About the Washington Department of Natural Resources

Washington’s public landscapes are a legacy that provides Washingtonians with enormous environmental, recreation and economic benefit. The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) honors this legacy by sustainably managing almost 6 millions of acres of timber, agricultural, aquatic, residential, commercial and industrial state lands.

DNR has an annual operating budget of approximately $245 million and has more than 1,400 permanent employees with 550 additional staff hired during the summer fire season. Each year, state trust forest, range, commercial, agricultural and aquatic lands generate more than $300 million for public schools, state institutions, county services and aquatic restoration. As stewards of these lands, DNR also manages them to protect fish and wildlife habitat, provide clean air and water, and provide public access to outdoor recreation.

DNR also:

• Is the state’s wildfire fighting force, protecting communities against wildfire using firefighting crews and aviation resources.
• Leads efforts to restore the health of 1.25 million acres of state, federal, private, and tribal forests through collaborative programs and landowner assistance.
• Manages 2.6 million acres of aquatic lands and performs vital habitat restoration work.
• Manages the state’s most precious natural areas.
• Administers state forest practices rules.
• Monitors geologic hazards, including earthquakes and tsunamis.

Aquatic Lands

DNR is steward of more than 2.6 million acres of aquatic lands—beaches and tidelands of Puget Sound, the coast, and navigable lakes and rivers. DNR manages these submerged lands to protect fish and other wildlife while also providing for commerce, navigation and public access. Revenue is generated by selling wild geoducks and leasing aquatic lands for marinas, ports, aquaculture and other uses. In addition to protecting and restoring aquatic resources, aquatic revenues help pay for local projects that create public access to our waters.

Washington’s aquatic lands are the foundation of a complex and interdependent ecosystem and economy. For centuries, the people of Washington have used aquatic lands for subsistence, trade and leisure while a vast array of species rely on the habitat it provides.

DNR manages state-owned aquatic lands guided by following goals:

• Encourage direct public use and access.
• Foster water-dependent uses.
• Ensure environmental protection.
• Opportunities for utilization of renewable resources.
• Generate income from use of aquatic lands.

DNR generates revenue by selling the rights to harvest renewable resources like wild geoducks and other shellfish and from leasing and licensing state-owned aquatic lands.

That revenue is reinvested to manage and restore Washington’s aquatic ecosystems; keep them free of derelict maritime equipment; protect their health and productivity, and fund local projects that ensure the public can enjoy our aquatic lands.

DNR scientists research aquatic environments to ensure the best available science is used to ensure and improve the long-term health of the aquatic lands owned by the people of Washington.

About the Position

For this important role, DNR seeks a strong, unifying leader who is deeply committed to the success of the agency. The Aquatics Director should be a strategic big-picture thinker, who is skilled at creating systems to make organizations operate effectively and developing and implementing strategies based on data-driven decisions and actionable metrics.

As a member of Commissioner Hilary Franz’s executive team, the Aquatics Director is responsible for advising the Commissioner and Executive Management Team on broad natural resource, aquatic, environmental protection and policy issues. (Commissioner Franz is an independently elected statewide official.)

The Aquatics Director reports to the Chief Operating Officer and is responsible for the vision and leadership of the Aquatics Division with 130 staff members, a biennial budget of $35 million, a diverse set of partners and a wide range of programs and projects to serve Washington.

The Director will actively coordinate with public- and private-sector partners to advance progressive plans programs to serve the needs of the state. The Director will be held to a high standard for customer service, employee and community relations and ensuring a commitment to safety, diversity and inclusion in DNR’s workforce and activities.

Responsibilities include:

• Oversee the management of approximately 2.6 million acres of aquatic land
• Maintain the vision and mission of the Aquatics Division ensuring the division’s actions have positive impacts on all residents of the state as well as the regulated community.
• Develop and implement the division’s strategic plan and mission, goals, and objectives.
• Establish policies, priorities and division’s work plans.
• Review and analyze legislative bill proposals and participate in preparing and presenting agency-sponsored legislation.
• Ensure compliance with state and federal laws, rules, and regulations.
• Incorporate sustainable natural resource management, transparency and public processes, and sound science into creating and maintaining the division vision, mission, and policies/procedures.
• Oversee aquatic resource management operations, geoduck sales, regional land use planning, aquatic leases and easements, aquatic land preservation, restoration and clean up, nearshore habitat research, port management, and derelict vessel programs.
• Develop and maintain professional relationships and communications with other divisions, local governments, tribal governments, elected and appointed officials, citizens, businesses, and other public/private regulatory agencies, and Washington State residents.

Desirable Qualifications

Successful candidates will have a bachelor’s degree and a least seven years progressively responsible leadership and management experience in a large, complex and highly represented organization. An advanced degree is a plus.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The Aquatics Director must be effective in building strong relationships and trust. They must be approachable and comfortable working as a convener and collaborator with public and private sector partners. They need to be skilled at navigating the political landscape of working for an elected official and developing a network of stakeholders that connect DNR to Washington State’s cities, tribes and communities. Knowledge of public service culture and a proven ability to develop public and private partnerships are essential. The Director will need to bring an acute awareness of the external impact of DNR’s actions and decisions while providing stable management of the internal aspects of the organization.

The ideal candidate is able to cultivate a team that strengthens collaboration and cooperation and builds leadership with staff and external stakeholders. The Director should have experience taking visionary ideas and concepts, breaking them down into realistic actionable steps, and ensuring that they’re done efficiently.

The successful candidate will be capable of analyzing complex issues and handling controversial and sensitive issues that come with implementing statewide initiatives. Managing competing priorities and delivering strategic recommendations on a timely basis is critical. This position requires excellent problem-solving skills and an ability to seek solutions that achieve results.

The preferred candidate will have experience and demonstrated success in the following areas:

• Visionary leadership and strategic planning.
• Knowledge of aquatic science and aquatic land management principles and strategies.
• Knowledge of the Aquatic Lands Act.
• Cultural competency that enables effective working relationships in cross-cultural situations.
• Labor relations experience in a highly represented organization.
• Experience with legislative and budgeting processes.
• Ability to understand and address complex planning and policy issues.
• Adept building relationships with a wide range of interest groups, including the timber industry, environmental groups, tribes, trust beneficiaries, and local governments.
• Budget and legislative policy development and advocacy.
• Champion of workforce equity and diversity.
• Collaboration, customer service and partnership building skills.
• Politically astute.
• Open, honest and accessible.
• Creative problem solver, bringing fresh ideas, a progressive approach and new energy to the Division.
• Ability to influence others to do what needs to get done.

Live and Work in a Great State

Washington State offers a total work/life package of pay, benefits, flexibility and workplace opportunities to help you get the most out of your career and out of life. Washington State is a great place to work, play, and be a part of a community. Washington offers a quality of life that is unsurpassed. From the high- energy urban center of Seattle, one of the nation’s top-ranked cities, to the more relaxed pace of our rural communities, Washington’s distinctive Northwest lifestyle blends a progressive, creative culture with a casual nature.

The position is located in Olympia, the capital city of Washington State. Olympia is a vibrant city with a small- town feel conveniently situated between Seattle and Portland, Oregon. Mount Rainier and the rugged Cascade Mountains provide majestic scenery to the east while Washington’s Pacific Coast is just an hour’s drive to the west. Olympia enjoys the benefits of an engaged and educated community and a well-supported school system, augmented by two universities and a community college.