NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGER

Salary : $48.31 - $64.29 Hourly

Location : Madison, WI

Job Type : Full time (1.0FTE)

Job Number : 2025-00126

Department : Land and Water Resources

Opening Date : 02 / 07 / 2025

Closing Date : 2 / 28 / 2025 11 : 59 PM Central

FLSA : Exempt

Bargaining Unit : MGR

Description

Land and Water Resources Department, Parks Division, has a full-time (1.0 FTE) vacancy for a Natural Resource Manager position.

Eligibility List created will be used to fill future vacancies over the next six (6) months.

Equity, Definition and Examples of Duties

COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND INCLUSION

As an employer, we strive to provide a work environment where diversity and differing opinions are valued, creativity is encouraged, continuous learning and improvement are fostered, teamwork and open / honest communication are encouraged, and meeting customer needs through quality service is a shared goal. All employees must be able to demonstrate multicultural competence - the awareness, knowledge, and skills needed to work with others who are culturally different from self in meaningful, relevant, and productive ways. Applicants from traditionally underrepresented populations including women, racial and ethnic minorities, and persons with disabilities are especially encouraged to apply.

DEFINITION

Under limited supervision, the Natural Resource Manager directs all forestry and land restoration work for Dane County Parks. Plans, organizes, schedules, trains and evaluates the work of forestry and land restoration full time employees and limited term employees (LTEs). Applies for grants to support forestry and land restoration projects, including preparing cost estimates, monitoring grant budgets and submitting grant reports.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

Coordinate with the Parks Director, Engagement and Visitor Services Manager, Operations Manager and Park Planning and Development Manager on implementing the goals of objectives of Dane County Parks. Lead daily forestry and land restoration operations, including planning, prioritizing, scheduling and assigning work duties. Track forestry and land restoration metrics to document the County's climate reduction goals. Work with the Real Estate Coordinator and Land Conservation division to plan conversions of leased farm fields on parkland to permanent cover. Collaborate with conservation partners to complete habitat management project goals and objectives. Provide technical guidance and oversight on forestry and land restoration projects. Administer hiring process for both full-time and seasonal staffing including recruitment and interviewing.

Education, Experience and Special Requirements

Education, Training and Experience :

Any combination of education, training and experience equivalent to a Bachelor's degree in natural resource management, forestry, parks or recreation administration, public administration or a closely related field. A minimum of five (5) years' experience in the mentioned specialties including at least two (2) years' supervisory or lead experience.

Certifications and Licenses :

Certified Park and Recreation Professional, National Park and Recreation Association, preferred but not required.

Special Requirements :

Must have a valid driver's license, or access to reliable personal transportation, or equivalent. Must be willing to work some evenings and weekends for meetings and events. Must be willing to maintain on-call status as part of a manager weekend rotation April - October. Must be willing to respond in a reasonable amount of time to emergencies during off-work hours even when not on call.

Background Check Statement : Some positions may require a criminal background check which can include fingerprinting due to the nature of the job's responsibilities. Wisconsin's Fair Employment Law, s. 111.31 - 111.395, Wis. Stats., prohibits discrimination because of an arrest or conviction record. However, Dane County may disqualify an applicant if the position's responsibilities are substantially related to the applicant's criminal history (e.g., the nature of the crime and its relationship to the position, whether hiring, transferring or promoting an applicant would pose an unreasonable risk to the business, its employees, customers and vendors, etc.) Management reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

For Bilingual Positions :

• Provide services in both English and the required foreign language (e.g., Spanish, Arabic, Hmong, etc.).
• Applicants being considered for bilingual positions will be tested during the recruitment process prior to employment. This will primarily consist of passing an oral language proficiency assessment from English to foreign language and foreign language to English, but may require additional language testing, such as written translation, if it is an essential function of the job.
• If applicable, individuals may confirm with the Employee Relations Division whether results of bilingual language certifications / examinations they currently hold qualify them for the position's bilingual designation.

