Title: Aquatic Health Specialist
Requisition Id: 4150
Salary: $45,996 - $57,396
Salary Grade: S7
Job Location: Central Reg Office & Research Ctr (COLUM2)
Closing Date: September 30, 2025
Our Culture: The Missouri Department of Conservation supports a culture of trusted professionals that is dedicated to our mission, responsible stewards, and believe in One MDC.
To learn more about the job, feel free to contact the hiring supervisor,Jessi L Urichich at Jessi.Urichich@mdc.mo.gov or at573 8157900x2963, during regular business hours. We would love to hear from you!
Summary/Objective
The Aquatic Health Specialist supports coordinating an emergency response to aquatic health issues like fish kills, pollution events, and harmful algal blooms among internal and external partners. The Specialist assists the Scientist in managing aquatic health investigations and enforcement cases, provides technical support and training to regional staff, and participates in program research and monitoring projects for investigating water quality issues.
Essential Job Duties
- Serve as one of the statewide case managers for aquatic animal mortality events by ensuring investigation activities are accurately documented and by storing and maintaining such information in a large database
- Provide procedural training to internal or external partners in response to events such as fish kills, aquatic animal mortality events, health investigations, water quality, etc.
- Supervises hourly staff in maintaining water quality equipment and supplies, processing samples, and managing the lab.
- Assists Scientist with monitoring and research of aquatic health issues, including lab and field studies, by coordinating and leading data collection efforts, which may include population monitoring, tracking inventory, purchasing necessary supplies and equipment, and compiling data.
- Assist with aquatic health research by conducting literature reviews, processing samples, compiling data, and providing this information for review and analysis.
- Assist with creating and maintaining tables, graphs, or reports for meetings and presentations for both internal and external partners.
- May serve as fish kill duty office and coordinator in times when Scientist has resumed other responsibilities.
- Assist other scientists with gathering priority information needs through field sampling or other technical expertise for fish hatchery health, contaminant sampling, fish ageing, etc.
Ancillary Job Duties
Other duties as assigned.
Education and Experience
- Bachelor’s in Fisheries, Biological Sciences, Limnology, Environmental Science, or related.
- One or more years of field season experience with fish and aquatic macroinvertebrate sampling, taxonomic identification and laboratory processing of samples is highly desirable.
- One or more years of experience working with large datasets
- One or more years of experience with water quality equipment is highly desirable.
- Must maintain a valid, current driver's license.
- Ability to pass an approved boating safety course and obtain a Missouri Boating Safety Certification Card within 6 months of employment.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
- Ability to work independently and make decisions and act quickly and decisively on the determined course of action.
- Knowledge to identify Midwestern fish species.
- Ability to work irregular hours and weekends with the possibility of extended travel time during seasonal sampling periods.
- Knowledge of basic water quality, limnology, and stream ecology.
- Ability to work with and communicate with internal and external partners, organizations, and individuals in a timely and professional manner.
- Knowledge of maintaining and operating YSI, EXO, datasondes, or other equipment used for monitoring water quality.
- Ability to work in cave ecosystems in tight and dark conditions.
- Knowledge of Microsoft Access, SQL, R, and other database management techniques is desired.
- Ability to operate boats, outboard motors, trucks with trailers, and commonly used sampling gear for fishes, macroinvertebrates, algae, and water quality.
- Ability to operate office equipment, such as printer, copier, and phone.
Work Environment
- Regularly work in office and lab environments.
- Regularly work in field environments with adverse conditions.
Physical Abilities
- Remain stationary up to 70% of the time.
- Move about grounds, both inside and outside of buildings.
- Regularly operate tools and other machinery and relocate machinery to other areas.
- Frequently communicate and exchange accurate information.
- Clarity of vision, three-dimensional vision, precise hand-eye coordination, and the ability to identify and distinguish colors.
- Regularly lift up to 30 pounds, correctly lift up to 75 pounds.
- Concentrated attention is required at all times.
- Regular attendance is a necessary and essential function.
Disclaimer
Disclaimer: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive; an employee will also perform other reasonably related job responsibilities as assigned by immediate supervisor and other management as required. The Missouri Department of Conservation reserves the right to revise or change job duties as the need arises. This job description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment. Management reserves the right to change job descriptions, job duties, functions, and requirements.
Exemption Status/Special Notes
This position has been determined to be Exempt according to the Fair Labor Standards Act. Employees must agree to accept compensatory time in lieu of cash payments in accordance with the Department's Compensatory Time Off and Overtime Policy.
Salaried and hourly employees are expected to use a mobile device-cellular phone for Department business, as needed.
MDC promotes a Tobacco-Free (smoke and smokeless) working environment.
The Department of Conservation will only hire United States citizens and aliens authorized to work in the United States. All new employees will be required to complete an "Employment Eligibility Verification" (Form I-9) and produce requested documentation after employment.
Candidates seeking initial employment or re-employment must submit to a drug screen following offer of employment.
All persons employed with the state of Missouri shall file all state income tax forms and pay all state income taxes owed.