This recruitment has been reopened to increase the applicant pool. If you applied previously your application is still under consideration and you do not need to reapply.

WDFW staff comprise a talented and passionate group of people dedicated to protecting Washington’s natural resources.  

Our employees serve the public with integrity. We hold ourselves accountable to both the quality of our work, and the way in which we perform it.

This is an opportunity to partner with field crews, supervisors, and collaborators to identify and resolve complex and sensitive wildlife conflict issues.

Picture yourself addressing wildlife conflicts, specific to crop and property damage associated with large carnivores and ungulates.

The optimal candidates are team players who are motivated and passionate to mitigate and resolve conflicts while promoting the conservation of Washington State’s wildlife population.

We are seeking a candidate with demonstrated skills representing WDFW values of professionalism, accountability, empathy, integrity, and respect.

Our Natural Resource Specialist 2, 

• Assists the Wildlife Conflict Specialist and works with private landowners to prevent, reduce and/or control wildlife damage and livestock depredations by carnivores.
• Addresses human safety concerns associated to carnivores.
• Helps provide timely response for field investigations, such as depredation investigations, of livestock and other domestic animal mortality/injury possibly caused by carnivores.
• Helps conduct complex inspections and investigations such as necropsies to determine the cause of mortality for domestic livestock.
• Assists to complete Depredation Investigation Reports, Deterrent Plans, Producers Checklists, and Chronologies in a timely manner.
• Assists with follow-up inspections to ensure corrective actions by landowners are implemented to reduce carnivore-livestock conflicts.
• Implements deterrent measures to reduce carnivore depredation.
• Assists the Wildlife Conflict Specialist and works with private landowners to prevent and/or reduce ungulate (hooved mammals) and/or turkey damage on crops and property.
• Assists with field investigations of crop depredation, primarily caused by ungulates and/or turkeys.
• Helps conduct inspections and investigations to determine the nature and extent of damage to commercial crops, identifies damage mitigation alternatives, and prioritizes efforts aimed at resolving wildlife damage.
• Implements non-lethal countermeasures to reduce impacts to commercial crops.

WORKING CONDITIONS: 

• Work Setting, including hazards:
  1. Field work includes traveling to and from field sites, working in outdoor conditions including inclement weather, walking over rough terrain while carrying a light load and conducting field surveys by vehicle and on foot.
  2. Field work varies depending upon season and includes working with dangerous wildlife, pyrotechnics, firearms, needles, cutting instruments, and handling biological material with potential for hazardous exposure.
  3. Work setting includes private land that may be in active crop production and may also include working in proximity with dangerous wildlife, cattle, and other domestic animals.
• Schedule:
  1. Typically, Friday – Tuesday – 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  2. Often includes working long and irregular hours, including working evenings due to business needs and emergent issues.
• Travel Requirements:
  1. Traveling up to 200 miles per day in vehicles to landowner locations.
  2. Overnight travel may be required at times.
• Tools and Equipment:
  1. Office equipment, personal computer/technology, mobile communication devices.
  2. Field glasses, pyrotechnics, firearms, paintball guns, other hazing devices, electric fencing, GPS, cameras, 4×4 trucks (small/large), trailers, ATV’s, hand tools and power tools (electric & gas).
• Customer Interactions:
  1. Frequent contact with the public, private landowners, hunters, tribes, employees from within and outside of the agency, including federal, state and local municipalities.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

Please Note: College level work in the field of fish, wildlife, or habitat management, agriculture, forestry, or a natural resource science may substitute year-for-year for experience.

Ability to: 

• Balance quality of work with ability to meet deadlines by making efficient and effective use of available time, equipment, and resources.
• Adapt to stressful or changing situations and priorities – transition easily between tasks, responding quickly and efficiently to work requests.
• Exhibit self-initiative in developing or upgrading knowledge and skills and applying that new knowledge or skills in the work environment.
• Develop positive, productive, respectful working relationships with coworkers and collaborators.
• Show sensitivity to the concerns of Public and Private Landowners and have independent judgment to handle situations encountered in the field.

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment: 

• Valid U.S. driver’s license.
• Ability to legally possess a firearm.

         AND 

        Ability to complete:

• First Aid training.
• Firearms training and certification.
• Livestock depredation training.
• Wildlife Handling.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Associate degree from an accredited college or university in fisheries, wildlife management, natural resource science, environmental science, or related field or, equivalent in education/experience.
• Experience working with mobile communication devices, field glasses, pyrotechnics, firearms, paintball guns, other hazing devices, electric fencing, GPS, cameras, 4×4 trucks (small/large), trailers, ATV’s, hand tools and power tools (electric & gas).

One (1) year of experience: 

• Implementing non-lethal deterrents to reduce wolf depredations.
• Performing depredation investigations.
• Working with ungulate and carnivore conflict issues.
• Working with private landowners addressing agricultural crop and/or property damage by deer, elk, and turkeys.

Two (2) years of experience: 

• Interacting with farmers, ranchers, and hunters.
• Gaining access to private lands.
• Operating in the field with minimal supervision.
• With WDFW wildlife conflict programs to elevate damage to private property.

Three (3) years of experience:

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

In order to successfully apply for this position you MUST complete your profile at www.careers.wa.gov and attach the following to your profile before completing the online application:

• A current resume.
• A cover letter describing how you meet the qualifications of this position (Generic cover letter will not be accepted).
• Three professional references. 

IMPORTANT NOTES: 

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

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.  We have transitioned to a virtual recruitment process, to include web-based interviews.

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), 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.

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.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Employer

VETERAN PREFERENCE NOTICE:

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

• Subject line should include recruitment number, position and Vet (for example: #10155 Biologist 1 – Veteran)
• Include your name as it appears on your application in careers.wa.gov

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 RecruitmentTeam@dfw.wa.gov. 
• Subject line should include recruitment number, position and MS (for example: #10155 Biologist 1 – MS)
• Include your name as it appears on your application in careers.wa.gov

Note: Please blackout any PII (personally identifiable information) data such as social security numbers. For further information, please contact us at RecruitmentTeam@dfw.wa.gov.

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.   All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status and 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.

This recruitment is essential to maintain operations and fulfill WDFW’s legal obligations: maintain animal husbandry, hatchery operations for fish/animal welfare and associated testing/vet response etc., activities to address wildlife conflict, depredation, and public safety.

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.

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