Wildlife Refuge Manager.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS); Hilo (HI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) seeks a supervisory wildlife program leader for a National Wildlife Refuge in Hawaii. You will guide habitat development, population studies, and invasive species control while coordinating with federal, state, and local partners.

Leadership will drive annual plans, budgets, and grants while ensuring high professional standards. The role emphasizes staff development, teamwork, and advancing six priority public uses through Refuge Visitor Services, requiring

Qualifications

• Minimum qualifications include a biology-based degree with zoology/wildlife emphasis.
• Experience planning and managing a refuge biological program.
• Ability to coordinate with agencies, the public, and partners.

Responsibilities

• Oversee and administer the biological program at the Refuge, including habitat development and monitoring.
• Plan and negotiate resolution of complex resource use issues at a National Wildlife Refuge.
• Develop partnerships with agencies, organizations, and interest groups.
• Develop annual work plans, budgets, grants, and program schedules.
• Supervise a multidisciplinary team to deliver high-quality work.
• Oversee Visitor Services aligning with six priority public uses.

Skills

Program management

Stakeholder coordination

Team leadership

Negotiation

Public relations

Analytical skills

Education

Biology degree with zoology emphasis

Transcript submission required

Job description

Duties

Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following:

• Oversees and administers the biological program at assigned Refuge, administering habitat development, research programs, population studies, wildlife inventory, and monitoring activities, and invasive species control. Ensures all projects comply with national, regional, and Refuge policies, regulations, and mandates.
• Ability to plan, develop, coordinate, and negotiate the resolution of complicated, unprecedented, and/or controversial resource use issues and problems related to a National Wildlife Refuge.
• Skill and diplomacy in developing partnerships, strategizing, and coordinating activities with other Federal, state, and local agencies, and with private and national organizations and special interest groups and organizations.
• Initiates and ensures the development, approval, and implementation of annual work plans, budgets, cost estimates, grants funding administration, and program schedules.
• Supervises a multifaceted team of professional, technical, analytical and administrative support staff, setting a team attitude of adhering to high professional standards and completion of accurate, high quality work.
• Responsible for creating an environment that encourages and rewards cooperation, collective problem solving, and participative decision-making. Develops the ability of others to perform and contribute to the organization by providing feedback and by providing opportunities to learn through formal and informal methods.
• Oversees and administers the Refuge Visitor Services program with emphasis on the six priority public uses of the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Direct Deposit participation required.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check.
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
• You are required to wear a uniform and comply with uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1 year probationary period to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances the public interest.

This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of your probationary your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

This is a supervisory position that may require completion of a supervisory probationary period.

• Additional Requirements located under qualifications*

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 10/01/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.

For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the work schedule requirement as the service dates will be reflected. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, your resume must state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience.

Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:

Basic Educational Requirements

In addition to the specialized experience requirements for this position, you must meet at least one of the following:

• Degree: zoology, wildlife management, or an appropriate field of biology that included at least 9 semester hours in zoology; 6 semester hours in such wildlife courses as mammalogy, ornithology, animal ecology, or wildlife management; and 3 semester hours in botany, and 3 semester hours in conservation biology. You must submit transcripts.
• Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in one of the fields described in A above that included at least 9 semester hours in zoology; 6 semester hours in such wildlife courses as mammalogy, ornithology, animal ecology, or wildlife management; and 3 semester hours in botany, and 3 semester hours in conservation biology, plus appropriate experience or additional education

To qualify for this position at the GS-13 grade level:

Experience

To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: Experience must include the following:

• Plan, manage, evaluate, and carry out the biological program at assigned Refuge.
• Skill and diplomacy in coordinating station activities with other agencies and organizations; ability to deal effectively with the general public; and ability to exercise tact and diplomacy in official association with Federal, state, and local agencies, and various organizations and special interest groups.
• Ability to communicate in writing sufficient to respond to congressional inquiries, write policy and procedures, develop briefing documents, develop performance plans

Experience may include

• Knowledge of applicable laws and agency/bureau policies, objectives, planning, and management activities related to the National Wildlife Refuge System.
• Reviews and makes priority public use decisions based on expert knowledge of refuge compatibility and appropriate use policy.

Volunteer Experience

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

This position does not allow substituting education for experience.

This position has a mandatory education requirement.

You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include your name, school name, grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, and date the degree was conferred, if applicable. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not qualified for the position. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

Foreign Education

To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated

Additional information

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed.

All DOI employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.