Salary: $91,394.00 – $106,597.00 Annually
Location: Cowlitz County – Castle Rock, WA
Job Type: Full Time – Permanent
Department: Dept. of Natural Resources
Job Number: 2023-4-1699-05203
Closing: 4/30/2023 11:59 PM Pacific

Pacific Cascade Region has an opportunity for an energetic and enthusiastic leader to join our team as the Assistant Region Manager – Wildfire and Forest Practices. This position assists and supports the Region Manager in implementing Region and Division objectives.

Why work for DNR?
At DNR, we value public service, innovation and creative problem solving, safety and well-being, and leadership and teamwork. At DNR you’ll support the vision of a sustainable future by using your skills to protect and manage the state’s natural resources for both current and future generations. As a DNR employee, you’ll work with the public’s interest in mind as we manage more than 5 million acres of state-owned forest, range, commercial, agricultural and aquatic lands. But managing lands is only half of our story. We house the Washington Geological Survey, a dynamic program that is the primary source of geological products and services in support of decision making in Washington. We also protect other public resources such as fish, wildlife, water, and provide public access to outdoor recreation. Two of our largest and most important state-wide resource protection responsibilities are fire prevention and suppression, and overseeing forest practices. We are nearly 1,500 employees strong and dedicated to making DNR a great place to work. Our mission is to serve Washington’s lands and communities; build strong and healthy rural communities; enhance forest health and wildfire management; strengthen the health and resilience of our lands and waters; and increase public engagement and commitment to our public lands and resources. In partnership with citizens and governments, we provide innovative leadership and expertise to ensure environmental protection, public safety, perpetual funding for schools and communities, and a rich quality of life.  At DNR we approach our work through the lens of making Washington a better place environmentally, economically and socially for current and future generations.

Location
One of the world’s most scenic places, Washington State offers breathtaking discoveries for people who love natural beauty and outdoor recreation, from the Pacific Coast shores to the rugged Cascade Mountains to the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. The duty station is within close proximity to the Portland metropolitan areas, near the Columbia River and close to the Mt. St Helens monument and surrounding area. There are a large number of cultural and outdoor activities to partake in: quaint towns to explore, fishing, surfing, and hiking mountains or the coast line to name a few. 

Duties
The Assistant Region Manager – Wildfire, Forest Resilience & Forest Practices is responsible for implementing agency policies and procedures, and for administering the Region’s Fire Management, Forest Practices, and Camps (Larch Camp) programs on approximately 3.5 million acres of public and private forestland within Pacific Cascade Region (Pacific, Wahkiakum, Lewis, Cowlitz, Clark, Skamania and south Grays Harbor counties).This position reports directly to the Region Manager. In this role, you will you will apply excellent supervisory, organizational management, and communication skills to lead and coach diverse professional staff in our Wildfire, Forest Resilience, Forest Practices, and Larch Camp sections. In this role, you will help create and maintain an inspiring team environment with a culture of open communication and innovation. This is an exciting opportunity to bring your can-do attitude and problem solving abilities along with your natural resource management skills to contribute to the success of our knowledgeable and effective team.

What we will trust you with:
This position directly supervises 5 employees.
This position is responsible for overseeing the resource allocation authority for 62 permanent positions, and 81 seasonal positions, including associated travel, goods, and services expenses. The biennial value of these positions and associated expenses is approximately $15.6 million dollars.

This position is responsible for overseeing the program budget in Pacific Cascade Region for Forest Practices, Forest Resilience and Wildfire.

  • The biennial Forest Practice budget is approximately $3.7 million.
  • The biennial Wildfire Preparedness, Training, and Regulation budget is approximately $7.9 million.
  • The biennial Forest Resilience budget is approximately $1.0 million.
  • The biennial Camps budget is approximately $3.0 million

This position is also responsible for tracking the commensurate staff months that correspond with the dollar budgets and meet both within the region allocation.

Major decision making responsibilities brought to this position for action:

  • Ensures implementation of resource protection programs and compliance with statute, policies, and procedures.
  • Monitors and manages program budget allotments within the region.
  • Establishes and communicates program priorities in the region.
  • Approves non-routine expenditures, including overtime for suppression activities.
  • SEPA responsible official for the Forest Practice program.
  • Major decision making responsibilities brought to the Region Manager for approval:
  • Personnel hiring and discipline decisions are recommended to the Region Manager.
  • Contracts and agreements et al, which are the delegated responsibility of the Region Manger.
  • Decisions that are politically sensitive and/or raise concerns with public perception.

