CPW WILDLIFE MANAGER V/ Species Conservation Manager (Montrose, CO)

Full Job Description

We invite you to explore our website at https://dnr.colorado.gov/about-us to find out more about the work we do to manage Colorado’s natural resources for today – and tomorrow.

The State of Colorado believes that equity, diversity, and inclusion drive our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply.

In addition to offering rewarding, meaningful work, we offer:

• Medical and Dental plans
• Strong, flexible retirement plans including PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan, plus pre-tax and Roth 401K and 457 plans
• Paid life insurance
• Short- and long-term disability coverage
• Employee Wellness programs
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Health Savings Accounts
• 11 paid holidays per year plus generous vacation and sick leave
• Flexible work schedule options and remote-work options
• Career advancement opportunities throughout the State system
• Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

Requirements

This position directs the efforts to manage the state’s nongame terrestrial species of concern.

This includes the work to manage and implement conservation programs within CPW and with other agencies and states, monitor populations through developed techniques, conduct research, develop reintroduction program opportunities, conduct data analysis and write reports, provide information to other states, stakeholders, government agencies and NGOs about the status of the species, and serve as the statewide expert on assigned species.

On an ongoing basis, formulates, recommends, reviews, writes, comments, and consults with other affected interests outside of the agency on CPW statewide directives, regulations, management and budgetary guidelines and strategies for effective and consistent implementation of the terrestrial species conservation programmatic goals and objectives.

Recommends and justifies statewide program goals, strategies, and objectives for consideration by the Terrestrial Branch and other state wildlife managers in the formulation and execution of numerous operations plans and long-range plans (e.g., Wildlife Action Plan).

Position ensures that plans are consistent with Division, Department, and State Policies, statutes, and regulations.

Program Oversight
Serves as principal liaison between Terrestrial Branch and other CPW Branches for species conservation issues. Develops narratives, progress reports, and summaries and recommends actions to align planned and actual activities as they pertain to statewide terrestrial species conservation program goals and objectives. Facilitates implementation and develops species specific adaptive management for SGCN and SGIN as identified in Colorado’s State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP), within CPW and among external stakeholders.

Technical Expertise
Compiles and analyzes technical data on terrestrial target native species and maintains technical knowledge through review and evaluation of professional literature and programmatic reports; disseminates technical information on the native terrestrial species (especially threatened, endangered, and those petitioned for listing) and provides technical counsel to other CPW personnel; leads species status assessments that influence federal listing, down-listing and delisting processes under ESA, and state designations of threatened, endangered and greatest conservation need. Represents CPW and Colorado on federal recovery teams and multi-agency/multi-state program biology committees as technical expert; and leads development and justification for species’ recovery goals and objectives within Colorado and in the context of range-wide goals and objectives for federally listed terrestrial species.

Planning and Budgeting
Develops terrestrial species conservation planning standards for use by cost center managers in preparation of annual work plans to meet program objectives; guides, reviews, evaluates, and analyzes unit-level work plans and progress and performance, within the Terrestrial section, other units within CPW, as well as multi-agency/multi-state, regional recovery programs and projects to determine progress toward goals and objectives; recommends resource reallocations where warranted to meet priority terrestrial native species conservation program objectives or critical dependencies (e.g., where Step 1 must be accomplished before Step 2 can proceed).

Agency Representation
Represents Colorado Parks and Wildlife at statewide and regional levels as a range-wide terrestrial species expert and information source for strategic species conservation issues and programs; serves as the principal technical representative for Colorado Parks and Wildlife on terrestrial native species conservation issues at multi-agency/multi-state forums or committees or coordination teams for declining wildlife species.

Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications
Eight (8) years of relevant experience in Natural Resources, Wildlife Management, Biology, Ecology, Zoology/Animal Sciences or an occupation related to the work assigned to this position.
OR
A combination of related education in Natural Resources, Wildlife Management, Biology, Ecology, Zoology/Animal Sciences and/or relevant experience in Wildlife research, Wildlife management, Conservation Biology, Ecology, Wildlife Biology, or Natural Resource management related to the work assigned equal to eight (8) years.

Class Code: Wildlife Manager

Preferred Qualifications

• Current or former State experience relevant to this position.
• Current or former Colorado Parks and Wildlife experience.
• Strong analytical, inductive, and deductive reasoning.
• Experience in interstate and intrastate collaborations.
• Demonstrated experience of participation in working groups.
• Professional experience writing of management and conservation plans.
• Strong expertise in the field ecology.
• Demonstrated focus on management and conservation of birds and small mammals.

Required Competencies

• Field biology experience.
• Experience in supervision of seasonal and volunteer field crew.
• Organizational and time management skills.
• Strong level of written and oral communication skills.
• Strong multi tasking skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Google suite.

Conditions of Employment

• State of Colorado residency is required at the time of application.
• Work is primarily performed from a home office, however the selected candidate will report to the office at 2500 S Townsend Ave, Montrose, CO periodically as well as other locations throughout the State for field work, meetings, trainings and projects as directed by the supervisor.
  • Occasional travel to attend various meetings (CPW Commission, staff training, Area meetings, etc.), at least one to two times a month.

Former State employees who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination must disclose the information on the application and provide an explanation why the prior termination or resignation should not disqualify their application from the current position.

(Please Note: Absent extraordinary circumstances, prior disciplinary termination or resignation in lieu of termination will disqualify the applicant from future State employment with DNR).

Pursuant to the DNR-120 Fleet and Driving Standards Administrative Directive, any worker who will be expected to drive a State-owned vehicle is responsible for maintaining a safe driving record and a valid driver license prior to driving any State-owned vehicle.

To be compliant with the new fleet vehicle policy, Motor Vehicle Records (MVRs) will be pulled for review for workers who: Have an assigned State fleet vehicle

• Are required to operate a vehicle as part of the position

• Utilize a State fleet vehicle as a pool vehicle

APPEAL RIGHTS:

Additional Information

• All applications received by the closing of this announcement will be reviewed by an HR Specialist against the Minimum Qualifications in this announcement.

• Colorado Revised Statutes require that state employees are hired and promoted based on merit and fitness through a comparative analysis process. Part of, or all of, the comparative analysis for this position will be a structured application review by Subject Matter Experts.

• Resumes, cover letters and other attachments are not considered as part of initial reviews, therefore, it is important to document in your application your education, experience, minimum qualifications, and preferred qualifications as outlined in the job announcement.

• Please thoroughly answer all supplemental questions (if listed) since question responses may be evaluated for content, writing ability, spelling, grammar, and effective communication.

• This recruitment may involve additional testing and/or exams to arrive at the top group for interviews.