wildlife species, maintain nearly a million acres of public wildlife lands, provide opportunities for recreational and commercial fishing, wildlife viewing and hunting, protect and restore habitat and enforce laws that protect fish and wildlife resources. Learn more about us at www.wdfw.wa.gov.

The Habitat Program is dedicated to protecting, conserving, and restoring ecosystems necessary for the long-term sustainability of fish and wildlife populations in Washington State. To serve this need, Habitat Program staff use permitting authority and provide sound scientific information, management recommendations, and expert technical guidance to other agencies and the public.

The Habitat Program is organized into divisions focused on ecosystem Restoration, Protection, Science, Environmental Policy, and Administrative Operations.

JOB SUMMARY

Reporting to the Deputy Director, the Habitat Program Assistant Director directs and oversees the Program to maintain and restore the ecological integrity of habitat quantity, quality, and connectivity. These conservation and restoration efforts are directed at the long-term health of fish and wildlife in Washington State while supporting sustainable fishing, hunting, and land and water use, and are executed in a manner that is consistent with state policy, commission policy and legislative mandate.

The Habitat Program Assistant Director leads, manages, and directs all aspects of the Habitat Program to ensure short and long term success of the Program and Agency priorities in regard to habitat conservation and restoration efforts. Within the framework of the agency mission and Commission policies, the incumbent manages comprehensive statewide programs to preserve, protect and perpetuate the state’s fish and wildlife resources and their habitats.

The Habitat Program Assistant Director works with nine Fish and Wildlife Commissioners, the Director, Deputy Director, other agency executive staff and senior staff to develop and implement the Department’s policies, goals and objectives pertaining to habitat protection and acquisition, restoration, research, and management.

The Habitat Program Assistant Director coordinates the development and adoption of legislation with the Governor’s Office, State Legislature, other state agencies, local governments, conservation groups, and other partners. This position represents the Department and the state on federal, regional, tribal, and international forums and organizations that affect the management of Washington’s fish and wildlife habitat.

DUTIES:

•   Lead and manage the Habitat Program, consisting of five divisions and approximately 170 employees deployed in Olympia and throughout six state-wide geographic regions.
•   Direct and oversee Program functions and services to maintain and restore the ecological integrity of habitat quantity, quality, and connectivity. Assure that the Program has a long-range strategic vision to achieve its mission, making consistent and timely progress.
•   Integrate good science with constituent values as the foundation for policy and management decisions affecting fish and wildlife habitats.
•   Establish effective working relations with local, state, federal, tribal governments, conservation groups, industry, and other constituents.
•   Represent the Department in forums with state and federal legislators, the Governor’s Office, Indian Tribes, state and federal entities, special interest groups, advisory groups, and constituents.

•   Supervise the Program Deputy Assistant Director and five Division Managers.
•   Provide policy and administrative support and strategic direction for the Habitat Program’s statewide implementation of technical and policy services that protect and

  restore fish and wildlife and the ecosystems they depend on.

•   Maintain a work environment that attracts, retains and motivates a diverse staff of top

  quality people.

  Program services include:

o Protect fish life using the department’s Hydraulic Project Approval (HPA) authority
o Restoration of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems by providing scientific, engineering,

and planning expertise through cooperative partnerships. Focus areas include Puget Sound nearshore ecosystem, fish passage, fish screening, Columbia estuary, and other aquatic and terrestrial habitats.

o Conducting research to provide the scientific foundation for Habitat Program management decisions and technical assistance related to conservation and restoration activities.

o Influencing land use planning related to Growth Management Act, Shoreline Management Act, and Priority Habitat and Species Program, providing information to local governments, tribes, land managers and developers, conservation and restoration groups, state and federal agencies to assist in making land-use decisions that protect fish and wildlife needs.

o Preparing for future climate conditions through development of adaptation strategies based on the identification of how habitat influences the survival of fish and wildlife.

o Protection and restoration aquatic ecosystems from the impacts of oil spills.
o Development of effective siting and mitigation for impacts from major projects

including energy and hydro facilities.

LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES

To be competitive for this position, an applicant should demonstrate the following competencies:

Leading Change

Creativity and Innovation: Develops new insights into situations; questions conventional approaches; encourage new ideas and innovations; designs and implements new or cutting edge programs and processes.
External Awareness: Understands and keeps up-to-date on local, national, and international policies and trends that affect the organization and shape stakeholders’ views; is aware of the organization’s impact on the external environment.

Flexibility: Is open to change and new information; rapidly adapts to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles.
Resilience: Deals effectively with pressure; remains optimistic and persistent, even under adversity. Recovers quickly from setbacks.

Strategic Thinking: Formulates objectives and priorities, and implements plans consistent with long-term interests of the organization in a global environment. Capitalizes on opportunities and manages risks.
Vision: Takes a long-term view and builds a shared vision with others; acts as a catalyst for organizational change. Influences others to translate vision into action.

Leading People

Human Capital Management: Builds and manages a diverse, talented workforce based on

organizational goals, budget considerations, and staffing needs. Ensures that employees are appropriately recruited, selected, appraised, and rewarded.
Performance Management: Gives clear direction, sets performance expectations, and holds staff accountable for accomplishing. Takes timely corrective action to improve staff performance issues. Writes effective performance evaluations.

Conflict Management: Encourages creative tension and differences of opinions. Anticipates and takes steps to prevent counter-productive confrontations. Manages and resolves conflicts and disagreements in a constructive manner.
Leverage Diversity: Fosters an inclusive workplace where diversity and individual differences are valued and leveraged to achieve the vision and mission of the organization.

Developing Others: Develops the ability of others to perform and contribute to the organization by providing ongoing feedback and by providing opportunities to learn through formal and informal methods.
Team Building: Inspires and fosters team commitment, spirit, pride, and trust. Facilitates cooperation and motivates team members to accomplish group goals.

Results Driven

Accountability: Holds self and others accountable for measurable high-quality, timely, and cost- effective results. Determines objectives, sets priorities, and delegates work. Accepts responsibility for mistakes. Complies with established control systems and rules.
Customer Service: Anticipates and meets the needs of both internal and external customers. Delivers high-quality products and services; is committed to continuous improvement. Decisiveness: Makes well-informed, effective, and timely decisions, even when data are limited or solutions produce unpleasant consequences; perceives the impact and implications of decisions.

Problem solving: Identifies and analyzes problems; weighs relevance and accuracy of information; generates and evaluates alternative solutions; makes recommendations.
Technical Credibility: Understands and appropriately applies principles, procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies related to specialized expertise.

Business Acumen

Financial Management: Understands the organization’s financial processes. Prepares, justifies, and administers the program budget. Oversees procurement and contracting to achieve desired results. Monitors expenditures and uses cost-benefit thinking to set priorities.
Technology Management: Keeps up-to-date on technological developments. Makes effective use of technology to achieve results. Ensures access to and security of technology systems.

Building Coalitions

Partnering: Develops networks and builds alliances, collaborates across boundaries to build strategic relationships and achieve common goals.
Political Savvy: Identifies the internal and external politics that impact the work of the organization. Perceives organizational and political reality and acts accordingly. Influencing/Negotiating: Persuades others; builds consensus through give and take; gains cooperation from others to obtain information and accomplish goals.

WORKING CONDITIONS

This position is scheduled for 8 am to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, with occasional evening and weekend work to complete tasks. Position requires some travel within the Olympia area and