This recruitment is essential to maintain operations and fulfill WDFW’s legal obligations: Public safety/Law enforcement/Public health/Critical incidents/Field Training of Officers, Activities to address wildlife conflict, depredation and public safety.

This recruitment is posted continuously and will remain open until selections are made.  Application review will be ongoing, and therefore we encourage you to submit your application materials as soon as possible. The Hiring Manager reserves the right to close the posting at any time once a selection has been made.

Are you interested in becoming a law enforcement officer? 

Do you have an impeccable background and a strong desire to protect Washington’s unique fish and wildlife species, exceptionally diverse landscapes and rugged coastlines?

If so, then join a great team that shares your interests!

The hiring process begins at Public Safety Testing https://www.publicsafetytesting.com/ DO NOT apply for this position through www.careers.wa.gov.  

(Hunting Season – Photo Credit: Officer Myers)

With that in mind,  

Picture yourself being responsible for enforcing numerous laws and regulations related to health and public safety, dangerous wildlife/human conflicts, fish and wildlife protection, hunting and fishing license regulations, habitat protection, and commercial fish and shellfish harvest.

These are opportunities to patrol various parts of Washington State using motor vehicles, vessels, ATVs, and on foot while investigating complaints and deterring criminal activities. 

With your experience, you will provide advice and resolve dangerous wildlife situations, respond to crimes in progress/public safety emergencies and investigate hunting and boating accidents.

We are seeking team players with demonstrated talent representing WDFW values of Accountability, Service, Professionalism, Integrity, Respect, and Empathy.

We are recruiting to hire at the Fish & Wildlife Officer 1 level, we will train the selected candidates to the Officer 2 level.

The below salaries INCLUDE the base salary plus ten percent (10%) Assignment Pay per the CBA.

Depending on whether you are an entry level or lateral officer, your monthly salary will be as follows:

• Fish & Wildlife Officer 1 – New Officer – $4,974.00
• Fish & Wildlife Officer 1 – Lateral – $4,974.00 – $6,534.00
  1. Salary depends on experience.

Once the in-training plan is successfully completed, your monthly salary will be as follows:

Our Fish & Wildlife Officers, 

• Enforce the Fish and Wildlife Code and associated WDFW regulations.
• Enforce forest products, boating laws and all other laws of the State.
• Execute and serve all criminal processes related to enforcement activities, safeguard department lands and equipment.
• Provide assistance to other law enforcement agencies within their assigned areas.
• Resolve conflicts between humans and wildlife, including but not limited to predation of domestic animals, big game crop damage concerns and assessments.
• Present programs to the public.

Our Fish & Wildlife Officers also have a variety of opportunities available to them throughout their enforcement career, such as:

• Karelian Bear Dog Handler.
• Undercover operations.
• Field Training Officer.
• Defensive Tactics Instructor.
• Firearms Instructor.
• EVOC Instructor.
• Vessel Operation Instructor.
• Swift-water Rescue Team.
• Critical Incident and Stress Management Team.
• SCUBA Team.
• Promotional Opportunities: Detective, Sergeant and Captain.

WORKING CONDITIONS: 

• Work Setting, including hazards: 
  1. Work is performed in an outdoor environment enforcing fish, wildlife and state laws.
  2. Patrols take place at all hours of the day/night, are conducted on land and water and during all weather conditions.
• Schedule:   
  1. 171 hours / 28 days – Overtime Eligible.
  2. Must be able to work weekends, holidays, rotating shifts, and be on call 24-hours a day.
• Travel Requirements:
  1. There are travel requirements throughout the assigned area.
• Customer Interactions:         
  1. Sound judgment is required when dealing with violators encountered and in determining the appropriate course of action based on the circumstances of each contact.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

