Assistant Director National Wildlife Refuge System

U.S. Department of the Interior; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 168,000 - 205,000; Full time

Job summary

The Department of the Interior is recruiting for the Senior Executive Service role of Assistant Director, National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) in Washington, DC. This executive position leads nationwide policies and operations within the Refuge System, guiding strategic planning, budgeting, and performance across diverse conservation programs.

This role requires ECQ/TQ demonstration, extensive leadership experience, and ability to build partnerships with Federal, state, and Tribal entities to

Qualifications

• ECQs and TQs must be clearly demonstrated in resume.
• Experience leading strategic conservation programs at scale.
• Ability to build and sustain partnerships with multiple stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Provides executive leadership and strategic direction for the stewardship, management, and operation of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
• Directs national policy, priorities, planning, budgeting, and performance for conservation programs across the Refuge System.
• Evaluates program performance and directs adjustments to policies and resources to meet national objectives.
• Oversees land acquisition, protection, and disposition activities supporting the Refuge System and related programs.
• Directs national policies for visitor services and culturally significant resources.
• Oversees infrastructure planning and asset management across the Refuge System.
• Builds partnerships with States, Tribes, Federal agencies, and conservation organizations.
• Represent the Service on significant policy and conservation matters involving NWRS.

Skills

Executive leadership

Strategic direction

Policy development

Budgeting

Stakeholder collaboration

Program evaluation

Job description

Summary

The Department of the Interior is seeking highly qualified candidates for the Senior Executive Service (SES) position of Assistant Director, National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, located in Washington, D.C. The Department classifies SES positions by category to establish minimum pay levels. This position is designated as Category 4, with a minimum annual salary of $186,207. Veterans' preference does not apply to positions in the Senior Executive Service (SES).

Major Duties

• Provides executive leadership and strategic direction for the stewardship, management, and operation of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
• Directs national policy, priorities, strategic planning, budgeting, and performance for programs supporting the conservation and management of fish, wildlife, plants, habitats, and natural and cultural resources across the Refuge System.
• Evaluates program performance, emerging conservation challenges, and operational needs and directs adjustments to policies, priorities, strategies, and resources to achieve national objectives.
• Provides executive oversight of land acquisition, realty, land protection, and land disposition activities supporting the Refuge System and other U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service programs.
• Directs national policies and priorities for visitor services, wildlife-dependent recreation, public access and use, and cultural resource stewardship.
• Provides executive oversight of infrastructure planning, investment, maintenance, and asset management across the Refuge System.
• Builds and sustains strategic partnerships with States, Tribes, Federal agencies, conservation organizations, communities, and other partners to advance national conservation and Refuge System priorities.
• Represents the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on significant national policy, conservation, management, and operational matters involving the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Education

PROOF OF EDUCATION: All applicants who are using education or a combination of education and experience to qualify must submit copies of official or unofficial transcripts which include grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, institution name, and student name. If any required coursework is not easily recognizable on transcripts, or if you believe a portion of a particular course can be credited toward meeting an educational requirement, you must also provide a memorandum on letterhead from the institution's registrar, dean, or other appropriate official stating the percentage of the course that should be considered to meet the requirement and the equivalent number of units. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; however, if you are selected for the position, you will be required to produce the original official transcripts.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education

Requirements

U.S. Citizenship Subject to a background/suitability investigation/determination. You must be able to obtain/maintain a Tier 4 background investigation. This a Public Trust, Non-Sensitive, High-Risk, position. Public Financial Disclosure (OGE-278 filing within 30 days is required) Males must meet Selective Service Registration Act requirements. To verify registration visit SSS.gov. Selections are subject to Department approval.

Initial appointments to the SES must have to undergo an ECQ based structured interview with Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Initial appointments into the Senior Executive Service require a one-year probationary period. Individuals selected for an SES position are subject to reassignment.

Agencies must request OPM approval to appoint current or former (within 5 years) Executive Branch political appointees to permanent competitive service, non-political excepted service, or career SES position.

Evaluations

You will be evaluated based on the quality and scope of your experience and accomplishments. Your Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and Technical Qualifications (TQs) must be clearly demonstrated within your two-page resume. Applicants who do not sufficiently demonstrate the required ECQs and TQs will not receive further consideration. Applicants who meet the basic qualification and eligibility requirements will have their resumes evaluated by a panel of SES members. The panel will assess the extent to which each applicant demonstrates the required ECQs and TQs. The highest-qualified applicants may be invited to participate in one or more interviews. If the selected candidate has not received Qualifications Review Board (QRB) certification from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the candidate will be required to participate in an ECQ-based structured interview with OPM as part of the SES appointment approval process.

What to Expect Next

Once you submit all the required documents and the online application in USAJOBS, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After the evaluation process is complete, you will be notified of your status and/or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. You will be notified if this job is filled or canceled. Timelines for this process vary widely. You may check the status of your application at any time by logging in to your USAJobs Account.

Required Documents

1. REQUIRED: Transcripts
2. REQUIRED: Your resume - it must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements as stated in this vacancy announcement. Insufficient information will result in a not qualified rating. It is recommended that you include the following information: Full name, mailing address, and day and evening telephone numbers Educational information, including the name, city and state of colleges or universities you attended, as well as the type and year of any degrees received Information about your paid and nonpaid work experience related to this position including: Job title (include series and grade if Federal job) Duties and accomplishments Employer's name and address Supervisor's name and phone number Starting and ending dates of employment (month and year) Salary Indicate if we may contact your current supervisor Information about honors, awards, and special accomplishments
3. REQUIRED: If you are a current Federal employee, a copy of a recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (or similar personnel document demonstrating an appointment), that indicates Federal status, grade, tenure, and type of service. Please redact your social security number and date of birth.
4. REQUIRED: A copy of your most recent annual performance appraisal (i.e., within the last 18 months from the closing date of this vacancy announcement, from either the Federal or private sector). Please remove your social security number and date of birth from any documentation you provide. If you are unable to provide your most recent annual performance appraisal, please provide a written justification explaining why you could not provide the requested documentation. Failure to provide the most recent annual performance appraisal or written justification explaining why you did not provide the requested documentation you will be disqualified for further consideration because your application will be incomplete.
5. REQUIRED: ALL DOCUMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 11:59pm ET ON THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT You must submit all required documents identified in this announcement that are applicable to your candidacy. Failure to submit documentation necessary to establish your eligibility or qualifications may result in disqualification or removal from further consideration.

Other Information

Individuals selected for Senior Executive Service positions may be subject to reassignment across geographical, organizational, and functional lines. The Department of the Interior structures its SES positions into categories to determine the minimum pay for each position. Pay is set based on consideration of the selectee's current salary and other factors. Effective January 1, 2010, OPM must authorize any employment offers we make to current or former (within the last 5 years) political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employees in the executive branch. If you are currently or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you must disclose that to the Human Resources Office. Pay and Performance: Annual pay adjustments and performance recognition, as applicable, are based on performance in the Senior Executive Service (SES). Recruitment Incentive: A recruitment incentive may be authorized for a newly appointed employee in accordance with applicable regulations. Federal employees transferring to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) from another Federal agency who do not meet the eligibility requirements under 5 CFR § 575.102 are not eligible for a recruitment incentive. Relocation Incentive: A relocation incentive may be authorized for an eligible Federal employee who, at the direction of FWS and based on agency need, must relocate to a different geographic area at least 50 miles from the location of the employee's current position of record.