Wildlife Management Specialist

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever; Panora (IA); On-site; USD 19,000 - 28,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Career advancement

Hands-on skills

Networking opportunities

Outdoor conservation experience

Job summary

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever is seeking a Wildlife Management Specialist at the Iowa DNR Saylorville Wildlife Unit to gain foundational experience in habitat management, maintenance, and wildlife surveys. The role reports to the Natural Resource Biologist and involves assisting with a variety of tasks at the wildlife unit.

Typical duties include habitat work, surveys, and general maintenance using hand tools and small equipment.

Qualifications

• Degree in wildlife biology, animal ecology, or another closely related natural resource field.
• Passion for conservation and outdoor fieldwork.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Display professionalism, integrity, and accountability.
• Able to travel on overnight duties and work on weekends and holidays.
• Must have a valid driver’s license.

Responsibilities

• Perform wildlife habitat management activities including wetland and prairie management.
• Prescribed fire implementation for ecological purposes.
• Wildlife surveys and monitoring, including data collection.
• General area maintenance and use of basic power equipment.
• Overnight travel for large projects may be required.

Skills

Wildlife knowledge

Teamwork

Attention to detail

Initiative

Reliability

Education

Degree in wildlife biology or related field

Job description

Work Location:

Iowa DNR Saylorville Wildlife Unit – Bays Branch Office (Guthrie County)

3123 220th St, Panora, IA 50216

Application deadline

September 30, 2026

Salary:

$17.00 per hour

Typical Hours:

7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. – 40 hours per week

Anticipated Start Date:

2-4 weeks post successful job offer

End Date:

One year from start date

JOB DESCRIPTION:

This role is designed to provide foundational experience in habitat management, maintenance and technical skills, and wildlife surveys. The PF Wildlife Management Specialist will work with other wildlife unit personnel and be under the general direction of the Natural Resource Biologist. This position will assist with performing a variety of maintenance and technical tasks at the wildlife management unit. The employee is expected to efficiently display a high level of initiative and commitment towards completing assignments. Overnight travel will occasionally be required on special projects outside of the assigned unit counties. Watch this video to see a day in the role of a Wildlife Management Specialist.

Examples of typical job duties may include:

• Perform wildlife habitat management activities including: Wetland management, prairie management, native prairie seeding, food plot development, edge feathering, tree/brush removal, spraying, disking, mowing, etc. using large farm machinery, chainsaws, and other hand tools.
• Prescribed fire implementation for ecological purposes. This duty will require fire-line construction, fire-line holding, and mop-up activities. Performance of these tasks will require the employee to periodically work under physically stressful and adverse conditions. Proficiency in the use of basic wildland firefighting equipment will be needed.
• Wildlife Surveys & Monitoring including: Waterfowl banding, deer spotlight routes, august roadside surveys, chronic wasting disease sampling, etc. Collecting of biological data occasionally will require early or late in the day work scheduling.
• General area maintenance involving mowing, sign posting, fence building, fence removal, tree/brush control, noxious weed control etc. These activities require the ability to use simple power equipment; drills, saws, hand tools, chain saws, trimmers, small mowers etc.
• Special assignments may require some overnight travel as part of a crew, to accomplish large scale fence removal, fence building or tree removal projects outside of the assigned unit counties. These assignments will require the ability to work well with others, work out of doors under all types of weather conditions, and to withstand physically demanding work, i.e., lifting, bending and hauling.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Degree in wildlife biology, animal ecology, or another closely related natural resource field.
• Passion for conservation and outdoor fieldwork
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, demonstrating responsible behavior, attention to detail, and the capacity to work with minimal supervision.
• Display professionalism, integrity, and accountability, with strong initiative, effort, and commitment to completing assignments efficiently
• Able to travel on overnight duties and work on weekends, holidays, nights, and evenings as required
• Must have a valid motor vehicle operator’s license
• Able to follow policy and cooperate with supervisors and co-workers

CAREER ADVANCEMENT BENEFITS

• Proven pathway to full-time careers — this position has a strong track record of placement into full-time permanent roles with DNR, Pheasants Forever, and other conservation organizations.
• Build valuable, hands-on technical skills while working alongside experienced DNR professionals.
• Grow your professional network and form lasting connections across the conservation field.
• Gain real-world, outdoor experience doing meaningful, on-the-ground conservation work.
• Experience a unique dual-agency role, with opportunities to engage in trainings, collaboration, and annual staff meetings with both DNR and Pheasants Forever

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS PACKAGE:

Pheasants Forever offers a competitive benefits package. Employee Benefit Package information can be found here: Employee Benefit Summary pdf

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

Must possess or be able to acquire a pesticide applicator’s license and S130-190 basic firefighter training certification, special requirements shall be met within 90 days of hire if not currently possessed. Successful applicant will also be encouraged to obtain a commercial driver’s license, Iowa DNR chainsaw safety certification, and first aid & bloodborne pathogen training.

If you have additional questions, please contact Rodney Ellingson, Central District Supervisor, at 641-751-9767, or [e-mail].

Pheasants Forever is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), national origin or ancestry, age, disability status, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. This policy governs all aspects of employment, including but not limited to selection, job assignment, compensation, discipline, termination, and access to benefits and training.