Employment Opportunity
Position: Biological Technician under a Student Services Contract, $17.21 per hour
Term: May 2018 – April 2019
Location: U.S. Geological Survey, Lake Superior Biological Station, Ashland, Wisconsin
Description of duties and responsibilities
This position will assist in ongoing fisheries research activities. Duties will fall into three categories:
1) Field work (20%) Aboard a 107’ research vessel the R/V Kiyi. Will assist with setting and retrieving of trawls, processing fish catches, recording biological data, handling ship lines, and lots of general housekeeping.
2) Laboratory work (50%) Fish stomach content identification, zooplankton enumeration, and processing of fish tissue samples.
3) Office work (30%) Data entry and quality control, processing fishery acoustic information with specialized software, and guided data analyses for use in scientific presentations, reports, and peer-review articles.
Depending on ship crew needs the candidate may be aboard the vessel for up to 70 days from May to November and for up to 24 consecutive days. Weekend work is required while working on the ship and inclement weather can cause work delays. The office and laboratory are open weekdays from 6:00 am to 5:30 pm. The office is closed on federal holidays and weekends.
Level of Knowledge or Skills
The ideal candidate for this position will have a background in fisheries biology or aquatic ecology. The incumbent must be able to work well in a team environment, have experience and interest in collecting and processing fish and invertebrate samples, be familiar with data entry and summarization using Excel and the R statistical environment. Candidates must be physically able to work on a large research vessel including the ability to lift up to 30 lbs and work in inclement weather and/or rough sea conditions. Candidates must have completed a Bachelor (BS) degree in science in the past 12 months. Students are required to document educational status by submitting a copy of their transcript.
Working Conditions
The Kiyi is a 107-foot research vessel having a galley and living quarters. Personnel stay aboard the vessel at Lake Superior ports or while at anchor during cruises. Meals are provided when away from our home port of Ashland, WI. The contractor will receive full safety training and information necessary to work aboard the research vessel. Basic field and safety gear (steel-toe boots, hard hat, rain gear, safety glasses, PFD, and survival suit) will be provided. The candidate must pass a pre-employment physical (no cost to candidate) and enroll in a random drug testing program. This appointment also requires a background check (no cost to candidate). For work performed in the laboratory or office, no special safety gear is required, although the contractor is required to work in clothes suitable for laboratory conditions (no open toed shoes). Lab coats, safety glasses, and rubber gloves will be available. The student will be required to read, understand, and abide by laboratory safety guidelines.
Compensation
Student contractors are not considered Federal Employees. The candidate will be hired as an independent contractor and as such will be responsible for payment of all federal, state or local taxes (no deductions will be made by the employer). The hired student will be issued a 1099 form. The student will typically work 40 hours per week at an hourly rate of $17.21. Work is unavailable during 10 federal holidays. The student does not receive premium pay for work beyond 8 hours per day or 40 hours per week. Time worked on weekends will be compensated at the same hourly rate.
Candidates should email a cover letter, resume, and copy of their college transcripts (unofficial is fine) to:
Mark Vinson
Email: mvinson@usgs.gov
Phone: 715-682-6163;
APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED UNTIL SUNDAY, 1 APRIL 2018. REVIEW OF APPLICANTS AND INTERVIEWS WILL FOLLOW THEREAFTER.
Preferred start date is prior to 14 May 2018, but is negotiable.