OR

OR

             OR

AND 

• Must be 21 years of age prior to being employed.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.
• Must have NO felony convictions.
• Must have the ability to read and speak the English language.
• Must have or be able to obtain a valid Washington Driver’s License.
• Must have at least 20/40 vision (corrected or uncorrected).
• Must be willing to accept statewide assignments.
• Must be able to physically perform the duties of a Fish and Wildlife Officer.
• All applicants must pass the Physical Abilities Test that is required for entry into the Academy.
• Must pass a background check, polygraph, medical examination and a psychological assessment.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Accountability.
• Adaptability & Flexibility.
• Analysis.
• Custody & Security.
• Enforcing Laws, Rules, and Regulations.
• Ethics & Integrity.
• Influencing for Voluntary Compliance.
• Judgment.
• Resourcefulness in Problem Solving.
• High Stress Tolerance.
• Ability to Recognize and respond appropriately to life-threatening situations.
• Verbal & Written Communication skills.

Please note: Failure to follow the instructions below may lead to disqualification.

 ENTRY LEVEL HIRING PROCESS: 
 

PHASE I 

DO NOT apply for this position through www.careers.wa.gov.  
Apply online with Public Safety Testing (PST) (www.publicsafetytesting.com) and schedule initial testing.

• Complete the Law Enforcement Exam and Physical Fitness Ability Test (PAT) on your scheduled test date.
• NOTE: Effective 1/1/2021, candidates will take the new Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) PAT. Go to the CJTC website, https://www.cjtc.wa.gov/training-education/blea, for the new PAT standards.
• You will need to complete your Personal History Statement (PHS) immediately after completing your initial tests.
• Once you have completed your initial tests and PHS through Public Safety Testing (PST) (www.publicsafetytesting.com), your name, score, and applicant profile will be forwarded to us.
• If your PHS is not complete and available to us at the time we review candidates for an oral panel, you will not be considered for that hiring cycle.
• There will be some time that lapses between completing your tests and the oral panel.  

PHASE II

• Oral Panel (generally two to four times per year).
• Suitability Assessment Screening.
• Background Investigation (Includes a criminal history check and a review of work records, reputation, medical records, military service records, fingerprinting and financial status).
• Chief’s Interview.

PHASE III

• Conditional Offer of Employment.
• Polygraph.
• Psychological Assessment.
• Pre-Employment Medical Exam with Drug Screening.
• Informed of duty assignment location.
• Pre-Academy Physical Fitness Ability Test (this will take place approximately two weeks before you enter the Basic Law Enforcement Academy (BLEA) -make sure you are prepared!).

PHASE IV

During this phase the employee will be in non-permanent status for; BLEA for nineteen (19) weeks, the In-House Academy for approximately four (4) weeks and complete Field Training which can take up to five (5) months.

An employee with permanent status in the WA state civil service may accept a non-permanent appointment. At least fourteen (14) calendar days prior to accepting the appointment, the employee must notify his/her current Appointing Authority of the intent to accept a non-permanent appointment. Upon notification of the employee’s intent, the employee’s permanent agency will notify the employee, in writing, of any return rights to the Agency and the duration of those return rights. At a minimum, the Agency must provide the employee access to the Agency’s internal layoff list. After receipt of this notification the employee may elect to accept or turn down the appointment offer.

After successful completion of the phases of the hiring process, the candidate will begin twelve (12) months of probationary status and will also start their Career Development Plan (CDP). The CDP must be completed in four (4) years for the officer to become a Fish and Wildlife Officer 2.

LATERAL HIRING PROCESS:

PHASE I

DO NOT apply for this position through www.careers.wa.gov. 
Apply online with Public Safety Testing (www.publicsafetytesting.com) – select the LATERAL option and schedule initial testing.

• Complete the Law Enforcement Exam and Physical Fitness Ability Test (PAT) on your scheduled test date.
• NOTE: Effective 1/1/2021, candidates will take the new Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) PAT. Go to the CJTC website, https://www.cjtc.wa.gov/training-education/blea, for new PAT standards.
• Complete your Personal History Statement (PHS) immediately after completing your initial tests. If your PHS is not complete and available to us at the time we review candidates for an oral panel, you will not be considered for that hiring cycle.
• Chief’s Interview (scheduled as needed).
• Suitability Assessment Screening.
• Background Investigation (Includes a criminal history check and a review of work records, reputation, medical records, military service records, fingerprinting and financial status).

