Forest Regulation Division Manager

Forest Regulation Division Manager, Exempt

Partial Telework flexibility may be available and considered
Relocation Compensation may be available and considered

Salary: $10,418.00 - $12,152.00 Monthly
To allow for growth and salary progression, the full salary range is: $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 03/23/2026. It is in your best interest to submit materials as soon as possible.

Want to join something GREAT and make a difference?
Want to join a great team and make a difference for Washington’s working forests and forested ecosystems? The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is looking for a Division Manager to lead the work of our Forest Practices Program.

The Forest Practices Program administers the forest practices rules that protect public safety, water quality, and fish and wildlife habitat on the 12 million acres of Washington's state-owned and private forestlands and assists Washington's family forest owners through its Small Forest Landowner Office, which provides technical and financial assistance to help small forest landowners manage their unique lands to meet their individual goals.

The program also provides staff support to the independent Forest Practices Board and Adaptive Management Program, which provides science-based recommendations and technical information to help the Board ensure that forest practices rules achieve the goals and objectives of the Forests and Fish Report. (Download PDF reader)

In addition to leading the program, the Division Manager also serves as a member of DNR’s Senior Leadership Team.

Responsibilities:
As the Division Manager, you’ll:

• Oversee the day-to-day operations of approximately 59 FTEs in the Forest Practices Division, including the Operations section, the Policy and Landowner Services section, and the Forest Practices Adaptive Management Program.
• Collaborate with the DNR Region Managers to implement and enforce forest practices rules consistently and fairly across Washington.
• Foster excellent working relationships and communications with external partners, including local governments, tribes, other state agencies, landowners, and community-based organizations.
• Establish and track program performance objectives and deliverables.
• Administer a budget of approximately $62 million in operating and capital funds and leads the development of biennial budget requests to the legislature.
• Supervise a management team of Assistant Division Managers.
• Develop strategic goals and objectives for the program along with performance-based metrics for tracking progress.
• Oversee the team that supports the Forest Practices Board and the implementation of the Forest Practices Habitat Conservation Plan.

Required Qualifications: 
Education:

• A bachelor's degree in forestry, natural resource science or management, or related field; AND at least eight years of progressively responsible leadership and personnel management experience in a large, complex and highly represented organization;
  OR a combination of education and/or experience equivalent.

Key Knowledge and Skills:

• Business management practices, organizational development, employee performance management, organizational leadership principles, labor agreements, and personnel rules.
• Principles and practices of natural resource management, Washington's Forest Practices Act and Rules, and Washington State's legislative process.
• Governance structure of Washington's Indian Tribes, principles of tribal sovereignty and treaty rights, and Government-to-Government consultation processes.
• Development and management of multi-million dollar operational and capital budgets and Washington state financial rules.
• Highly developed written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking and communicating persuasively in large groups and in stressful situations.

Competencies: 

• Strong commitment to ethical leadership and staff development through coaching, mentoring and training.
• Ability to establish credibility and work with diverse stakeholder groups, Indian Tribes and state and federal agencies.
• Experience-based ability to create a positive work environment, build morale, and elicit sustained superior job performance.
• Experience-based ability to guide a team through deadline and workload pressures, resolve competing workload demands, and work collaboratively to solve complex problems.
• Experience-based ability to lead a large organization and support informed decision-making at the executive leadership, policy, and legislative levels.