Assistant Wildlife Area Manager - Fish and Wildlife Biologist 2 - Permanent - 2025-07106

Title- Assistant Wildlife Area Manager 

Classification- Fish and Wildlife Biologist 2

Job Status- Full-Time - Permanent
WDFW Program- Wildlife Program - Lands Division
Duty Station- Brewster, Washington – Okanogan County

Learn more about being a member of Team WDFW!

Photo Caption: Big Bend Wildlife Area – Photo Credit: WDFW 

As a leader in your field, you’ll have the opportunity to guide field staff and oversee land management operations, carrying out Wildlife Area Plans across the Big Bend, Sagebrush Flat, and Wells Wildlife Areas, totaling to 48,160 acres.

From habitat restoration to monitoring and evaluating priority habitats shrubsteppe and riparian, your work will be central to sustaining healthy ecosystems and wildlife populations.

This role also emphasizes the importance of building and maintaining strong relationships with the public and stakeholders, while proactively addressing emerging issues and challenges on the landscape.

What to Expect-

Among the varied range of responsibilities held within this role, the Assistant Wildlife Area Manager will

Senior planner and field lead for shrubsteppe restoration and coordination, including the development, implementation, and monitoring on wildlife areas:

• Implement habitat management and restoration within ecological systems specifically to benefit Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) and priority and habitat and species.
• Inventory and manage for SGCN species, riparian health, and habitat conditions with a special interest on shrubsteppe habitats and associated needs of relevant SGCN species.
• Lead the development and processes of restoration or habitat enhancement plan on wildlife areas. 
• Develop grants to maintain and improve wildlife area.
• Lead, oversee, and manage the implementation of the Integrated Pest Management Program (IPM) on wildlife area.
• Purchase native seed, plant plugs, fertilizer, and herbicides to accomplish goals.
• Perform habitat management activities using heavy equipment.
• Cultivate native vegetation and food plots for the benefit of wildlife using predefined methodologies.
• Conduct field reviews of restored sites and recommend future management activities.

Supervise and direct wildlife area staff:

• Plan, assign, and review the work of staff, adjusting assignments and schedules to respond to fluctuating workloads and emerging issues.
• Coordinate and oversee projects.
• Recruit and coordinate the hiring of four (4) direct reports.
• Train, mentor, and direct the work of staff, and evaluate staff performance.

Implement management plans:

• Be the point person for emergent issues stemming from WDFW land management at Big Bend WLA
• Plan, negotiate, and administer leases and grazing management agreements with help of Range Ecologist. Monitors grazing compliance.
• Survey wildlife areas for invasive vegetation, native threatened/endangered plants and general habitat conditions.
• Identify, write, acquire, and manage grants.

Conduct outreach and communicate with neighbors, stakeholders, land-use permit holders, and public regarding wildlife area activities, permits, and plans:

Principal assistant to Wildlife Area Manager:

Working Conditions: 

Work setting, including hazards:

• Combination of fieldwork (80%) and office work (20%).
• Fieldwork often involves travel to field sites (may include private lands) and work in outdoor conditions, often in inclement weather conditions. 
• During fieldwork may spend 60-70% of the time navigating difficult terrain (slippery rocks, steep banks, sticky mud, deep snow, and water) often independently with minimal supervision and distances up to several miles.
• Frequent walking, bending, stooping, and lifting, carrying, and transporting loads of up to 50 pounds across uneven, rugged terrain. 
• Field surveys are occasionally conducted using various transportation methods, including hiking on foot, trucks, ATVs, and UTVs.
• Operate and maintain a variety of equipment, including farm tractors and implements, 4x4 trucks in off-road settings, towed equipment (e.g. trailers, implements), and herbicide application equipment. 
• May be exposed to potentially hazardous wildlife and other environmental risks.
• This position may involve working in or near water, including tasks that require navigating, negotiating, and performing duties related to water environments.

Schedule: Typically, Monday – Thursday 7:00 A.M. – 5:30 P.M. May work a non-scheduled work week or long irregular hours due to seasonal demands, emergencies, and time critical assignments.

Travel Requirements: Daily travel to field sites. Wildlife area units are in Douglas and Okanogan counties and travel may require daily round trips of up to 170 miles.  5% to 10% may be occasional travel required for training or meetings. 

Tools and Equipment: Computer, cell phones, software (Microsoft Office/Outlook), GPS and mapping software, trucks, pickups, ATVs, UTVs, boats, trailers, tractors with a variety of implements, heavy equipment, sprayers, power and hand tools.

Customer Interactions: Routine public interaction through phone and e-mail. Responsible for interacting with a variety of internal and external groups including tribes, county/state workers and members of the public.

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications: 

A Bachelor's degree in wildlife management, natural resource science, or environmental science.

