Description

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has an exciting opportunity within our Northwest Region as a Region Manager. Would you like to be part of an organization committed to a bright future where Washington’s lands, waters, and communities thrive? Are you ready to meet the challenges of a changing climate and ever-increasing demands on our natural resources? Do you hold equity, diversity, inclusion, and environmental justice as important values that are vital to mission accomplishment? Do you enjoy helping others grow and reach their full potential? Well, this may be your dream job! We are the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR), looking for the right person to lead the 189 permanent, non-permanent, and seasonal employees who comprise DNR’s Northwest Region. 

Requirements

Northwest Region Manager

Location: Northwest Region- Sedro Woolley, WA
Relocation Compensation may be available and considered

Salary: $10,418.00 - $12,152.00 Monthly

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. It is in your best interest to submit materials as soon as possible.

Responsibilities:

• 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. 
• Providing 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. 
• Position is delegated the authority as an Appointing Authority, which makes this position 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 other partner groups. 
• Sustainably manage state trust lands to generate income for public schools, universities, counties, and other trust beneficiaries, while accommodating compatible public uses. 
• 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 of state and private forest lands. 
• Develop and ensure proper utilization of a $32 million biennial budget. 
• The region has aquatic lands, managed by aquatics division staff located in Northwest Region facilities and supported by Northwest Region staff. 
• Ensure that public resources are protected. 
• Be prepared for emergencies, including fire suppression. 
• Seek efficiencies and cost savings in all aspects of region operations.
   

Required Qualifications: 
Education:

• A bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources Management, Business Management, or related field AND ten years of professional-level experience with a demonstrated progression in leadership responsibilities related to land and resource management and personnel management; OR an equivalent combination of education and/or experience.

Key Knowledge:

• Knowledge of organizational leadership principles and practices.
• Knowledge of continuous improvement and change management practices and processes.
• Knowledge of principles and practices of natural resource management.
• Knowledge of wildfire prevention and suppression practices, including the Incident Command System (ICS).
• Familiarity with Washington’s Forest Practices Act and Rules.
• Familiarity with Washington State’s legislative process.
• Familiarity with the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) and the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) as these apply to the Department of Natural Resources.

Key Skills:

• Experience-based ability to lead a large organization.
• Strong commitment to ethical leadership and the goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Experience-based ability to create a positive work environment, build morale, and elicit sustained superior job performance.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Experience-based ability to guide a team through deadline and workload pressures, and to resolve competing workload demands.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively to solve tough problems.
• Experienced-based ability to develop and implement large budgets
• Strong safety awareness and orientation.
   

Desired Qualifications:

• Knowledge of natural resource management issues in the Pacific Northwest.
• Knowledge of Washington’s Indian Tribes, tribal sovereignty, and treaty rights.
• Familiarity with principles and practices of labor unions and collective bargaining.