Qualifications
Required Qualifications: 
Incumbent reports to the region manager in support of region-implemented program objectives. Must possess strong leadership abilities, be able to work independently, and have strong technical skills to work with other managers. Must have a strong technical and strategic command of budget, agency operations (both strategic and tactical), personnel management, and advanced business management. Successful performance in the position requires both formal education and/or considerable working knowledge and experience including the following:

  • Knowledge in personnel management principles and Merit System rules.
  • Knowledge of agency policies, practices, and procedures.
  • Skills in oral and written communication.
  • Skills in staff month and dollar budget development.
  • Skills in assessing training needs.
  • Skills in agreement and contract negotiations.
  • Knowledge of forest management objectives, timber management planning, and silvicultural principles.
  • Knowledge of Washington Forest Practice rules, laws and practices and associated agency policies.
  • Knowledge of logging and forest road construction practices.
  • Knowledge of wildland fire prevention and suppression practices and tactics.
  • Skills in managing complex fire incidents.
  • Key Behavioral Competencies:
    • Ethics and integrity
    • Commitment to Workforce Diversity
    • Relationship Building
    • Effective Communications
    • Tact and Diplomacy
    • Interpersonal influence
    • Performance and Team Leadership
    • Accountability, Initiative, and Decisiveness
  • DNR Core Competencies: 
    • Personal Accountability 
    • Value Others 
    • Compassionate Communication 
    • Inspire Others 
    • Commitment to Excellence 

This level of knowledge and skill is typically achieved with: A bachelor’s degree in forest management or natural resource management; and eight years of professional level experience with a demonstrated progression in leadership responsibilities in the areas of land and resource management, personnel management, and wildland fire suppression; OR An associate’s degree in forest management or natural resource management; and ten years of professional level experience with a demonstrated progression in leadership responsibilities in the areas of land and resource management, personnel management, and wildland fire suppression.

Special Requirements and Conditions of Employment:

  • Majority of work is indoor in and office or meeting setting. Occasional trip to the field to inspect forest practices and wildfire activities. Wildfire setting requires current qualifications are in place.
  • Occasional travel to Olympia and statewide happens several times a year.
  • A valid driver’s license and have two years of driving experience. This position requires driving as an essential function. Finalists and/or interview candidates will be asked to provide a driving record from all states in which they have held a license during the past three years.
  • Employees of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) are required to complete their primary series of COVID-19 vaccines (be fully vaccinated against COVID-19) or be approved for a medical or religious accommodation as a condition of employment. Please note, any offer of employment is contingent and no start date will be approved until you have either verified your vaccine status or have an approved accommodation. “Fully vaccinated” means the following: An employee is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 two weeks after they have received the second dose in a two-dose series of a COVID-19 vaccine (e.g., Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Novavax) or a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine (e.g., Johnson & Johnson (J&J)/Janssen) authorized for emergency use, licensed, or otherwise approved by the FDA or listed for emergency use, or otherwise approved by the World Health Organization. 

Desired Qualifications: 

  • Advanced degrees, applicable education including Master’s Degree, High level of Wildfire operational qualifications such as DIVS, SOFR, ICT3, and administrative qualifications or experience such as Agency Representative or Administrator. Business training, education, and experience.

Questions?  Please contact Eric Wisch at Eric.wisch@dnr.wa.gov, 360-575-5001 or e-mail us at DNRrecruiting@dnr.wa.gov

Application Requirements

  • To be considered you must apply online at www.careers.wa.gov. You must complete the entire online application to be considered for the position.
  • Attach a letter of interest describing how your experience and qualifications relate to the position profile and the position required, desired and special requirements.
  • Attach a resume describing your experience and qualifications.
  • Provide three to five professional references – you may attach a document, use the References text field in the online application, or include with resume.
  • Important: Do not attach any documents that include photos or private information (social security number, year of birth, etc.).
  • Complete all supplemental questions.

Additional Information: This recruitment may be extended and may also be used to fill future similar vacancies for up to sixty (60) days.

For more information and to apply: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/4002877/assistant-region-manager-wildfire-forest-resilience-forest-practices-wms

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