Job Title: Aquatic Biologist

Application Due Date: January 19, 2026

Reports To: Senior Habitat Programs Director

Status: Exempt/Full-Time Salaried

Location: Anchorage, AK

Salary: $75,000-90,000 DOE

Benefits: TTCD offers a competitive benefits package that includes 12 annual holidays, vacation and sick leave accrual, parental leave, 403b retirement program with 3% employer match, and medical/vision/life insurance.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Tyonek Tribal Conservation District (TTCD) team is seeking an Aquatic Biologist. The successful candidate will implement fisheries and habitat monitoring and restoration, research, and projects throughout the remote 6.6-million-acre tribal conservation district. This position oversees project research and development, grant writing and reporting, field logistics, remote fieldwork, and data collection and analysis. TTCD’s current fisheries and habitat projects are focused on invasive northern pike management, salmon population monitoring and research, habitat mapping and monitoring, fish passage restoration, watershed monitoring, and terrestrial and aquatic invasive plants surveys and control. Over the next two years, TTCD’s Habitat Monitoring and Restoration team will also develop and update prioritization tools for future projects based on Board of Director and stakeholder direction, project developments in the District, and assist with creating data-driven outreach.

This position is based in Anchorage and involves day and multi-day travel to remote western Cook Inlet communities (Tyonek, Beluga, and Skwentna) and other locations primarily during summer months.

JOB FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Assists in implementation and monitoring of habitat monitoring and restoration projects.
• Leads research designs and investigations that fulfill TTCD’s strategic goals.
• Supervises a team of 1-3 seasonal field technicians at least 6 months/year.
• Oversees research, development, and review of reports related to fisheries and/or habitat monitoring and restoration.
• Leads the development and implementation of data management and analysis.
• Assists with grant research and writing to maintain and/or advance habitat program funding.
• Participates in regional invasive species early detection and rapid response efforts through multi-agency partnerships.
• Collaboratively develops scientific study plans to address tribal environmental concerns and to advance knowledge coproduction
• Oversees field logistics for single and multi-day trips to remote locations in the district.
• Utilizes a variety of tools to manage and analyze data, generate reports, including programs such as Microsoft Office, R, and ArcGIS.
• Collaborates with internal and community projects.
• Maintains a positive working relationship with internal and external partners.
• Supports all TTCD programs as needed.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree or equivalency in relevant field (3-year minimum).
• Minimum of three years in relevant biologist/technician positions, with increasing responsibility for project success.
• Knowledge of and experience working with Southcentral Alaska fish species, particularly Pacific salmon.
• Experience managing a field team and project/program.
• Demonstrated ability to work successfully both independently and within a team environment.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, ability to communicate effectively and comfortably with partners of different backgrounds and experiences.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Knowledge of and experience utilizing fish survey methods and experience identifying juvenile and adult fish of Southcentral Alaska.
• Experience writing grants and successfully managing grant-funded projects.
• Strong data analysis and management experience.
• Strong working knowledge of invasive species management.
• Advanced ArcGIS skills for mapping and data management.
• Experience working with Alaska Native Tribes.

THE ORGANIZATION

The Tyonek Tribal Conservation District is a non-regulatory, nonprofit 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to conserve, enhance, and encourage the wise use of natural resources by fostering cooperative relationships between agencies, district landowners, and local stakeholders. TTCD serves a 6.6M acre geographic region defined by Alaska Game Management Unit 16b. The creation of TTCD was made possible through a mutual agreement between the Native Village of Tyonek, Tyonek Native Corporation, and the United States Department of Agriculture.

TTCD currently has a year-round team of ten staff headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska. In addition to the Executive Director, this team includes the Sr. Habitat Programs Director, Conservation Biologist, Conservation Technician, Sr. Food & Agriculture Manager, Outreach Manager, Community Agriculture Technician, Grants & Programs Coordinator, Food Distribution Coordinator, and Administrative Assistant. Our team also includes part-time and seasonal staff who help implement summer field programs, farm and food security operations, and outreach collaboration. A leader in its work, TTCD has gained state and national recognition for its efforts to support subsistence and sustainability through our Habitat Monitoring & Restoration, Tyonek Grown, Tyonek Youth Conservation Science, and Technical Assistance programs. To facilitate this work, TTCD annually operates a portfolio of 20-30 multi-year federal, state, corporate, and local grants.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY / ADA EMPLOYER

Tyonek Tribal Conservation District is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. TTCD is especially interested in candidates whose background and experience have prepared them to grow our commitment to engagement and inclusion with culturally diverse audiences.

APPLICATION PROCESS

To apply, applicants should submit a resume with three professional references and a cover letter describing their interest and qualifications. The resume and cover letter (as well as inquiries) can be emailed to the Tyonek Tribal Conservation District hiring team at admin@ttcd.org. Communications will be treated in confidence and applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Resume reviews and interviews begin January 19.

Download this job description here.