This position is open to Alaska Residents only.
Please check our residency definition to determine if you qualify.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Commercial Fisheries is recruiting

for an Aircraft Pilot 1 located in Kodiak and Sand Point, Alaska!

What you will be doing:

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is seeking a skilled Aircraft Pilot 1 to serve as a critical pilot resource for the Division of Commercial Fisheries, supporting salmon and herring management in the Westward Region, including the North Alaska Peninsula, South Alaska Peninsula, the Chignik and Kodiak. This specialized role involves piloting single-engine fixed-wing aircraft on wheels and floats to enable essential aerial surveys, staff transport, and remote operations in challenging Alaskan environments.

Key Responsibilities

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Safely piloting department aircraft to transport biologists, technicians, and supplies to remote field camps, weir sites, assessment locations, and other operational areas across the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Archipelago.
• Conducting specialized low-altitude flights for salmon escapement estimation, stream enumeration, fish distribution surveys, run strength assessments, and oversight of commercial fishing fleet activities to provide real-time data for in-season management decisions.
• Operating in highly demanding conditions, including takeoffs and landings on unimproved strips, remote beaches, lakes, lagoons, and other unprepared surfaces amid unpredictable weather, rugged terrain, and variable visibility.
• Performing routine aircraft maintenance, minor repairs, annual inspections, and record-keeping to maintain FAA compliance and ensure continuous airworthiness of the department's fleet (typically based in Kodiak during the off-season).
• Coordinating flight priorities with management biologists, regional staff, and other pilots; establishing task schedules; and, where applicable, conducting check-rides, training, and oversight for subordinate pilots.
• Supporting broader department needs, such as aerial surveys for herring biomass and logistical support for weir operations, test fisheries, and emergency order implementation in isolated field sites.

This position operates seasonally, spending approximately September through April in Kodiak (off-season, focused on maintenance and planning) and May through August (and sometimes September) on the Alaska Peninsula during the intensive summer field season. Housing is provided at no cost at key field offices, including Chignik, Sand Point, Cold Bay, and Port Moller. Time allocation across these remote communities varies based on dynamic program needs, such as supporting weir activities and aerial surveys.

Our organization, mission, and culture:

The Alaska Department of Fish & Game strives for a diverse and inclusive workforce where safety and well-being are paramount, and employees at all levels promote a culture where everyone is valued, treated equitably, and treated respectfully.

This position is a professional-level Aircraft Pilot role with direct influence over Alaska’s valuable salmon and herring resources. As a key member of the Westward Region fisheries management team you will conduct real-time aerial assessments of local salmon stocks, herring biomass, and fishing fleet activities during the fishing season, providing critical data from low-altitude surveys to ensure commercial fishing is managed sustainably and supports long-term resource health.

Benefits of joining our team:

This position is a critical member of a dedicated team of aviation and field support personnel in enabling the high-profile commercial salmon and herring fisheries management of the Westward Region, including the Chignik Management Area. The role requires an incumbent with adept piloting skills, calm decision-making under pressure, and the ability to develop innovative solutions to the complex challenges of operating in Alaska’s remote, unpredictable environments. Providing essential aerial support for some of Alaska’s most productive and iconic salmon and herring stocks offers exceptional opportunities for professional growth and accomplishment, while directly contributing to sustainable resource management and delivering significant social and economic benefits to remote coastal communities.

The working conditions you can expect:

This permanent, full-time Aircraft Pilot 1 position is partially based in Kodiak, Alaska, with extended seasonal operations across the remote Alaska Peninsula, including key sites like Chignik, Sand Point, Cold Bay, and Port Moller. The role involves flying personnel and supplies to remote field sites and flying low level aerial surveys in rugged environments to support commercial fisheries management, including:

• Extended periods (approximately 4 months, mid-May through mid-September working on the Alaska Peninsula during the peak summer field season, with housing provided at no cost in remote field offices or communities; off-season operations (approximately September through April) are based in Kodiak, focusing on aircraft maintenance and planning.
• Hands-on piloting of single-engine fixed-wing aircraft (wheels and floats, such as Piper PA-18, Cessna 180/185, or DeHavilland Beaver models) for low-altitude aerial surveys, fish spotting, stream enumeration of spawning salmon, herring biomass assessment, and oversight of commercial fishing fleets—often over rugged terrain, unimproved landing sites, beaches, lakes, lagoons, and in unpredictable weather.
• Performing routine aircraft maintenance, minor repairs, annual inspections, and record-keeping to ensure FAA compliance and airworthiness in remote settings where licensed mechanics may not be immediately available, requiring self-sufficiency and mechanical aptitude.

This immersive, hands-on position demands proficient piloting, physical resilience, calm decision-making under pressure, self-sufficiency, adaptability to Alaska's extreme and variable weather, and a deep passion for aviation in one of the state’s most pristine, challenging, and wildlife-rich wilderness settings.

Who we are looking for:

We are interested in candidates who possess some or all of the following position specific competencies:

• FAA qualification requirements for this position include the following ratings: instrument pilot rating, Commercial Pilot Certificate, and single-engine land and sea ratings.

• Specialized Training/Education/Experience and/or skills needed to perform duties of this position: Knowledge of Federal Aviation Rules and Regulations; principles of flight; meteorology; air traffic rules; navigation, radio, and other navigational aids. Ability to fly an airplane under hazardous conditions at low altitudes; operate from rough, improvised landing sites; make quick, accurate decisions when unexpected situations develop in flight; prepare reports; perform scheduled and unscheduled aircraft maintenance work and repairs.

• Desirable qualifications, but not requirements: An FAA Airframe and Powerplant mechanic license and an Aircraft inspector authorization license with general aviation maintenance experience. It is important to note that regional operations base this pilot in remote locations during the field season, where emergency repairs and inspections may be necessary and where no licensed aircraft mechanic is available.

To view the general description and example of duties for an Aircraft Pilot 1 please go to the

following link: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/Alaska/classspecs

Special Note:

• A valid driver's license is required.

• This position may be in possession of, or have access to, firearms/ammunition.

• First Aid/CPR. For those not already certified, training will be provided by the department at no cost to the employee.

• Second-class medical certificate.
• Commercial Pilot License and Aircraft Single Engine Land and Sea ratings.
• A total of 1500 hours of flying aircraft, which includes 500 hours as Pilot-In-Command (PIC) of fixed-wing aircraft. Of the required flight time, a minimum of 250 hours as PIC must be Alaska time, with a minimum of 100 hours of tail wheel type aircraft. One hundred (100) hours of the required 250 hours flown as pilot-in-command in Alaska must have been logged within the 18 months prior to appointment.
  

Current FAA Licensure and class of Medical Certification as a Commercial Pilot or Airline Transport Pilot with ratings, including operating under instrument flight rules, appropriate to the category, class, and type of aircraft flown for the position;

AND

Applicable hours as PIC of appropriate category and class of aircraft predominantly flown by the position that includes sufficient flying time to safely and effectively operate aircraft in the geography, topography, and weather conditions equivalent to those predominantly encountered in the position’s Alaskan areas of operation.

Special Note:

As part of the examination process, the employing department will require successful completion of a flight check and approval from a certified flight instructor in the make and model of craft to be flown.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

If selected, please provide the following at the time of the interview:

A cover letter is NOT required for this position. Your complete application, including supplemental questions, will be used to determine which applicants will advance to the interview phase of the recruitment and selection process.

FIREARMS

This position requires the use or possession of a firearm or ammunition. In accordance with the federal Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act of 1997 (PL 104-208), if you have been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, you may not hold this position.

A "misdemeanor crime of domestic violence" is an offense that is (1) a misdemeanor under Federal or state law; and (2) has, as an element, the use or attempted use of physical force, or the threatened use of a deadly weapon, committed by a current or former spouse, parent, or guardian of the victim, by a person with whom the victim shares a child in common, by a person who is cohabiting with or has cohabited with the victim as a spouse, parent, or guardian, or by a person similarly situated to a spouse, parent, or guardian of the victim.

If you have ever been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, do NOT apply for this position.

EDUCATION

To verify education is being used to meet and/or support the required minimum qualifications/competences, you must fill in the Education section of the application. If you have not obtained a degree, please indicate the number of units completed. Copies of transcripts are required to verify educational credentials used to meet or support the minimum qualifications/competencies for a position and are required. (Unofficial is okay; please ensure the institution/URL name is listed on the transcripts).

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR FOREIGN EDUCATION
Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above requirements, if applicable. If utilizing this education you must show that the education credentials have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and that such education has been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs; or an accredited U.S. state university reports the other institution as one whose transcript is given full value, or full value is given in subject areas applicable to the curricula at the state university. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence.

WORK EXPERIENCE

If using work experience not already documented in your application, also provide the employer’s name, your job title, dates of employment, and whether full-or part-time. Applications will be reviewed to determine if the responses are supported and minimum qualifications are clearly met. If they are not, the applicant may not advance to the interview and selection phase of the recruitment.

NOTE: Attaching a resume or curriculum vitae is not an alternative to filling out the application in its entirety. Noting "see resume or CV" or any similar response on any portion of your application may lead to a determination your application is incomplete and removal from consideration for this job posting.

MULTIPLE VACANCIES

This recruitment may be used for more than one (1) vacancy. The applicant pool acquired during this recruitment may be used for future vacancies for up to ninety (90) days after this recruitment closes. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply to each recruitment notice to ensure consideration for all vacancies.

EEO STATEMENT

The State of Alaska complies with Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Individuals with disabilities, who require accommodation, auxiliary aids or services, or alternative communication formats, please call 1-800-587-0430 or (907) 465-4095 in Juneau or TTY: Alaska Relay 711 or 1-800-770-8973 or correspond with the Division of Personnel & Labor Relations at: P.O. Box 110201, Juneau, AK 99811-0201. The State of Alaska is an equal opportunity employer.

NOTICE

If you choose to be contacted by email, please ensure your email address is correct on your application and that the spam filter will permit email from the ‘govermentjobs.com’ domains. For information on allowing emails from the ‘governmentjobs.com’ domains, visit the Lost Password Help page located at https://www.governmentjobs.com/OnlineApplication/User/ResetPassword.

WORKPLACE ALASKA APPLICATION QUESTIONS & ASSISTANCE
Questions regarding application submission or system operation errors should be directed to the Workplace Alaska hotline at 1-800-587-0430 (toll free) or (907) 465-4095 if you are located in the Juneau area. Requests for information may also be emailed to recruitment.services@alaska.gov.

For applicant password assistance please visit:

https://www.governmentjobs.com/OnlineApplication/User/ResetPassword

For specific information in reference to the position please contact the hiring manager:

James Jackson

Fishery Biologist 4

907-486-1813

james.jackson@alaska.gov