And 

One (1) year of professional experience in fish management or research, wildlife management or research, or habitat management or research.

Please Note: 

• Closely related qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-by-year basis.  
• A master’s degree and/or Ph.D. in the applicable science will substitute for the one (1) year of required experience.  

In addition to the experience above, the incumbent must have experience in/with all of the following: 

• Wildlife management tools and field techniques.
• Management, restoration, and enhancement of shrubsteppe, and riparian plant communities.
• Weed/noxious plant identification and plant management using pesticides 
• Restoration of native plant communities.
• Driving a 4-wheel drive pick-up truck, towing a trailer, and operating and UTVs.

Certifications/Licenses:

Valid Driver’s License.

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:

The agency will provide the following training, each to be completed within eight (8) months of hire:

• First Aid training. 
• Pesticide Applicators license.
• ATV/UTV training.

Preferred Qualifications:

In addition to the required qualifications, our ideal applicant will possess one or more of the following:

Experience in/with:

• Farm equipment, such as tractors, along with a variety of implements. 
• Fish and wildlife relationships and management requirements.
• Identifying Eastern Washington native plant species.
• Agricultural practices, including crop rotation, and use of agricultural equipment.
• Grazing management, including assessment and monitoring of utilization and AUMs.
• Low-tech process based riparian restoration techniques including beaver dam analogs (BDAs) and Zeedyk rock structures.
• Wildlife population relationships and ecology.
• Identifying nongame species, big game species, waterfowl and Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) in the field.
• Training and supervising permanent and temporary staff.
• Diagnosing and correcting basic issues with equipment, as well as facilities and building systems.
• Implementation of Wildlife Area Plan activities.
• Operating backpack and ATV/UTV mounted sprayer systems used in herbicide application.
• Operating chainsaws.
• Operating construction equipment such as track loaders, excavators, bulldozers.
• Performing proper care and maintenance of motorized and non-motorized equipment.
• Livestock behavior and management, including fence repair and construction.
• ESRI ArcMap (GIS mapping systems) and GPS to gather information and generate maps.

License/Certifications: 

• National Wildfire Coordinating Group PM-310-1 Red Card certified
• Commercial Driver’s License (CDL)
• Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) public operator’s license 

Your application must include the following:

• A completed online application showcasing how your qualifications align with the job requirements.
• An up-to-date resume. 
• A cover letter detailing your interest in the position, your relevant skills and experience, and why you are the ideal candidate.
• At least three professional references with current contact information

In addition to pay and other special employee programs, there are other benefits that WDFW employees may be eligible for. Click the “Benefits” tab at the top of this announcement to learn more.

Important Note: 

All new employees must complete an Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9 Form) on their first day of work. If hired for this or any position at WDFW, you will be required to provide documentation proving you are eligible to work in the United States. For a list of acceptable documents, please use the following link:  https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents

Union -  WAFWP:

This position is in the bargaining unit represented by the Washington Association of Fish & Wildlife Professionals and is subject to the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the State of Washington, Department of Fish & Wildlife, and the Washington Association of Fish & Wildlife Professionals.

Veteran and Military Spouse Preference Notice: 

Per RCW 73.16.010 Veterans and qualifying spouses who meet the minimum qualifications of a position are eligible for preference during the initial application review stage. To receive this benefit, please do the following: 

• Notify us of your veteran or military spouse status by email at Elizabeth.Bullard@dfw.wa.gov.  
• Veterans only – Attach a copy of your DD214 (Member 4 copy), NGB 22 or USDVA signed verification of service letter.
  • Please redact any PII (personally identifiable information) data such as social security numbers.
• Subject line must include recruitment number, position, and spouse/veteran (example: 2024-1234 – Biologist 1 – Veteran)
• Include your name as it appears on your application in careers.wa.gov.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Employer

As part of WDFW’s efforts to advance respectful and inclusive work environments, the Agency expects inclusivity as part of our professional interactions and communications.  Therefore, we want to ensure that all individuals feel welcome, are treated fairly and respectfully.  All staff are empowered to fully contribute to serving their work unit, Agency, and the citizens of Washington.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife is an equal opportunity employer.  We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and gender identity diversity.  Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of disability, persons over 40 years of age, disabled and Vietnam era veterans and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply.

Request an accommodation: Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format please contact Jayme Chase by phone 360-902-2278 or email Jayme.Chase@dfw.wa.gov, or the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at 800-833-6388.

Technical Difficulties: If you are having technical difficulties creating, accessing, or completing your application, please call NEOGOV toll-free at (855) 524-5627 or support@neogov.com. 

Other questions: If you have other questions regarding this position, please reach out to Elizabeth.Bullard@dfw.wa.gov and reference job #2025-07106.

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