Biologist (Surface Water Management)

Description

Snohomish County Surface Water Management (SWM), a Division of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), is seeking a highly capable Biologist to join our team.

The Biologist will support SWM’s environmental monitoring and salmon recovery programs. The primary role will be in SWM’s State of Our Water’s stream monitoring program. The Biologist will:

• Summarize and analyze habitat and salmon-related data
• Lead and participate in stream and river habitat surveys. The primary focus of these surveys is to collect data on habitat conditions that are important for salmon species.
• Lead the environmental DNA component of State of Our Waters program
• Organize and manage habitat and other scientific data and ensure data quality
• Produce reports, presentations, and outreach materials
• Organize and participate in monitoring salmon use in the Snohomish estuary
• Prepare equipment and field forms for data collection

The successful candidate will have:

• Experience ensuring high quality data, managing large, complex data sets and analyzing and summarizing data.
• Experience working effectively in a team to accomplish goals.
• Experience independently operating motorized boats and rafts (preferred) or the ability to learn to independently operate motorized boats and rafts.
• Experience collecting environmental data, preferably on rivers and streams.
• The ability to communicate effectively both orally and writing.
• Ability to work in difficult field conditions including traversing steep slopes, work near and on waterbodies, and to collect data in adverse weather and environmental conditions.
• Familiarity with ESRI-tools (e.g. ArcGIS, Fieldmaps, Survey123) to create maps and data entry forms.

Our ideal candidate will have qualities in alignment with SWM’s core values: providing and demonstrating high quality service, leadership, stewardship, accountability, respect, and integrity. Apply for this position to positively contribute to the delivery of high-quality projects and service to residents of Snohomish County.

About Surface Water Management
SWM is a stormwater utility that provides services to unincorporated Snohomish County. These services are primarily funded by service charges paid by property owners in the unincorporated county. SWM is the largest division in Snohomish County’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. With an annual budget of $45 million, SWM maintains 107 full-time positions filled by dedicated professionals in their field. SWM works in partnership with other local and regional agencies to improve Snohomish County now and for future generations. SWM provides a variety of programs and services for reducing road and property flooding and preserving and improving the health of Snohomish County's water resources and natural systems. We focus on four core areas of service:

• Salmon and marine habitat; and
• River flooding
• Clean water in rivers, streams and lakes;
• Drainage and road flooding

You can find us responding to water-quality problems and complaints, monitoring river levels during flood season, maintaining drainage systems, managing habitat improvement projects and more. For further information on Snohomish County Surface Water Management's programs, please go to www.surfacewater.info. Our 2022 Highlights report is available here.

About the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR)
The Snohomish County Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) includes the Division of Surface Water Management, the Division of Parks & Recreation, the Office of Energy and Sustainability and the Office of Agriculture and aims to achieve high-priority environmental sustainability goals. Some of the greatest assets we have in Snohomish County are our unparalleled beauty and abundant natural resources. From the Puget Sound and five watersheds, to forestland, lakes, farms, ranches and parks, our quality of life, economic prosperity and future sustainability are dependent on protecting and improving our environmental resources. Visit the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources web page to learn more.

About Snohomish County
Snohomish County, north of Seattle, is located in northwest Washington between the Puget Sound and the Cascade Mountains. The county has rich scenery, numerous activities, and a thriving economy. Snohomish County is a great place to live, work, play, and raise a family. When joining the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, you will work in an environment where innovation, collaboration and continuous improvement are highly encouraged and supported. We are proud to offer an outstanding benefit package to employees and their dependents. We are invested in your success and growth and offer competitive wages, job flexibility and stability, employer paid ORCA cards, and a friendly, diverse team atmosphere where employees are appreciated and make a real difference providing services for our citizens. We strive to not only provide a meaningful job, but a lifelong career.
Benefits
Snohomish County will be invested in your success and growth. We demonstrate this by offering a generous compensation package to our employees. Your salary is only part of your Total Compensation Package. Our benefits include:

• Medical benefits: The County offers a choice of three comprehensive medical insurance plan with low deductibles. The county’s contribution to this benefit is significant.
• Holiday Pay: The County observes eleven (11) paid legal holidays per year and provides employees with two floating holidays annually.
• Pay Increases: Each year you will be eligible for a step increase until you reach the top step.
• Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA): County employees typically receive yearly cost of living adjustments.
• Vacation Leave: You will start out accruing 8 hours of vacation leave per month totaling 2.4 weeks of vacation in your first year. Your leave accruals increase based on your years of employment with the County.
• Other benefits include wellness, dental, vision, life insurance, flexible spending accounts, long term disability, and more.
• Sick leave: You will accrue 8 hours of sick leave per month.
• Deferred Compensation: If you choose to participate in the Deferred Compensation Plan (DCP), the County will match your contributions up to 1 percent of your base monthly salary.
• Career development training.
• Flexible work schedules.
• Retirement: County employees participate in the Washington State Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) administered by the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems (DRS).

Teleworking Options
The work associated with this position can be performed with a hybrid of remote work and in-office work as needed and assigned. For employees who prefer to work in the office full time, that option is also available.

Employees will be provided with a County issued laptop and must maintain a home workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours. Snohomish County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. A Snohomish County Telework agreement is required for employees assigned to telework.

Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their Snohomish County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.

Job Duties

• Makes presentations on environmental issues at land use hearings presided over by the County Hearing Examiner and County Council.
• Prepares and conducts environmental workshops for county personnel, community groups and private consultants on land development/natural resource issues.
• Develops procedures and performs or directs the collection and interpretation of scientific data related to fisheries, stream ecology, wetland and riparian habitats and general biology for use in land development and land use planning.
• Maintains a database of stream and wetland information; document natural resources and compiles maps to locate county natural resources.
• Plans, directs and reviews the work of employees performing natural resource inventories; provides training in the use of inventory methods and equipment, biological data collection equipment, power and hand tools, safety procedures and basic computer data entry.
• Provides assistance to Lead Biologist during development of regulatory modifications.
• Provides the technical review of plans for land use development or other projects submitted by development groups and county agencies and advises on the projects' impact on natural resources.
• Represents the county at meetings with state and federal agencies regarding resource management, water quality and environmental regulations, data collection and permits.
• Prepares and distributes project reports, summaries and special reports to disseminate natural resource information to county staff, other government agencies and the general public.

• Performs related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Additional Information

• Principles, practices and techniques of natural resource management and planning
• Research and data collection techniques
• Statistical methods and computerized data manipulation
• Regulations and guidelines regarding natural resource management and mitigation for impacts
• Mapping techniques and orienteering
• Field inventory procedures
• Wetland and freshwater ecology, wildlife biology, and fisheries biology
• Combined federal wetland delineation methods
• Habitat evaluation procedures
• Citizen involvement principles and techniques

• Testify at hearings on behalf of the county
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with county staff, government agencies and the general public
• Plan, direct and review the work of subordinates
• Communicate effectively with people of all ages and from a variety of cultural, economic and ethnic backgrounds
• Read, understand, and interpret technical data, environmental documents and related materials
• Prepare and deliver oral presentations
• Work under stress and meet deadlines as required
• Work with a minimum of supervision
• Prepare and analyze scientific data in order to develop recommendations for policy guidelines
• Collect and analyze biological and physical data
• Read, interpret and apply federal, state, and local laws, rules, regulations, and policies governing management of natural resources
• Use personal computers and computerized databases