Description

Title – Regional Wildlife Program Manager – Region 1
Classification - WMS Band 2 
Job Status - Full-Time/Permanent
WDFW Program - Wildlife Program
Duty Station – Spokane, Washington – Spokane County
Eastern Region 1 -Counties Served - Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Garfield, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, and Whitman. 
Remote Employment – This position may include telework options up to 2 days per week, at the discretion of the supervisor.
Posting Timeframe - This recruitment is scheduled to be posted until June 8, 2026.  Application review is ongoing, submit your application materials as soon as possible, this recruitment may be closed at any time. 

Learn more about being a member of Team WDFW!

As the Regional Wildlife Program Manager for Region 1, you will lead a multidisciplinary team while providing strategic direction and executive oversight to advance WDFW priorities and deliver effective wildlife conservation and recreation outcomes.

Serving as the link between agency administration and field operations, you will oversee four divisions (Game, Wildlife Diversity, Landowner Services, and Lands) and support staff across the region. This includes setting clear expectations, ensuring consistency in program delivery, and maintaining accountability across four Wildlife Area Complexes encompassing approximately 113,550 acres and 35 Water Access Areas.

You will contribute to policy development, program planning, and implementation of new initiatives, while supporting staff through complex and sometimes sensitive issues related to wildlife conflict, lands management, and threatened and endangered species.

Provide leadership and direction to regional Wildlife Program staff to accomplish work aligned with the agency’s strategic goals, program directives, and division objectives. Foster accountability, collaboration, communication, and team effectiveness across the program.

In this role, the Regional Wildlife Program Manager provides strategic leadership for managing and sustaining Washington’s wildlife populations, some of the key responsibilities include:

• Supervising regional Wildlife Program staff to accomplish tasks that address the agency’s strategic goals, program directives, and division objectives.  Directly supervise six (6) staff members and provide oversight for a total of approximately forty (40) employees.
• Participating in regular meetings as a member of the Agency Senior Management Team, Wildlife Program Leadership Team, and Regional Senior Management Staff.
• Developing policies that are included in species plans and recreational hunting programs that have regional and statewide significance.
• Ensuring a cohesive Wildlife Program response to depredation events.
• Being responsible for interpreting and applying policies and elevating policy issues or questions to the Regional Director and/or Wildlife Program leadership.
• Serving as the Wildlife Program policy lead for team recommendations in response to wolf/livestock depredations. 
• Managing the implementation of the Region 1 Wildlife Program budget.
• Negotiating with the public, Tribes, organized constituents’ groups, other state, county, city and federal agencies regarding wildlife management policies, recreation access, hunting recreation and wildlife protection.
• Providing oversight to regional wildlife conflict activities to ensure continued successful integration into the Wildlife Program and proper implementation in the region.
   

Working Conditions: 

Work Setting, including hazards: Primarily office-based work with some time spent in the field.  Work in the field may include exposure to variable weather conditions, rough or uneven terrain, and interactions with wildlife or livestock. 

Schedule: Overtime exempt, expected to schedule time within a typical 40-hour work week, however, may need to adjust schedule and work additional hours as needed to meet business demands and deadlines.  

Travel Requirements: Requires frequent travel throughout Region 1 and occasional travel to other regions for meetings, field visits, and coordination with agency staff and partners.   Vehicle is provided for travel.

Requirements

Closely related qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-by-year basis.  

Required Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in Wildlife Management, Natural Resource Science, or a related field.

AND all of the following professional experience (may be gained concurrently):

Five (5) years of professional experience with all the following:

• Applying advanced principles and techniques of wildlife management, including the biology and ecology of regional wildlife species such as mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates.
• Implementing recognized methods and standards for habitat and land management.
• Navigating regulatory frameworks and bureaucratic processes related to wildlife management, conflict management, and/or land management activities.
• Working with private landowners and/or agricultural producers to address wildlife conservation.

Three (3) years of professional experience:

• Supervising or managing senior-level staff, including providing guidance, training, conflict resolution, work planning, and performance management and evaluation.
• Building a strong team dynamic across dispersed locations. 
• Managing priorities and activities across multiple divisions and sections within a Wildlife Program.
  Communicating, verbally and in writing, technical information to diverse audiences. 
• Building and maintaining relationships with constituents and stakeholders with diverse interests, including engaging in processes that influence political and policy outcomes. 

One (1) year of professional experience:

• Managing budgets, grants, or contracts and effectively allocating resources across multiple projects.

Certifications/Licenses:
Valid Driver’s License

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

• Master’s degree or higher in Wildlife Management, Natural Resource Science, or a related field.
• Three (3) years of professional experience working with tribal governments, local communities, nonprofit organizations, or other stakeholders to build consensus and support for wildlife management objectives.
• Three (3) years of professional experience with data collection, GIS mapping, wildlife population modeling, or other technical tools to support management decisions.
   

Your application should 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.