Fisheries Supervisor - Statewide Programs

State of Iowa - Executive Branch; Des Moines (IA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid telework

Excellent retirement plan

Comprehensive health insurance

Paid holidays

Job summary

Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) seeks a strategic leader to supervise statewide Fisheries Programs, including Fisheries Research, AIS, and Aquatic Vegetation Management. You will direct scientific operations, manage a $2.5 million budget, and drive performance across a decentralized team with strong collaboration with universities.

The role requires a four-year degree and extensive management experience, with hybrid telework options and a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• Requires graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with significant program management experience.
• Eight years of full-time work experience in program administration, development, management, or operations.
• Two years of graduate-level education and public-service-related study may substitute for experience.

Responsibilities

• Direct statewide Fisheries Research, AIS, and Aquatic Vegetation Management programs across Iowa.
• Oversee budget of $2.5 million and external research contracts with universities.
• Lead staff development, performance appraisals, and compliance with EEO/AA, ADA, FMLA, and FLSA.
• Collaborate with university partners to secure outside funding and ensure federal grant compliance.

Skills

Leadership

Budget management

Strategic planning

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Job Description

Only applicants who meet the Minimum Qualification Requirements AND meet all selective requirements (listed below) will be placed on the eligible list. The Department of Natural Resources encourages all applicants to upload a current resume and cover letter to their online application.

At the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), our mission is critical: to conserve and enhance our natural resources, improve the quality of life in Iowa, and ensure a legacy for future generations. Our success relies on dedicated professionals who work hand-in-hand within the communities they serve, fostering a collaborative, family-like atmosphere united by a shared goal. We are seeking a passionate, strategic leader to serve as the supervisor for our Statewide Fisheries Programs. In this pivotal role, you will take ownership of protecting and enhancing nearly 100,000 miles of rivers and streams and over 300,000 acres of lakes, reservoirs, and ponds. If you are looking for a career with a rich variety of work, where you can see the direct results of your efforts, make a tangible difference for our customers, and ensure our field staff have the objective data they need to succeed, this is your opportunity to lead at the forefront of Iowa's aquatic conservation.

To achieve these conservation goals, you will direct three specialized, statewide programs: Fisheries Research, Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS), and Aquatic Vegetation Management. You will guide the Fisheries Research Section to evaluate existing practices and innovate new techniques, providing the scientific foundation for smarter, more effective fisheries management. Additionally, you will direct the AIS Program, which proactively protects Iowa’s aquatic ecosystems from ecological and economic threats through comprehensive prevention, early detection, rapid response, and public education. You will also oversee the Aquatic Vegetation Management Program, created to help managers identify and implement effective vegetation treatment and control measures to maintain water quality and provide exceptional fishing opportunities. Serving as a core member of the Bureau Management Team, you will administer a $2.5 million operational budget, oversee critical federal grants, and champion continuous improvement across our statewide initiatives.

Primary Job Duties

Personnel Supervision & Program Leadership

• Direct a large, decentralized workforce of 18 permanent biological staff (including a Biometrician, Biologists, and Technicians) alongside a supplemental team of seasonal workers, temporary staff, and administrative interns across the Fisheries Research, Aquatic Invasive Species, and Aquatic Vegetation Management programs.
• Manage the complete employment lifecycle, administering personnel actions, formal annual performance appraisals, staff performance plans, and complex grievance resolutions at the first step.
• Ensure all personnel practices strictly comply with EEO/AA, ADA, FMLA, and FLSA guidelines.
• Cultivate an innovative, highly productive team environment while rewriting Position Description Questionnaires (PDQs) as needed to reflect the changing competencies and organizational structures of the supervised programs.

Scientific Research & Ecological Oversight

• Direct the scientific operations, experimental designs, and field activities for six fisheries research teams, the AIS program, and the Aquatic Vegetation Management program.
• Apply advanced biological principles to evaluate complex ecological data, collaborating with internal DNR staff and university partners to identify and solve major issues impacting Iowa's water quality, habitat, and fisheries.
• Oversee the development and maintenance of a comprehensive statewide fisheries database for streams and lakes.
• Visit field sites to participate in and review physical field sampling and laboratory analyses, ensuring all activities maintain strict scientific and methodological integrity.

Bureau Leadership & Strategic Planning

• Serve as a core member of the Fisheries Bureau Management Team, actively contributing to overarching operational, financial, and policy decision-making processes for the entire Fisheries Bureau.
• Function as an objective, external reviewer for regional fisheries management and fish culture (hatchery) actions, evaluating their scientific validity and alignment with the Bureau's long-term strategic plan.
• Analyze statewide operations to identify programmatic inefficiencies, driving continuous improvement by developing inventive solutions and standard operating procedures to resolve complex problems lacking established precedents.

Financial Planning & Grant Administration

• Formulate, monitor, and administer an annual operating budget of $2.5 million to sustain statewide operational and scientific initiatives, including long-range requests for operations and capital improvement projects.
• Negotiate and manage the Bureau's Professional Services budget, establishing and overseeing external research contracts with university partners to execute specialized studies outside internal capacity.
• Collaborate intimately with university researchers to identify, write, and secure outside funding sources to support supplemental fisheries research.
• Partner with the Bureau's Program Manager 2 to prepare, review, and edit federal aid applications and annual performance reports, ensuring all subordinate field operations strictly adhere to the parameters of the Sport Fish Restoration (SFR) and Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) federal grants.