PHASE II

• Conditional Offer of Employment.
• Polygraph.
• Psychological Assessment.
• Pre-Employment Medical Exam with Drug Screening.

PHASE III 

During this phase, the employee will be in non-permanent status, informed of their future duty assignment, start the In-House Academy for approximately four weeks and complete Field Training which can take up to five (5) months.  Out-of- State law enforcement officers will also need to attend the 80-hour Equivalency Academy.

An employee with permanent status in the WA state civil service may accept a non-permanent appointment. At least fourteen (14) calendar days prior to accepting the appointment, the employee must notify his/her current Appointing Authority of the intent to accept a non-permanent appointment. Upon notification of the employee’s intent, the employee’s permanent agency will notify the employee, in writing, of any return rights to the Agency and the duration of those return rights. At a minimum, the Agency must provide the employee access to the Agency’s internal layoff list. After receipt of this notification the employee may elect to accept or turn down the non-permanent appointment offer.

After successful completion of the phases of the hiring process, the candidate will begin twelve (12) months of probationary status and will also start their Career Development Plan (CDP). The CDP must be completed in four (4) years for the officer to become a Fish and Wildlife Officer 2.

IMPORTANT NOTES: 

The Department of Fish and Wildlife’s priority during the Covid-19 health crisis is to keep our staff, candidates, and the public safe.  We are hiring and encourage you to apply to open positions.  Many of our staff are currently working from home; we have transitioned to a virtual recruitment process, to include web-based interviews.

The hiring process begins at Public Safety Testing https://www.publicsafetytesting.com/ DO NOT apply for this position through www.careers.wa.gov.  

If you have any questions, please contact David Kalb, Recruiting and Hiring Specialist, at officerrecruitment@dfw.wa.gov.

UNION – COALITION (FWOG):

These positions are in the bargaining unit represented by the Coalition and are subject to the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the State of Washington, Department of Fish & Wildlife, and the Coalition.

JOIN THE WDFW TEAM:

Learn about our agency and the perks of working for WDFW!

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has some of the most talented people in the natural resource field.  We celebrate and value diversity, appreciating that a workforce composed of those from different backgrounds and experiences creates an inclusive environment, strengthens positive relationships with the local community, and brings new perspectives and approaches to fulfilling the agency’s mission. We value demonstrated skill in living WDFW values of professionalism, accountability, empathy, integrity, service, and respect.

WDFW employees may be eligible for the following:

Medical/Dental/Vision for employee & dependent(s), Law Enforcement and Firefighters Retirement Plan II (LEOFF II), Public Employees Retirement System (PERS),   Vacation, Sick, and other Leave*, 11 Paid Holidays per year*, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Tuition Waiver,   Long Term Disability & Life Insurance, Deferred Compensation Programs, Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP),  Flexible Spending Arrangement (FSA), Employee Assistance Program, Commute Trip Reduction Incentives (Download PDF reader), Combined Fund Drive, SmartHealth.

VETERAN PREFERENCE NOTICE:

To take advantage of Veteran preference, please do the following:

• Identify yourself as a Veteran when you sign up for initial testing with PST.
• Upload a copy of your DD214 (Member 4 copy without SSN) in the PST candidate files.

MILITARY SPOUSE PREFERENCE NOTICE: 

To take advantage of military spouse preference, please do the following:

• Notify us of your military spouse status by email at OfficerRecruitment@dfw.wa.gov. 
• Subject line should include recruitment number, position and MS (for example: #10155 Biologist 1 – MS)

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.  Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format may call (360) 902-2276 or the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at (800) 833-6388.