FISH HABITAT ASSISTANT

State of California; California; On-site; USD 50,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

State of California's Department of Fish and Wildlife seeks a Black Rock Fish Habitat Assistant at Black Rock Hatchery in Inyo County to support trout production and fish care.

You will lead both permanent and temporary staff, conduct fish counts and inventories, perform vaccinations, maintain ponds and raceways, collect water samples, and help with on-site duties; housing is provided and work includes weekends, nights, and holidays.

Qualifications

• Requires ability to swim 50 yards, stay afloat five minutes, move 40 pounds, perform heavy manual labor.

Responsibilities

• Lead staff (permanent and temporary), train and assist in a busy trout production hatchery.
• Care for wild, domestic and endangered fish; vaccinate fish by immersion or injections.
• Conduct weight counts, inventories, pond/raceway cleaning, feeding, and related duties.
• Transport fish to area waters in Inyo and Mono counties; participate in remote spawning operation; assist in brood fish sorting and spawning.
• Collect water samples for NPDES compliance; perform maintenance on vehicles and equipment; endure manual labor in all weather.
• Work overnight standby; weekends and holidays in rotation; live in state housing on site.

Job description

Job Posting:Black Rock Fish Habitat Assistant

Department of Fish and Wildlife

JC-536272 -

JC-536272 - Black Rock Fish Habitat Assistant
FISH HABITAT ASSISTANT

$4,513.00 - $5,644.00 per Month
New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.

Final Filing Date: 10/30/2026

Responsibilities

• Lead person for both permanent and temporary employees, direct, train and assist staff in the operation of a busy trout production hatchery.
• Responsible for the care and production of wild, domestic and endangered fish.
• On-site duties including weight counts, fish inventories, treatment of fish, cleaning of ponds and raceways, feeding of fish and related duties.
• Vaccination of fish via immersion baths as well as direct injections.
• Transportation of fish to area waters in Inyo and Mono counties.
• Assist in the operation of a high country remote spawning operation, as well as sorting and spawning of off-site domestic brood fish.
• Collect water samples and data required for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) compliance.
• Perform maintenance of vehicles, grounds, facility equipment and possess a willingness to do manual labor in all weather conditions.
• Work overnight standby, weekends and holidays in rotation with co-workers while residing in state housing on site.

Requirements

• Reside in State-Owned Housing at Black Rock Hatchery.
• Ability to swim at least 50 yards, stay afloat at least five minutes, move 40 pounds and perform heavy manual labor.
• Valid driver’s license is mandatory; a commercial class A or B driver's license or the ability to acquire one within a year is required.

Minimum Requirements

You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.

• FISH HABITAT ASSISTANT

# of Positions:

1

Work Location:

Inyo County

Black Rock Hatchery

Telework:

In Office

Job Type:

Permanent, Full Time

Personal Leave Program

Personal Leave Program: Effective July 1, 2025, state employees are subject to temporary salary reductions ranging from 2% to 4.62% in exchange for Personal Leave Program (PLP) hours. Please note that the salary ranges listed in this Job Control may not reflect these reductions associated with the 2025 Personal Leave Program.

Please follow the link for more information regarding the 2025 Personal Leave program:

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.

Department Information

Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) employees are committed to managing and protecting California’s diverse wildlife and the habitats upon which they depend.

California is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. As such, CDFW values diverse employees working together to protect nature for all Californians. CDFW is committed to fostering an inclusive work environment where all backgrounds, cultures and personal experiences can thrive and connect others to our critical mission.

Join us and begin a meaningful new career!

Ability to swim at least 50 yards, stay afloat at least five minutes; able to move 40 pounds and do heavy manual labor.

Desirable Qualifications

• Strong Communication skills. Outreach and communication with private, public and governmental entities.
• Plan, organize, and direct the work of others; analyze situations and take effective action; establish and maintain cooperative relations with those contacted in the work.
• Experience with inland fisheries management principles and aquaculture methods.
• Experience vaccinating fish and coordinating a vaccination crew.
• Experience in water quality; sampling, results analysis, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) compliance.
• Experience with maintenance of hatchery equipment and infrastructure.

Contact Information

The Hiring Unit Contact is available to answer questions regarding the position or application process.

Department Website: https://www.wildlife.ca.gov

Please direct requests for Reasonable Accommodations to the interview scheduler at the time the interview is being scheduled.You may direct any additional questions regarding Reasonable Accommodations or Equal Employment Opportunity for this position(s) to the Department's EEO Office.

EEO Contact:
Civil Rights Office
[phone]
[e-mail]

California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice)TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug‑free work place. Any applicant for state employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants.