Position Title:  Fish Health Biological Technician - AmeriCorps 

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements- BIA WaterCorps Program 

Site Location: 5151 Spring Street Warm Springs, GA 31830  

Application Timeline: Applications accepted on a rolling basis

 

Position Openings: 1

Terms of Service: 

Start Date: April - June (flexible on candidate's availability) End Date: Contingent on start date AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 900 hour (26 weeks)

 

Purpose: 

Stewards Individual Placements (Stewards), a program of Conservation Legacy, provides individuals with AmeriCorps service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources. Participants serve with federal agencies, tribal governments, and nonprofits to provide institutional capacity, develop community relationships, and support ecosystem health. Stewards’ partners with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to facilitate the WaterCorps Program to provide opportunities to Tribal Members seeking to gain experience in the water resources field. This WaterCorps position will be hosted at the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Fish Health Lab located in Warm Springs, GA. 

 

The Fish Health Biological Technician is an AmeriCorps position that will have the opportunity to travel to multiple Federal, State and Tribal fish hatcheries within the southeast region to perform annual hatchery inspections. Daily projects will include becoming familiar with cell culture/virology, bacteriology, parasite identification/isolation, sampling/wild fish survey, triploid grass carp certifications, and ploidy testing. The technician will also have the opportunity to assist with various community outreach events educating the public on natural resources and ways they can participate to preserve it.  The selected candidate would work with fish health staff to conduct hatchery inspections, diagnostic testing, and complete day to day tasks in the laboratory.  

 

Description of Duties: 

Assisting with the laboratory QAQC   Conducting fish health sampling for hatchery inspections and diagnostic cases  Sampling fish for the National Wild Fish Health Survey  Media preparation for bacterial and viral sample collection  Preforming tasks that assist biologists with the completion of viral, bacterial, and parasite identification assays   Assisting with daily office cleaning and equipment maintenance. 

 

Qualifications: 

You must be a member of a federally recognized Indian Tribe, Band, or Village; Alaska Native; or meet one of the following descriptions:  Persons who possess at least one-half degree Indian blood derived from Tribes Indigenous to the United States. Descendants of Members of Federally-Recognized Indian Tribes, Bands or Communities who were residing on any Indian Reservation on June 1, 1934 – shown by completing BIA Form 4432. United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien  Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate.  Agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete and pass a National Service Criminal History Check.  A strong interest in a career in natural resource conservation science.  You must be available to work a 40-hour week for the 26-week term.  You must possess a valid diver license. 

 

Preferred Qualifications:  

Demonstrate an interest in fisheries management or microbiology. 

 

Additional Position and Community Information: 

Warm Springs is a small, rural city in Meriwether County, GA.  On-site housing is available.   Access to amenities is limited in Warm Springs but larger cities with unlimited amenities are within a 25-minute drive from the worksite.  It is recommended that the technician have their own personal vehicle onsite. 

 

Benefits:  

Segal Education Award of $3,697.00 awarded upon successful completion of position.  Living Allowance of $600.00 per week.  Additional Benefit of $100.00 per week.  Professional Development fund of $2,255.00 for entire term.  Option to choose Healthcare Coverage and Childcare Coverage   Student Loan forbearance if Eligible (administered by MyAmeriCorps, directly)  Interest Payments if Eligible (administered through MyAmeriCorps, directly) 

 

How to Apply: 

In addition to your resume, you must upload a copy of your Tribal ID proving you are enrolled in a federally recognized Tribe, Band, or village. Please also submit a one-page cover letter highlighting why you are interested in this position and how your background and experience will help you succeed in this position. 

 

Application Timeline: Preference given to applicants who submit applications by February 1st 2025. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Position will close when filled.  

 

Supervisor Name and Contact Information: 

Program Contact information: Andre Nguyen at anguyen@conservationlegacy.org   Service Site Contact information: Ashlie Peterson at Ashlie_Peterson@fws.gov  

 

Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. 

 

We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodations due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager. 

 

Additional Details 

Physical Requirements: 

Conservation Legacy is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential functions. Some positions may require periodic overnight travel, non-traditional hours, ability to move across varied terrain, use program-specific tools and a range of technology on an infrequent or frequent basis. Exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. Ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager. 

 

Time Requirements: 

This position is expected to serve 40 hours each week, but exact service schedules may vary.   Lunch breaks will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service.  Member may be required to participate in national, state, or local service projects or events as part of their service term. 

 

Orientation and Training: 

Member will receive an orientation that includes program expectations and AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities. 

 

Evaluation and Reporting: 

As an AmeriCorps member, performance will be evaluated on whether the member has completed the required number of hours, the member has satisfactorily completed assignments, and if the member has met other performance criteria that were clearly communicated at the beginning of the term of service. 

 

Reporting requirements include, but are not limited to, bi-weekly timesheets and accomplishment tracking.