Communications, Outreach & Modernization

• Serve as the primary liaison to the Communications, Outreach and Marketing (COM) Bureau, specifically directing the Fisheries Research Section to provide critical data analysis to continuously improve statewide Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation (R3) initiatives.
• Drive the continuous review and modernization of Bureau reporting by transitioning legacy paper formats to highly accessible digital platforms (e.g., websites, social media) to ensure complex fisheries information effectively reaches intended audiences.
• Translate complex fisheries research, invasive species threats, and vegetation management updates into concise project summaries and media releases.
• Develop strategic communication plans and standardized procedures for engaging specialized constituent groups (e.g., tournament anglers) and coordinate annual district listening sessions, empowering local biologists to remain the primary facilitators of meaningful public interactions.

Essential Functions

• Supervises and evaluates the performance of 18 permanent biological staff and a supplemental seasonal workforce across the Fisheries Research, Aquatic Invasive Species, and Aquatic Vegetation Management programs.
• Administers personnel actions, formal performance appraisals, and grievance resolutions in accordance with state and departmental policies.
• Serves on the Bureau Management Team to formulate bureau-wide policies and evaluate regional management and fish culture operations against the strategic plan.
• Directs statewide experimental designs, field research protocols, and scientific database management for aquatic resource programs.
• Formulates and administers the operational budget for Statewide Programs and a specialized Professional Services budget for external university research contracts.
• Collaborates with university partners to execute external research contracts and secure outside funding sources.
• Collaborates with the Program Manager 2 to execute and report on federal financial assistance requirements for the Sport Fish Restoration and Aquatic Nuisance Species grants.
• Directs the continuous review and modernization of Bureau-wide reporting formats to ensure data effectively reaches internal customers, peers, and the public through modern digital platforms.
• Directs bureau-wide collaboration with the Communications, Outreach and Marketing Bureau to evaluate and improve R3 initiatives through data analysis and scientific interpretation.

Critical Job Competencies

Accountability, Integrity, High Productivity, Communication Skills (written & oral), Team Player, Interpersonal Skills, Customer Focus, Self-management, Computer Skills, Strategic Leadership & Management, Supervisory Skills, Budget Management, Technical Skills (Fisheries Science & Analytical Reasoning).

What You Get From Us

• A competitive pay plan and rewarding work.
• Insurance benefits that start the first of the month following 30 days of employment.

(Premiums can start as low as $64/month for single and $210/month for family coverage).

• Separate vacation and sick leave accruals that start on the first day and can roll over annually.
• Nine paid holidays/year.
• Iowa Public Employee Retirement System (IPERS) retirement package with employer match.
• Optional deferred compensation (457/401A) plan with employer match.
• Professional training opportunities.
• Family friendly and professional work environment.
• Employee Discount Programs (vision, cellular, fitness, recreation, season passes, travel, counseling)
• The State’s total compensation package features benefits that are worth about 30% of your total compensation. For a list of additional benefits, please visit the DAS website for more information.
• Flexible work schedules (as approved by the supervisor).
• Opportunities for hybrid telework (as approved by the supervisor).
• Workout/Gym facilities available onsite at 6200 Park Ave.

Comments

The starting salary for new state (Executive Branch) employees is expected to be at the base of the pay range. Additional salary increases may occur after the first six months, and then annually (if applicable). The State’s total compensation package features an outstanding set of employee benefits that are worth about 30% of your total compensation. Visit the DAS website for more benefit information.

E-Verify and Right to Work

The State of Iowa participates in E-Verify, a federal program that helps employers confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. Within the required timeframe, new hires will be verified through the E-Verify system to ensure authorization to work in the United States. The State of Iowa also complies with the federal Right to Work laws, which protect employees’ rights to work without being required to join a labor organization. For more information, please visit www.e-verify.gov.

Iowa DNR Mission

To conserve and enhance our natural resources in cooperation with individuals and organizations to improve the quality of life in Iowa and ensure a legacy for future generations.

Selectives

Fisheries Biology 6 months’ experience, 12 semester hours, or a combination of both.

OR

Natural Resources 6 months’ experience, 12 semester hours, or a combination of both in one or in a combination of more than one of the following:

• Ecology
• Environmental planning
• Soil conservation
• Biological sciences
• Waste water treatment
• Forestry
• Engineering related to natural resource areas (dams, sanitary engineers, etc.)
• Outdoor recreation planning
• Physical sciences
• River basin planning
• Geography
• Wildlife management

Minimum Qualification Requirements

• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university and experience equal to four years of full-time work in program administration, development, management, or operations.
• Eight years of full-time work experience in program administration, development, management, or operations.
• All of the following (a and b):
  • Four years of full-time work experience work in program administration, development, management, or operations; and
  • A combination of a total of four years of education and full-time experience (as described in part a), where thirty semester hours of accredited college or university course work in any field equals one year of full-time experience. Graduation from the Iowa Certified Public Manager Program is also equivalent to one year of full-time experience or education.
• All of the following (a, b, and c):
  • Two years of full-time work experience work in program administration, development, management, or operations; and
  • A combination of a total of four years of education and full-time experience (as described in part a), where thirty semester hours of accredited college or university course work equals one year of full-time experience; and
  • A combination of a total of two years of graduate-level education and full-time experience (as described in part a), where twenty-four semester hours of accredited graduate college or university course work in a public-service-related area (e.g., public or business administration, social work, law, education, engineering) equals one year of full-time experience. Graduation from the Iowa Certified Public Manager Program is also equivalent to one year of full-time experience or education.
• Current, continuous experience in the state executive branch that includes one year of full-time work as a Public Service Supervisor or comparable specific management-level position.