Assistant Region Manager – State Lands, WMS2

State of Washington•Clallam County – Forks, WA

About The Position

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is hiring a dedicated and dependable leader to serve as Assistant Region Manager – State Lands in its Olympic Region. The position assists the Region Manager in implementing agency policies, procedures, and objectives and oversees upland management activities across approximately 371,000 acres of trust lands. It represents the Department in complex and sensitive matters involving private operators, businesses, government officials, and the public; provides input and recommendations on project proposals affecting state trust lands; and leads and coaches professional staff across multiple state lands programs. The role supervises a team of 69 permanent professionals and manages timber sale staff responsible for an annual sale cut of approximately 90 million board feet, compliance oversight for approximately 20 timber sales each year, and road maintenance and construction in accordance with Forest Practice Standards. It is accountable for regional engineering, land management, asset management, silviculture, and other program deliverables, in coordination with program leads. It also oversees recreation, rights of way, transactions, leasing, and Natural Areas Management. The Assistant Region Manager supports the Department’s trust-management duties, implements policy direction, interprets and ensures compliance with applicable state lands policies and laws, sets program priorities, prepares and manages budgets, allocates resources, and monitors program delivery. The position works with agencies, tribes, environmental groups, industry, local governments, media, the public, and internal partners on resource issues, including highly sensitive issues. It develops staff effectiveness through evaluations, professional development, mentoring, and a respectful, inclusive working environment. The assigned duty station is the DNR Olympic Region Headquarters Office in Forks, Washington. Periodic field trips, walking on uneven or steep terrain, travel within the region, and occasional overnight travel to Olympia or other region offices are required. Work hours and partial telework flexibility may be available and considered. Relocation compensation may be available and considered.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Forest Management, Natural Resources Management, or a related field, and six years of professional-level experience demonstrating progression in leadership responsibilities in land and resources management and personnel management; or an equivalent combination of education, training, and professional experience demonstrating the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Experience applying forest management principles and broad multidisciplinary approaches to forest management, landscape planning, and ecosystem management.
Experience managing programs that rely on fundamental forest engineering principles.
Experience with facilitation, collaboration, negotiation, and conflict resolution.
Experience managing programs that depend on multiple information technology systems.
Knowledge of DNR’s Core Competencies and commitment to them.
Knowledge of effective personnel management principles and experience complying with collective bargaining agreements.
Effective written and oral communication skills.
Skills in budget development and implementation, project planning, and project management.
Knowledge of leasing and rights-of-way principles and practices; public-use and recreation management; land management and land transactions; and fundamental logging principles.
Effective communication, high ethics and integrity, relationship-building, tact, and diplomacy.
Ability to think, plan, and manage creatively, tactically, and strategically; interpret and implement the department’s mission, goals, and policy; recommend program guidelines and procedures; and collaboratively integrate and direct managers’ and supervisors’ work.
Ability to influence the future direction, needs, and roles of the region, agency, and state; relate well interpersonally; negotiate solutions to complex issues; and exercise independent judgment.
Ability to maintain and develop connections with local, district, and region-wide communities.
Commitment to fostering an environment that honors diversity, equity, inclusion, and environmental justice.
Ability to perform duties in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and public-records-retention requirements.
Ability to make periodic field trips and walk on uneven or steep terrain, and to travel within the region and occasionally overnight to Olympia or other region offices.

Nice To Haves

Competence with computer software, including word processing and spreadsheets, and with project planning and oversight.
Familiarity with forestry tools and systems, including equipment and applications that enhance field productivity, such as GPS, GIS, and modeling systems.
Knowledge of trust management principles.
Experience working under minimal supervision within broad agency policies.
Experience as a second-level supervisor over multiple work units, including one or more supervisors.
Experience using tactical and strategic thinking to address budget, fixed asset, human resource, and customer service issues.

Responsibilities

Assist the Region Manager in implementing agency policies, procedures, and objectives.
Oversee upland management activities on approximately 371,000 acres of Olympic Region trust lands.
Represent the Department’s interests to private operators, businesses, governmental officials, and the public on complex or sensitive issues.
Provide input and recommend action on project proposals affecting state trust lands.
Supervise and coach 69 permanent professionals across Product Sales, Roads, Silviculture, Recreation, Leasing and Rights of Ways, Transactions, Ecosystem Services, Survey, and Natural Areas Programs.
Manage timber sale staff to achieve an annual timber sale cut of approximately 90 million board feet and oversee compliance on approximately 20 timber sales annually.
Ensure engineering staff maintain existing roads and construct new roads to Forest Practice Standards.
Account for and deliver RMAP engineering, land management, asset management, silviculture, and other program standards in coordination with regional program leads.
Oversee regional recreation activities, rights of way, transactions, leasing activities, and Natural Areas Management.
Administer trusts according to their governing provisions, maintain loyalty to trusts and beneficiaries, prudently manage trust assets, make trust property productive while recognizing the trusts’ perpetual nature, deal impartially with beneficiaries, and reduce risk of loss.
Implement policy direction from the Board of Natural Resources and executive management in collaboration with division program managers.
Interpret and ensure compliance with state lands policies, procedures, rules, and regulations established in WAC and RCW.
Set program priorities, determine resource allocation, and collaborate with program managers on regional standards and expectations based on available resources.
Prepare budget requests, allocate resources to state lands districts and regional staff, and monitor, control, adjust, and evaluate budgeted resources.
Work collaboratively with agencies, tribes, environmental groups, industry, local governments, media, the general public, and internal and external interested parties.
Communicate on highly sensitive resource issues and negotiate solutions to complex issues.
Conduct timely employee evaluations, provide professional development opportunities, mentor staff, and foster a positive and respectful work environment.
Perform assigned duties consistently with applicable laws, regulations, and public-records-retention requirements, and ensure requests are followed.
Travel between the regional office and district work centers, and occasionally overnight to DNR headquarters in Olympia or other region offices.
Periodically travel to outdoor field settings and walk on uneven or steep terrain.