weather conditions, uneven surfaces, on boats and stream banks. This position requires use of a smart phone application to enter data. Assure data and samples are complete, accurate, orderly, and stored appropriately. Upload and error-check data daily. Ensure that all forms, data, and reports are transferred to appropriate staff in a timely manner.

Hatchery Intake Processing: You will assist with processing fall Chinook returning to the Elk River Hatchery or Salmon River Hatchery. Juvenile fall Chinook are raised at and released from Elk River Hatchery and Salmon River Hatchery each year. Those juveniles receive Coded Wire Tags in their snouts prior to release and serve as an Exploitation Rate Indicator Stock (ERIS).  These tags contain a unique batch code that identifies the brood year and hatchery of origin for each release group. In addition to implanting CWTs, each fish is visually marked by removing the adipose fin so adult fish can be identified as having originated from hatchery stock. You will scan fall Chinook with a coded-wire-tagged wand to detect the presence of a tag. You will collect their snouts for later recovery and identification of the specific CWT. You may also assist with processing scales to age fall Chinook collected from the hatchery, creel, and spawning ground surveys.

Minimum qualifications are not established for this position; however, we are seeking applicants with the following experience or skills. Preference for interviews may be given to candidates with these skills and background:

ODFW is dedicated to cultivating a diverse and inclusive workforce as we strive to represent and better serve our neighboring communities. Our most important asset is our employees, and each person brings unique, different, and important contributions to the workplace and community we serve.  With Oregon’s changing demographics, a workforce that reflects this change will make us stronger and create an opportunity for better decision making.

To learn more about the agency and the work we do, view the following video at https://myodfw.com/about

If you enjoy the outdoors, Oregon is the place for you. We have glaciated mountain peaks to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the massive Columbia River Gorge to the north. You can fish 365 days a year, and there is hunting for big game, waterfowl, and game birds. The Oregon coast attracts thousands of people who clam, crab and fish in the ocean for halibut, salmon, and tuna. The outdoor opportunities are endless when it comes to fish and wildlife in Oregon! Oregon is known for their vineyards, breweries, and adventures for the whole family to enjoy. To learn more about the department, the work we do, and see our beautiful state, view the following video at https://youtu.be/8CjDPiPMGAk

Additional benefits include:

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More information about our agency can be found on our social media accounts and at myodfw.com and http://www.dfw.state.or.us/

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer