IT Application Software Specialist – Fisheries Survey Data System

The IT Application Software Specialist (Specialist) will be supporting the California Recreational Fisheries Survey (CRFS) Data software applications. The Specialist will be embedded within the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Data and Technology Division’s (DTD) Marine Fisheries Unit and will work on a wide range of existing and future application development projects. The mission of the CRFS is to collect fishery-dependent data on California’s marine recreational fisheries, and to accurately estimate catch and effort for all sport-caught finfish in a time frame and on a scale that meets fishery management needs.

The incumbent will work closely with CDFW CRFS subject-matter experts and DTD application development staff to determine use-case and business requirements; obtain system specifications; document and evaluate business processes and workflows; collaborate on system design, development, analysis, testing and implementation; develop user training documentation and technical documentation; analyze data and produce reports; and facilitate communication among all project stakeholders.

They will design, document, develop, modify, test, and implement new or existing systems and applications software. Functions include analyzing and refining systems requirements; translating requirements into applications; writing, debugging, and maintaining code; determining output media/formats; designing user interfaces; working with customers to test applications; assuring software and systems quality and functionality; writing and maintaining program documentation.

Position/Project Specifics: 

The position will support all aspects of the CRFS, including generating a subsample of anglers to be included in the surveys conducted for collecting responses from anglers by email, phone and text messages. They will help devise methods to prompt licensed anglers to provide survey responses online. They will assist in obtaining an adequate number of complete responses, currently in the range of about 1,500 to 2,700 per month, with an approximate annual total of 26,000. They will assist in drawing samples from the state’s directory of current sport fishing license holders. They will assist in obtaining survey data and in generating the requested query reports to be used to estimate effort on beaches and banks and to estimate effort from private and rental boats not covered by the intercept survey. 

The focus for this position will be maintenance of an online survey platform and associated database and email delivery system, software engineering, and system engineering.

Essential Functions: (The functions listed are characteristic of the type and level of work associated with this group and pay band.  They are not all-inclusive. Individual positions may perform some or all, as well as other similar work.) 

• Work on a range of stand-alone and web-based applications, Internet and Intranet web pages and a variety of report formats to meet Marine Region objectives including but not limited to performing monthly and annual ALDOS questionnaire maintenance.
• Analyze and manipulate data including but not limited to performing monthly ALDOS sample draw and associated tasks.
• Create and maintain systems to extract, transform, and load CRFS data. Examples include extracting and transforming results of ALDOS sample draw or order to load results into a delivery system as well as extracting, transforming and loading ALDOS survey results into the CRFS database.
• Create, maintain, and run systems that perform quality control on CRFS data including ALDOS.
• Develop reports that can be updated monthly or annually.
• Maintain and revise existing programs to ensure operating efficiency or to adapt programs to new requirements including but not limited to programs that run ALDOS sample draw and system that delivers ALDOS email and text invites.
• Understand client needs.
• Describe and document client business processes.
• Perform unit testing, and basic integration testing.
• Teach the client how to perform system and usability testing. Work with the client to develop enhancements or functionality adjustments.
• Write and debug complex programs and user interfaces and develop detailed project specifications to ensure product accuracy and completeness.
• Design and develop custom, in-house software solutions to allow for data entry, analysis, query and retrieval, display, and reporting.
• Develop and manage database designs that follow best practices and standards for data security and integrity.

Knowledge Required by the Position:

The employee must have knowledge of:

• Ability to analyze, design, test, and implement complex, personal computer based, real-time, data acquisition system software.
• Ability to develop complex software applications.
• Ability to create entity relationship models, process data flow models.
• Knowledge of relational database management systems, database administration, and structured query language.
• Knowledge of effective technical writing techniques.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to interact and deal effectively with individuals and groups having diverse backgrounds (biologists, engineers, statisticians, economists, fiscal specialists, computer specialists, etc.) to translate their needs to software functionality.
• Software development in a Microsoft Windows environment platforms: MS SQL Server Management Studio, .NET, ASP, C#, T-SQL, Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code.
• Database query language: Microsoft Transact-SQL, MS SQL Server, MS SQL Server Analysis Services, MS SQL Server Integration Services.
• Programming language: Transact-SQL, C#, Linq, ASP, CSS, JavaScript, .NET, JSON, Python.

Additional Desirable Knowledge and Skills:  

• Relational database management system: SQL.
• Web authoring tools: Microsoft Web authoring tools and extensions in .NET Context, ASP, JavaScript, CSS 3.0, MVC, Legacy Web Forms
• Programming language: R and RStudio.
• Knowledge of creating surveys using SurveyMonkey.

Physical Demands:

The work is generally sedentary, although there may be some nominal walking or standing for short periods of time, or carrying of light loads of papers, books, reports, etc., that require only moderate physical ability and physical stress. Significant amounts of time may be spent on the phone.

Work Environment:

The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. The work involves the common risks or discomforts typical of office, meeting rooms, libraries, and the like. The services will be performed remotely; however, the Contractor will be expected to work at the CDFW office location as requested.

Minimum Qualification Requirements:
Candidates must present one year of Specialized Experience** which demonstrates:

• Knowledge of the customary approaches, techniques, and requirements appropriate to systems and applications software design and development;
• Knowledge of planning sequences necessary to accomplish assignments where this entailed coordination with others outside the organizational unit and development of project controls; and
• Adaptation of guidelines or precedents to the needs of the assignment.

The Specialized Experience must equip the candidate with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, the Specialized Experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower level in the normal line of progression position.