Physical and Environmental Work Requirements :

Professional office work environment. Work involves walking, sitting, standing, bending, stooping, twisting, turning, lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, grasping, and reaching within normal ranges. Ability to lift and move a variety of work-related materials weighing up to 25 pounds (with / without assistance). Prolonged computer and phone use. Manual dexterity using fine and gross motor skills. Ability to speak and be heard by others. Ability to see and hear within normal ranges with or without corrective devices. Ability to conduct indoor and outdoor work, including traversing variable terrains in variable field conditions.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Thorough knowledge of the principles, theories and practices of park and public land management. Thorough knowledge of forestry operations, land restoration techniques, local, state and federal laws, policies, rules regulations and standards pertaining to parks and land management. Thorough knowledge of facility maintenance practices, methods and equipment. Thorough knowledge of safety standards. Knowledge of effective supervisory / lead worker practices and techniques. Ability to plan, organize, coordinate, prioritize, assign and evaluate the work of crews and other support staff. Ability to analyze difficult and complex issues and make recommendations for proper actions. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other employees, County officials, representatives from other governmental and community agencies, and the general public. Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing. Proficient computer skills for software applicable to the position.

Become a part of the Dane County Team!

We offer a wide range of benefits including fully paid dental and HMO health insurance premiums for full time employees / pro rated for part time employees. The County will also provide contributions towards POS health insurance premiums and short / long term disability. Additional benefits available include long term care, vision coverage, flex spending account and deferred compensation programs paid in full by the employee and a wellness program. For further details on insurance benefits visit

Bilingual Pay : Employees who work in bilingual designated positions receive an additional $2.00 per hour.

Undesirable Hours Premium Pay : Employees may receive undesirable hours pay of $2.00 for anytime worked between 6 : 00 p.m. and 6 : 00 a.m and for anytime on Saturday and / or Sunday. (not applicable with all employee groups).

Paid Parental Leave : Dane County also provides 12 weeks of paid parental leave for birth or adoption of a child.

Caregiver Leave : Dane County offers 80 hours of paid leave to care for an ill family member.

Telecommuting : Telecommuting allows employees to work remotely for all or part of their workweek. Dane County considers telecommuting to be a viable, flexible option when both the employee and the job are suited to such an arrangement. Dane County will permit telecommuting when it benefits the productivity of the employee and their department and if determined by employee's department that telecommuting is not detrimental to either the County or the employee.

Student Loan Forgiveness : If you are employed by a government or not-for-profit organization, you may be able to receive loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.

WI Retirement System : Employees hired after 7-1-11 must be expected to work a minimum of 1200 hours annually to be enrolled in the Wisconsin Retirement System when hired.

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Dane County participates in E-Verify. For more information see the Notice of E-Verify Participation and Right to Work posters here" and then the 'here' links to this page :

Do you have any combination of education, training and experience equivalent to a Bachelor's degree in natural resource management, forestry, parks or recreation administration, public administration or a closely related field?

Do you have a minimum of five (5) years' experience in the mentioned specialties including at least two (2) years' supervisory or lead experience?

NOTE TO APPLICANT : Please respond yes or no that you have read and understand. Your responses to the following graded questions will also be evaluated based on : (1) Clarity of information, (2) Proper spelling and grammar usage; (3) Conciseness of material; and (4) Organization of narrative. Candidates applying for Dane County jobs are strictly prohibited from using artificial intelligence-generated (AI-generated) content or tools in any part of the job application process. This includes but is not limited to resumes, cover letters, and responses to written or oral questions during the entirety of the recruitment process. Please refer to the introductory paragraph on the Job Opportunities page where you accessed your application, for further details of the Dane County Job Candidate Artificial Intelligence Use Prohibited Policy. In your application you will be asked to disclose whether or not you used AI to complete any part of the job application process. Exceptions apply if you need to use AI as a health-related accommodation. Otherwise, your application will be disqualified.

THIS QUESTION IS GRADED The Natural Resource Manager directs all forestry and land restoration work for Dane County Parks. Please describe how your education, background, and past employment has prepared you to take on these responsibilities. Be specific about the experience that applies to the duties of this position, including supervisory or lead worker experience.

THIS QUESTION IS GRADED Dane County Parks welcomes over 5 million visitors annually and manages over 19,000 acres of land, including high-use areas such as campgrounds, regional trails, dog parks and critical natural resource areas. What strategies would you use to balance the preservation of ecosystems with the recreational needs of the public? How do you handle competing interests when managing natural resources?

THIS QUESTION IS GRADED Provide an example of a successful project you've managed related to forest management or habitat restoration. What were the key challenges you faced and how did you address them?

THIS QUESTION IS GRADED The Natural Resource Manager supervises full-time and limited term employees, and oversees contracted and volunteer land restoration and forestry work. Describe a time when you developed or implemented a training or safety program for either staff or volunteers. What protocols and standards did the training program address? How did you approach designing the program? What challenges did you faced and what positive outcomes were achieved?

Required Question

Salary : $48 - $64