Fish and Wildlife Technician 5 (PCN 112277)

State of Alaska; Anchorage (AK); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation, is recruiting for a Fish and Wildlife Technician 5 in Anchorage, Alaska. You will support field and office projects, oversee small boats and gear, and lead technicians to meet research objectives.

Responsibilities include coordinating field logistics, contracting with vessel operators, and providing skilled maintenance and planning for field deployments throughout Alaska.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent is required.
• Experience coordinating field logistics and supervising staff.
• Experience with small boats, outboard motors, and field equipment is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Assist with field research and office projects throughout Alaska.
• Manage the Program’s fleet of skiffs and field equipment, including scheduling and maintenance.
• Coordinate field logistics, contractor relationships, and supervise technicians.

Skills

Field logistics

Equipment maintenance

Supervision

Vessel scheduling

Education

High school diploma

Job description

Effective July 1, 2026 the wage for this position increased by 3%. The wage listed in this job posting reflects the increase.

This position is open to all Applicants.

NOTE: The recruitment period for this vacancy has been broadened and extended to allow for a larger applicant pool.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation is recruiting for a Fish and Wildlife Technician 5 located in Anchorage, Alaska!

What You Will Be Doing:

As a technician with the Gulf & Bering - Marine Mammal Program, you will assist with preparing for and conducting multiple field research and office-based projects throughout Alaska. This position manages operation of the Program’s fleet of skiffs (range 15 to 23 feet) and field equipment, including vessel scheduling, maintenance, preparedness, and modifications to suit the program’s needs. The position independently coordinates field logistics supporting research, including contracting with research vessel operators, acting as liaison between vessel crews and the science party, collaborating with Wildlife Biologists, and supervising Fish & Wildlife Technicians to prepare and execute field research. Depending on the fieldwork load, this position may perform duties year-round or may fill in support with desktop duties when fieldwork load is light.

Our Organization, Mission And Culture:

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game fosters the highest standards of scientific integrity and promotes innovative, sustainable fish and wildlife management programs. The Gulf & Bering Marine Mammal Program contributes to the overall mission by advancing science to promote the sound management of marine mammals for the people of Alaska. Our long-term research provides a credible, objective source of information for stakeholders including Alaska Native subsistence users, the wildlife viewing public, commercial fisheries, federal agencies tasked with monitoring populations, and other US and international collaborators.

The Benefits Of Joining Our Team:

You will have an opportunity to hone your skills in all aspects of preparing for and conducting field research on unique animals in remote locations that are mostly unavailable to the general public. You will have a level of independence and be entrusted to lead aspects of our program such as maintaining outboard motors, skiffs, and trailers, maintaining field equipment, planning logistics for field deployments, and coming up with creative solutions to ensure research objectives can be met.

We're a small team with a number of collaborations among our peers so there may be opportunity to work with other federal and state agencies as well as non-government organizations.

The Working Environment You Can Expect:

This position is currently staffed in the ADF&G office located in Anchorage. An office is provided for desk work, and you will be responsible for managing the dedicated warehouse/maintenance shop. This position can require multiple bouts of extended travel (1-3 weeks per trip) away from the duty station, mostly during summer months, though additional time away may be possible during all seasons depending upon project needs.

Alaska’s rugged coasts are subject to all types of meteorological events, regardless of season, and consequently our field work can occur during harsh and uncomfortable conditions including cool, foggy, windy, and downright wet weather. Field duties are generally conducted by small boat, though some locations or circumstances will require hiking on wet, muddy, primitive trails along steep slopes and near cliff edges. The daily field work schedule is tide/weather/daylight dependent, so it includes early mornings, late evenings, split shifts, weekend and holiday work. Access to professional medical care is not readily available, and emergency response time is measured in hours or days rather than minutes.

• Requires ability to operate skiffs and back trailers.
• Requires the ability to work in cold, wet, and otherwise in climate weather for extended periods.

