Domestic Salmon Population & Regulation Unit Lead- IT App Development Sr/Specialist

Job Details

FULL-TIME/PERMANENT
DOMESTIC SALMON POPULATION & REGULATION UNIT LEAD
IT APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT – SENIOR/SPECIALIST

Fish Program – Salmon Management Division
Olympia, Washington – Thurston County

This position may be eligible for telework.  The default assigned work location for this position is in Olympia, Washington.  Frequency of onsite work will vary based on business and operational needs.

Be our lead Chinook and coho population and fishery regulation modeler with chief responsibility for WDFW’s Fishery Regulation Assessment Model (FRAM) modeling work group that develops, programs, tests, troubleshoots, maintains and runs fishery modeling applications such as the FRAM modeling system and associated databases.

This position provides analyses and decisions that have high risk/high impact to state-wide, coast-wide, and international management of anadromous (salmon) resources and fisheries.

In this dynamic role, you will diagnose, analyze, and provide solutions to sophisticated technical challenges and make improvements to modeling systems.

With your experience, you will coordinate application development and data management workplans, provide leadership to address technical issues, and supervise a technical work team.

We are seeking a candidate to take a lead role in programming complex code employing the most accurate algorithms and provide strategic recommendations to WDFW policy leaders for effective implementation of policies and strategies.

• Chief professional responsible for the design, programming, maintenance, and troubleshooting of large and complex anadromous fishery simulation models, such as FRAM or the Mixed Stock Model (MSM). These models are used coast-wide (British Columbia to California) in national PFMC and international PSC forums. The models simulate the impacts of salmon fisheries on Chinook and Coho salmon coast-wide. Incumbent conducts data modeling to produce mathematical representation of stock mortality and population dynamic statistics.
• Identifies and addresses shortcomings to salmon monitoring databases feeding into the FRAM model.  Position takes lead role in addressing systemic issues with data accuracy and infrastructure to improve upon modeling efficiency and precision.
• Develops and implements programming code that incorporates new assessment methods for accurate evaluation of change initiatives. Develops and programs new algorithms that incorporate and measure outcomes of new fisheries management strategies while creating buy-in from multiple stakeholders such as tribal co-managers, NOAA, and fishing constituents.

• As lead programmer of the FRAM system and a leading consultant on computer simulation models, the incumbent represents WDFW on inter-agency and inter-jurisdictional scientific committees responsible for development of accurate computer simulation models used by fishery and resource managers to estimate effects of fishing regimes under consideration in various federal, inter-state, state-tribal and regional forums. The position is on the Model Evaluation Workgroup of the Pacific Fisheries Management Council and directly supervises two positions on the coho Technical Committee of the Pacific Salmon Commission.
• This position trains professionals from within WDFW and those representing over 15 different tribal or state governments to ensure consistency of analyses in inter-jurisdictional forums such as North of Falcon, PSC or PFMC. To this end, incumbent is required to document new products or modeling changes, and to make frequent presentations to peer professionals, at scientific conferences, or organizations regarding innovations and new directions for coast-wide modeling applications.
• This position supports FRAM modeling during the annual North of Falcon Process, and responds to any modeling issues during the process.  This may include building consensus and understanding on modeling issues under time constraints and while collaborating with multiple management agencies.

• Incumbent leads modeling work unit in application development and computer modeling, setting direction, and defining the scientific basis supporting agency positions regarding responsible fishing levels for recovery of stocks listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), or for use in planning strategies that optimize benefits derived from fisheries.
• Provides leadership and expert-level consultation on programming, system-wide capacity, operations, troubleshooting, and technical problem-solving typically requiring debugging approaches, programming updates, and technological innovations. Ensures that stakeholders and the project team remain in agreement on the solution scope.
• This position provides the highest level of programming and troubleshooting expertise needed by FRAM users, including representatives from Washington (WDFW, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, Puget Sound treaty tribes, coastal Washington treaty tribes, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission), state (California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Alaska Department of Fish and Game), national (National Marine Fisheries Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service), and international agencies (Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC), Canada Department of Fisheries and Oceans). These agencies rely on proper functioning of this system for coast-wide salmon fishery planning and management and achieving state-tribal and international fishing agreements.

Requirements

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree with major course work in computer science, mathematics, statistics, natural science, or related field.

• Seven (7) years of experience in data modeling, relational database design, SQL, application development, and/or quantitative analysis or statistics.

• Closely related qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-by-year basis.
• A master’s degree in a related field will substitute for two (2) years of the required experience.
• A Ph.D. in a related field will substitute for four (4) years of the required experience.

• Valid driver’s license.

• Command of application development programming languages (experience in either R, Visual Basic, or VBA preferred).
• Data management capabilities and experience using Excel and databases (e.g., ACCESS and SQL).
• Communication skills.
• Project and workload management.

• Experience in quantitative and modeling applications to natural resource management.
• Experience leading a team and supervising employees.
• Advanced expertise in developing, programming, maintaining, and troubleshooting large computer modeling systems for use in assessing risk and various outcomes of natural resource management decisions.
• Proven capability for effective communication in team or committee environment.
• Ability to work independently with little or no supervision to proactively solve problems.

Supplemental Information

Please note: Failure to follow the instructions below may lead to disqualification.

Experience and education selected, listed, and detailed in the Supplemental Questions must be verifiable in the application.

In order to successfully apply for this position, you MUST complete your profile at www.careers.wa.gov and attach the following to your profile before completing the online application:

• A cover letter describing how you meet the qualifications of this position (Generic cover letter will not be accepted).
• A current resume.
• Three professional references.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

All new employees must complete an Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9 Form) on their first day of work. If hired for this or any position at WDFW, you will be required to provide documentation proving you are eligible to work in the United States. For a list of acceptable documents, please use the following link:  https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents

JOIN THE WDFW TEAM:

Learn about our agency and the perks of working for WDFW!

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has some of the most talented people in the natural resource field.  We celebrate and value diversity, appreciating that a workforce composed of those from different backgrounds and experiences creates an inclusive environment, strengthens positive relationships with the local community, and brings new perspectives and approaches to fulfilling the agency’s mission. We value demonstrated skill in living WDFW values of Accountability, Service, Professionalism, Integrity, Respect, and Empathy (ASPIRE).

WDFW employees may be eligible for the following Benefits:

Medical/Dental/Vision for employee & dependent(s), Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), Vacation, Sick, and other Leave types.

Eleven (11) Paid Holidays per year and one (1) personal holiday if the employee is scheduled to be, or has been, continuously employed by the State of Washington for at least four (4) months.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Tuition Waiver, Long Term Disability & Life Insurance, Deferred Compensation Programs, Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP), Flexible Spending Arrangement (FSA), and an Employee Assistance Program.

UNION - WAFWP:

This position is in the bargaining unit represented by the Washington Association of Fish & Wildlife Professionals and is subject to the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the State of Washington, Department of Fish & Wildlife, and the Washington Association of Fish & Wildlife Professionals.

Contact Information

To view the full job announcement and to apply, please visit us at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/4568060/domestic-salmon-population-regulation...