Fish Culturist - Palermo

The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is hiring a Fish Culturist in Palermo, ME. This role involves supporting fish propagation and stocking, maintaining facility infrastructure, and delivering educational programs to promote fishing. Candidates should have relevant education or experience in aquaculture or fisheries science. The job requires working in various physical conditions and includes some weekend and holiday hours. Benefits include health insurance, vacation, and retirement plans.
About the position

The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is seeking to fill a Fish Culturist vacancy at the Palermo Rearing Station located in Palermo. The position provides professional service and technical work supporting the operation of one of eight fish culture facilities in the propagation and stocking of various sizes and species of fish to enhance recreational sport fisheries, as well as conserve and restore native fish. The position is responsible for implementing tasks directed by supervisory staff to support all aspects of fish husbandry, fish stocking, and the maintenance, construction, operation, and security of facility infrastructure. The position has a key role in the development and delivery of science-based education programs to increase public awareness, participation in fishing, and support for Division work programs. The position also provides professional and scientific work in assisting fisheries biological staff. The employee must be able to work in diverse physical work environments, often in adverse weather conditions. Some weekend and holiday work is required.

Responsibilities
• Implementing tasks directed by supervisory staff to support all aspects of fish husbandry
• Fish stocking
• Maintenance, construction, operation, and security of facility infrastructure
• Development and delivery of science-based education programs to increase public awareness, participation in fishing, and support for Division work programs
• Providing professional and scientific work in assisting fisheries biological staff

Requirements
• Education, training, and/or experience in aquaculture, fisheries science, biological sciences, or another closely related field.
• All employees must possess or be able to obtain a valid Maine Class B Driver’s License.

Nice-to-haves
• Experience with and knowledge of specialized techniques used in salmonid culture.
• Ability to successfully maintain facility grounds and buildings, as well as operate and maintain vehicles, and other motorized and specialized fish culture equipment.
• Strong commitment to function as part of a team, complying with strategic plans, policies, and other directives from leadership.
• Well-developed interpersonal skills, including effective oral and written communication skills.
• Sound judgement and decision-making skills.
• Willingness to be open to new ideas and approaches to support and improve operations.
• Ability to represent the agency professionally through positive interactions, collaborations, and coordinating with external partners, the public, and Agency staff.

Benefits
• Work-Life Balance – Rest is essential. Take time for yourself using 13 paid holidays , 12 days of sick leave , and 3+ weeks of vacation leave annually. Vacation leave accrual increases with years of service, and overtime-exempt employees receive personal leave.
• Health Insurance Coverage – The State of Maine pays 85%-100% of employee-only premiums ($11,857.68-$13,950.24 annual value), depending on salary.
• Health Insurance Premium Credit – Participation decreases employee-only premiums by 5%.
• Dental Insurance – The State of Maine pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums ($365.28 annual value).
• Retirement Plan – The State of Maine contributes 14.11% of pay to the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS), on behalf of the employee.
• Gym Membership Reimbursement – Improve overall health with regular exercise and receive up to $40 per month to offset this expense.
• Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts – Set aside money pre-tax to help pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses and/or daycare expenses.
• Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness – The State of Maine is a qualified employer for this federal program.
• Living Resources Program – Navigate challenging work and life situations with our employee assistance program.
• Parental leave is one of the most important benefits for any working parent. All employees who are welcoming a child—including fathers and adoptive parents—receive forty-two (42) consecutive calendar days of fully paid parental leave . Additional, unpaid leave may also be available, under the Family and Medical Leave Act .
• Voluntary Deferred Compensation – Save additional pre-tax funds for retirement in a MaineSaves 457(b) account through payroll deductions.