Northwest Region Manager, Exempt

Position Overview

Recruitment #2026-4-1706

Full-time, Exempt 4, Non-represented position

Location: Northwest Region – Sedro Woolley, WA

Partial Telework flexibility may be available and considered.

Salary: $10,418.00 – $12,152.00 monthly (full range $10,418.00 – $12,792.00)

Review of applications is ongoing. We reserve the right to make a hiring decision or close this recruitment at any time after 5/10/26.

• Operate as the chief representative of the Commissioner within the geographic boundaries of the region.
• Ensure that the Commissioner and DNR’s executive management team are promptly informed of emergent issues or events with the potential to impact the agency or the region.
• Provide oversight for the management of approximately 431,000 acres of state forest, agriculture, urban, and conservation lands.
• Provide outstanding leadership for the region staff of 140 permanent and 49 seasonal employees.
• Implement a proactive safety program to improve employee safety awareness and reduce accidents and injuries.
• Serve as an Appointing Authority, responsible for making hiring decisions, terminations, and pay‑impacting discipline.
• Establish and maintain excellent working relationships and communications with local governments, tribes, regional offices of other state agencies, landowners, and partner groups.
• Sustainably manage state trust lands to generate income for public schools, universities, counties, and other trust beneficiaries.
• Implement three major resource protection programs—wildfire prevention/suppression, forest resilience, and forest practices—on private and state forest lands within the region on approximately 1.5 million acres.
• Develop and ensure proper utilization of a $32 million biennial budget.
• Manage aquatic lands, supported by aquatics division staff located in Northwest Region facilities.
• Protect public resources and prepare for emergencies, including fire suppression.
• Seek efficiencies and cost savings in all aspects of region operations.

• Education:
  
  A bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources Management, Business Management, or related field AND at least ten years of professional‑level experience with a demonstrated progression in leadership responsibilities related to land and resource management and personnel management.
• Key Knowledge:
  Knowledge of organizational leadership principles and practices; continuous improvement and change management; natural resource management; wildfire prevention and suppression practices, including the Incident Command System (ICS); familiarity with Washington’s Forest Practices Act and Rules;
  Washington State’s legislative process; revised code of Washington (RCW) and Washington Administrative Code (WAC) as they apply to the Department of Natural Resources.
• Key
  
  Skills:
  
  Experience‑based ability to lead a large organization; strong commitment to ethical leadership and diversity, equity, and inclusion; ability to create a positive work environment and build morale; excellent communication skills; ability to guide a team through deadline and workload pressures; collaborative problem‑solving; experience developing and implementing large budgets; strong safety awareness and orientation.
• Competencies:
  
  Senior Leadership Competencies (Decisiveness, Influencing/Negotiating, External Awareness, Strategic Thinking, Risk Management, Political Savvy); DNR Core Competencies (Personal Accountability, Value Others, Compassionate Communication, Inspire Others, Commitment to Excellence); commitment to fostering an environment that honors diversity, equity, inclusion, and environmental justice; performance of duties consistent with applicable laws, regulations, and public records retention.
• Special Requirements:
  Work is typically done in an office or meeting rooms; occasional field trips and trips to visit fires across the region are common; position requires travel to Olympia for monthly meetings; must possess a current, valid driver’s license and at least two years of driving experience; drivers must not have suspended, revoked, or restricted license; final candidates may be required to provide a driving record from all states in which they have held…