Stewardship Director; EMS BAND 4 Lacey, WA.

Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission

Stewardship Director (Exempt Band 04)

Lacey, WA

Annual compensation: $130,000 - $160,000

Washington State Parks & Recreation is seeking an experienced and strategic leader to serve as its next Stewardship Director. As one of the largest and most diverse state park systems in the country, Washington State Parks has a significant responsibility to protect and manage the system’s resources for today’s visitors and for generations to come. Stewardship is a critical lens for State Parks through which all work should be considered.

It is a pillar of our mission, and a healthy, protected, and responsible park system is essential to providing a successful visitor experience.

The Stewardship Director is a member of the agency's executive team and leads the agency’s work on natural and cultural resources, environmental compliance, climate change adaptation and sustainability, and GIS. The position advises the agency's Director, Executive Leadership Team, and Commission on stewardship related matters, furthering the agency’s mission, vision, values, and goals.

A member of the Executive Leadership Team, the Stewardship Director also serves as a critical thinker on high level agency matters brought to the team, providing input and advice based on their professional experience and perspective.

The position works closely with the directors of Park Operations and Parks Development to ensure stewardship is fully integrated into day‑to‑day park operations, maintenance projects, capital planning, land acquisitions, and other critical work. It also collaborates with the Office of Tribal Relations in managing the work of cultural resources, ensuring compliance with federal and state cultural resource regulations while working with tribal entities in a respectful manner based in cultural humility.

This position plays an important part in the agency’s success both within Stewardship and throughout all the agency’s work.

The ideal candidate is an experienced, strategic, and effective leader who can guide a team of committed technical experts toward a shared vision. Maintaining a long‑term perspective in a landscape of competing stewardship needs is essential. The candidate establishes credibility, shares their voice to inform and influence positively, and builds effective partnerships with honesty, integrity, and authenticity. A strong communicator who embraces concepts critical to stewardship in a land management organization and ensures the agency delivers on its commitments to the public, legislature, tribal, and local government partners.

• Natural Resources
  :
  Directs, guides, monitors, and evaluates performance of the Natural Resources Program, assessing, planning, prioritizing, and developing policy and practices for treating the state park system’s natural resources, including recreational impact evaluation, tree risk management, forest health management, and collaboration with tribes on compliance with United States v. Washington.
• Cultural Resources
  :
  Directs, guides, monitors, and evaluates performance of the archaeology, historic preservation, and collections staff, managing capital funds related to historic property treatments and consulting with tribes on agency activities in compliance with federal and state regulations.
• Environmental
  :
  Directs, guides, monitors, and evaluates performance of the Environmental Program, assessing, planning, prioritizing, and developing policy and practices for agency compliance with environmental regulations, including complex legal risk management associated with SEPA implementation.
• Climate and Sustainability
  :
  Directs, guides, monitors, and evaluates performance of the Climate and Sustainability Program, leading statewide climate change adaptation and sustainability initiatives, developing the biennial greenhouse gas reduction plan, mainstreaming climate resilience, and ensuring sustainable practices that protect the natural environment and reduce the agency’s carbon footprint.
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS):
  Directs, guides, monitors, and evaluates performance of the GIS program,…