Who we are looking for:

Our ideal candidate will possess some or all of the following desired strengths:

• Experience operating small skiffs in challenging conditions requiring strong situational awareness and a keen understanding of animal behavior so that researchers can work near large concentrations of wary animals. Previous experience observing, working with, or handling wildlife is helpful.
• Experience procuring, building, modifying, and/or maintaining things like boats, outboard motors, cabins, sampling equipment, small engines, electronics, optics, etc. Skills in the trades, such as small engine repair and maintenance, metal fabrication and welding, electrical, and carpentry is highly desirable. Skills with electronics such as cameras, computers etc. are helpful.
• Experience with "off-the-grid" living aboard charter vessels or in remote field camps where meeting our research objectives is dependent on our ability to be self-sufficient. Candidate is expected to operate, troubleshoot, repair, and maintain project equipment such as skiffs, outboard motors, generators, electronics, and various living structures.
• Experience using computers and software for inventory tracking, accessing technical manuals, writing SOPs, writing contracts, basic data entry, create summaries, generate figures and tables, writing basic reports. Ability to follow instructions or a protocol and produce a high-quality final product.

To view the general description and example of duties for a Fish and Wildlife Technician 5 please go to the following link: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/Alaska/classspecs

Special Note:

• Valid driver's license required.
• Training: CPR/first aid, gun/ammunition safety, boat safety, water safety, Wildlife Chemical immobilization training, Division of Wildlife Conservation Controlled Substance/Drug Handling training

Minimum Qualifications

High school graduation or the equivalent.

AND

One year of experience as an advanced fish and wildlife technician or aide. With the State of Alaska, this experience is equivalent to Fish and Wildlife Technician 4.

OR

Six years of technical laboratory and/or field experience involving fish or wildlife research, management, or habitat protection; as a commercial fisher, guide, or trapper; or a subsistence hunter or fisher.

Substitutions:

An additional six months of work experience involving fish or wildlife, or outdoor manual labor or in a laboratory may substitute for the high school graduation. Bachelor of Science degree in fisheries, wildlife or habitat protection may substitute for a maximum of two years of technical laboratory or field experience, involving fish or wildlife research, management, or habitat protection.

Special Requirements:

Work may involve exposure to animals, insects, inclement weather, low level flying, traveling by boat or skiff, or contact with drugs or chemicals. Housing may consist of bunkhouses, vessels, or wall tents. Positions are often full-time but may be seasonal or temporary.

Special Note:

"High school diploma equivalent" means one of the following: 1) a GED (general educational development); 2) completion of any basic adult education course equivalent to 480 class hours (16 weeks at 30 course hours per week); 3) acceptance in full standing by an accredited college or university; or 4) highest grade of school completed plus an amount of paid or volunteer experience that totals 12 years.

Fields of study comparable to fisheries, wildlife or habitat protection include aquaculture, biology, ichthyology, microbiology, ornithology, and zoology.

Additional Required Information

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

• Cover letter
• Resume/CV
• Transcripts, if using to meet minimum qualifications (unofficial copies are acceptable).

• Three (3) references, including current phone numbers, two of which must be supervisors from recent employment.

FIREARMS

This position requires the use or possession of a firearm or ammunition. In accordance with the federal Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act of 1997 (PL 104-208), if you have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, you may not hold this position.

A "misdemeanor crime of domestic violence" is an offense that is (1) a misdemeanor under Federal or state law; and (2) has, as an element, the use or attempted use of physical force, or the threatened use of a deadly weapon, committed by a current or former spouse, parent, or guardian of the victim, by a person with whom the victim shares a child in common, or by a person who is cohabiting with or has cohabited with the victim as a spouse, parent, or guardian, or by a person similarly situated to a spouse, parent, or guardian of the victim.

If you have ever been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, do NOT apply for this position.

EDUCATION

To verify education is being used to meet and/or support the required minimum qualifications/competences, you must fill in the Education section of the application. If you have not obtained a degree, please indicate the number of units completed. Copies of transcripts are required to verify educational credentials used to meet or support the minimum qualifications/competencies for a position and are required. (Unofficial is okay; please ensure the institution/URL name is listed on the transcripts).

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR FOREIGN EDUCATION

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above requirements, if applicable. If utilizing this education you must show that the education credentials have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and that such education has been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs; or an accredited U.S. state university reports the other institution as one whose transcript is given full value, or full value is given in subject areas applicable to the curricula at the state university.

It is your responsibility to provide such evidence.

WORK EXPERIENCE

If using work experience not already documented in your application, also provide the employer’s name, your job title, dates of employment, and whether full-or part-time. Applications will be reviewed to determine if the responses are supported and minimum qualifications are clearly met. If they are not, the applicant may not advance to the interview and selection phase of the recruitment.

NOTE: Att