Regional Wildlife Program Manager – Region - WMS Band 2

Title – Regional Wildlife Program Manager – Region 1 Classification – WMS Band 2 Job Status – Full-Time/Permanent WDFW Program – Wildlife Program Duty Station – Spokane, Washington – Spokane County Eastern Region 1 Counties Served

Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Garfield, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, and Whitman.

This position may include telework options up to 2 days per week, at the discretion of the supervisor.

Recruitment posted until April 5, 2026. First review of applications will take place March 2, 2026. Application review is ongoing; submit your application materials as soon as possible, as recruitment may be closed at any time.

Learn more about being a member of Team WDFW.

Bull Elk in Rut – Photo Credit:
Brooke Naftzger

As the Regional Wildlife Program Manager for Region 1, you will provide strategic direction and executive oversight to advance WDFW priorities and deliver effective wildlife conservation and recreation outcomes.

Serving as the critical link between agency administration and field operations, you will oversee four divisions (Game, Wildlife Diversity, Landowner Services, and Lands) and provide leadership for wildlife and lands management across four Wildlife Area Complexes encompassing approximately 113,550 total acres and 35 Water Access Areas.

With your leadership experience, you will play a key role in policy development, program planning, and the advancement of new initiatives, while navigating complex and politically sensitive issues related to wildlife conflict, lands management, and threatened and endangered species.

In this role, the Regional Wildlife Program Manager provides strategic leadership for managing and sustaining Washington’s wildlife populations; key responsibilities include:

• Supervising regional Wildlife Program staff to accomplish tasks that address the agency’s strategic goals, program directives, and division objectives. Directly supervise six (6) staff members and provide oversight for a total of approximately forty (40) employees.
• Participating in regular meetings as a member of the Agency Senior Management Team, Wildlife Program Leadership Team, and Regional Senior Management Staff.
• Developing policies that are included in species plans and recreational hunting programs that have regional and statewide significance.
• Ensuring a cohesive Wildlife Program response to depredation events.
• Being responsible for interpreting and applying policies and elevating policy issues or questions to the Regional Director and/or Wildlife Program leadership.
• Serving as the Wildlife Program policy lead for team recommendations in response to wolf/livestock depredations.
• Managing the implementation of the Region 1 Wildlife Program budget.
• Negotiating with the public, Tribes, organized constituents’ groups, other state, county, city and federal agencies regarding wildlife management policies, recreation access, hunting recreation and wildlife protection.
• Providing oversight to regional wildlife conflict activities to ensure continued successful integration into the Wildlife Program and proper implementation in the region.

Work Setting, including hazards:

Primarily office-based work with some time spent in the field. Work in the field may include exposure to variable weather conditions, rough or uneven terrain, and interactions with wildlife or livestock.

Schedule:

Overtime exempt, expected to schedule time within a typical 40-hour work week, however, may need to adjust schedule and work additional hours as needed to meet business demands and deadlines.

Travel Requirements:

Requires frequent travel throughout Region 1 and occasional travel to other regions for meetings, field visits, and coordination with agency staff and partners. Vehicle is provided for travel.

Closely related qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-by-year basis.

Bachelor's degree in Wildlife Management, Natural Resource Science, or a related field.

AND all of the following professional experience (may be gained concurrently):