Biometrician
Application materials are available at https://makah.com/makah-tribal-info/employment/
MAKAH TRIBE
POSITION DESCRIPTION
JOB TITLE: Biometrician
EXEMPT: Yes JOB CODE: 2-M-T5
TARGET SALARY: $33.65 – $35.42/hour SHIFT: M-F, 8 am-5 pm
PROGRAM: Fisheries Management Department LOCATION: BLDG 101
REPORTS TO: Marine Mammal Biologist
SUMMARY: The Biometrician will be housed in Makah Fisheries Management in the Fisheries Management Division under the Director of Fisheries. The Biometrician shall be responsible for analyzing data to determine population dynamics, survival rates, site use, harvest limits, effects of changing environment, and other important biological information to promote the sound management of fisheries and the environment by the Makah Tribe. The Biometrician will write grant proposals, write manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals, help other staff of Makah Fisheries Management and more broadly in the Makah Tribal Organization with study design and statistical analysis, and help with harvest management planning and implementation. The activities of this position will evolve based on grant funding objectives. An early objective of this position will be to conduct statistical analyses on data collected from studies of Lake Ozette sockeye salmon. The Biometrician will also oversee studies at Lake Ozette for tagging adult sockeye salmon, interpreting tag data, and evaluating the shoreline of the lake for sites that are ideal for beach spawning sockeye salmon in collaboration with staff of the Habitat Division. The Biometrician will need to be able to work collaboratively and respectfully with a variety of research partners, including internal Makah Tribal staff and external partners (NOAA, WDFW, ONP, USGS, UW, etc.).
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Because of the Tribe's commitment to community service and the well-being of its members, each employee may be expected to perform a wide range of office and field duties from time to time. Such duties may or may not be related to their regular responsibilities.
General job duties:
Conduct studies and analyze data collected on Lake Ozette sockeye salmon to evaluate the status of the population and to identify priority sites for habitat restoration.
The Biometrician will serve as the lead for field research on a project to tag Lake Ozette sockeye salmon with acoustic tags, evaluate shoreline suitability for spawning, and monitoring of tagged salmon. This will require operating and trailering a boat, hiking along the shores of the lake, and assisting with operations of salmon captures.
Assist co-workers at Makah Fisheries Management, and from other departments within the Tribal Organization, analyze and interpret data.
Assist co-workers at Makah Fisheries Management, and from other departments within the organization, develop statistically defensible study designs.
Work collaboratively and respectfully with staff from agencies of federal, state, local government, non-governmental organizations, and universities on fisheries and environmental science research and management.
Conduct outreach and education to the Makah community, other staff, and to the Council regarding statistical analysis and biology of Lake Ozette sockeye salmon. This will include participating with the internship programs and providing guidance on internship research projects and data analysis.
The Biometrician will write grant proposals, technical reports, give oral and poster presentations, and publish peer-reviewed manuscripts.
Help with fisheries management planning and implementation when requested by the Fisheries Director.
Participate in local, regional, national, and international meetings on fisheries and environmental science research and management
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
A Doctoral degree in mathematics, quantitative science, quantitative ecology, statistics, or similar field with complimentary course work in biological sciences or in a biological field with extensive course work on statistics, quantitative sciences, mathematics, and modeling
OR
A Master's degree in mathematics or statistics with complimentary course work in biological sciences or in a biological field with course work on statistics, qualitative sciences, mathematics, and modeling and five years of relevant experience
Required qualifications:
- Experience or education in statistical approaches commonly used in present day research (i.e., frequentist statistics, Bayesian statistics, linear regression, GAM, GLM, simulations, etc.)
- Experience or education in technical writing
- Experience conducting field research
- Ability to work collaboratively as part of a research and management team
- Experience or education in statistical analyses using freely accessible statistical software such as the program R
- Experience and education in study design
- Experience or education in mark-recapture analyses of abundance and survival rates
Preferred qualifications:
- Ability to conduct spatial analyses in ArcGIS, QGIS, and/or R
- Education on the biology of species of important cultural and economic value to the Makah Tribe.
- Ability to safely operate a boat
- Ability to trailer a boat
- Ability to interpret acoustic tagging data
- Ability to conduct field work in inclement weather
Preferred experience:
- Experience authoring scientific peer-reviewed publications
- Experience conducting studies on Pacific salmon
- Experience deploying and monitoring acoustic tags
- Experience managing grants for report writing and budget management
- Experience in developing and managing databases
- Experience with writing grant proposals
LANGUAGE SKILLS:
Ability to read, analyze and interpret peer-reviewed professional journals, unpublished research, and government technical documents. Ability to prepare and write peer-reviewed publications. Ability to write compelling grant proposals. Ability to communicate with federal, state, local, tribal and affiliated organizations and NGO's, managers, staff, clients, high school students as well as the general public.
COMPUTER/MATHEMATICAL SKILLS:
Must have extensive knowledge of statistics, modeling, and study design. Ideally will also have knowledge on GIS. Must have computer skills including internet and library research, word processing, spreadsheet or database, geographic information system (GIS), statistical programs such as R, and presentation applications.
REASONING ABILITY
Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS
Must have a valid Washington State Driver’s license and be insurable. Must have, or be able to get upon hire, a Washington State Boater’s Safety Card.
OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
Must have good oral and written communication skills.
Must have excellent interpersonal skills.
Ability to work well with others in a team environment and work independently.
Must maintain confidentiality.
Ability to maintain organized records, accounts, and databases
Handle stressful situations and deadline pressures well.
Ability to conduct field research aboard a vessel and on land-based field sites.
Must have strong attention to detail.
Ability to successfully write grants and publish papers.
Knowledge and experience working with tribal governments and treaty rights is desirable, but not required.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to handle; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and talk and hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. Some work days may be as long as 16 hours; therefore, employee must have ability to endure long hours and continue at full capacity through entire shift.
The Biometrician must be physically fit enough to access remote field sites through rigorous hiking or through landing on sites from a research vessel. The Biometrician must be able to maintain work performance in inclement weather and rough sea conditions while conducting research from a vessel.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, outside weather conditions, uneven and slick terrain, and rough seas. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
SPECIAL TAX EXEMPTION
Internal Revenue Code § 7873 (b) (1) does apply to enrolled Makah Tribal members. This position is classified as 100% Fisheries Tax exempt.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This position description is intended to provide an overview of the requirements of the position. It is not necessarily inclusive and the position may require other essential and/or non-essential functions, tasks, duties, or responsibilities not listed herein. Management reserves the sole right to add, modify, or exclude any essential or nonessential requirement at any time with or without notice. Nothing in this position description, or by the completion of any requirement of the job by the employee, is intended to create a contract of employment of any type.
APPLICATION PROCESS: Submit a Tribal Application for this position with supporting documentation to:
Makah Tribal Council
Human Resources
P.O. Box 115, Bldg. 71 Neah Bay, WA 98357
Fax: (360) 645-3123
E-mail: hr@makah.com
OPEN: November 25, 2024
CLOSE: December 12, 2024
IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE APPLICANT TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT INFORMATION TO PROVE QUALIFICATIONS FOR TRIBAL POSITIONS. PLEASE NOTE: If requirements are not met, i.e., submission of a resume in lieu of a Tribal application, or not including required certification, your application will not be reviewed and will be disqualified. The Makah Tribal Council is an Equal Opportunity Employer and actively encourages applications from all persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status or ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity, or sensory, mental, physical, or other non-disqualifying disability. Indian Preference will be applied to hiring of this position as defined in Title 25, U.S. Code, Chapter 14, Subchapter V, Sections 472 and 473