Wildlife Refuge Manager

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (DOI); Madison (SD); On-site; USD 106,000 - 138,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Madison, SD seeks a Wildlife Refuge Manager to lead staff and oversee a network of national wildlife refuges and related districts.

Apply expert knowledge to conservation challenges and support the FWS mission. You will direct operations, manage budgets, build partnerships with tribes and communities, and ensure high-quality, science-based resource management across eastern South Dakota.

Qualifications

• Must have degree in zoology or wildlife biology with relevant coursework.
• At least 1 year of specialized experience at the GS-12 level.
• Experience leading teams and managing conservation programs.
• Ability to travel up to 25%.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage refuge operations across the SD network focusing on conservation and public access.
• Oversee biological and habitat management programs, restoration, research, and monitoring.
• Develop and implement long-range land management and conservation plans.
• Build partnerships with tribes, local communities, agencies, and conservation organizations.
• Manage budgets, staffing, and administrative operations.
• Oversee facilities and infrastructure projects supporting refuge operations.
• Direct visitor services, education, interpretation, and volunteer engagement.
• Lead a multidisciplinary team toward mission objectives.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Partnership development

Supervision

Education

Degree in Zoology / Wildlife biology

Job description

Summary

You will serve as a Wildlife Refuge Manager with US Fish and Wildlife Service, leading staff and overseeing National Wildlife Refuges, Wetland Management Districts, and Refuge Complexes. You will apply expert knowledge to solve complex wildlife and land management challenges, advance conservation efforts, protect natural resources, and support the FWS mission.
Learn more about this agency

Overview

Location: Madison, SD
Telework eligible: Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job: No
Relocation expenses reimbursed: No
Salary: $106,437 – $138,370 per year
Pay scale & grade: GS 13
Work schedule: Full-time
Travel Required: 25% or less – You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type: Permanent

Duties

• Lead and manage overall refuge operations, setting direction for staff and ensuring high-quality, science-based resource management with a focus on administering a network of conservation easements and fee-title waterfowl production areas and national wildlife refuges across eastern South Dakota.
• Oversee biological and habitat management programs, including conservation projects, restoration efforts, research, and monitoring to support wildlife populations and healthy ecosystems.
• Guide the development and implementation of long-range plans, including land management strategies, conservation plans, and resource protection initiatives.
• Build partnerships with tribes, local communities, agencies, and conservation organizations to advance shared resource goals and address complex natural resource issues.
• Manage budgets, staffing needs, and administrative operations, ensuring effective use of resources and sound business practices.
• Oversee facilities and equipment maintenance and guide development of infrastructure projects that support refuge operations and public access.
• Direct visitor services programs, including public use activities, education, interpretation, and volunteer engagement to support safe, meaningful outdoor experiences.
• Supervise and lead a multidisciplinary team, overseeing program performance, budget and resource management, workforce development, and operational excellence to achieve mission objectives.

Requirements

• 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. To learn more, https://www.e-verify.gov/
• 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.
• A financial disclosure report will be required within 30 days of appointment.

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 period 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.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement – 11/13/2026-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 Basic Education Requirement AND Specialized Experience for the series to which you are applying.

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

• A. 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.
• B. 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.

– AND –

Specialized Experience: To qualify, you must have 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: carrying out wildlife and habitat management activities, including implementing conservation projects on public lands and the administration of conservation easements; leading natural resource planning or compliance processes, such as drafting or coordinating parts of conservation plans, habitat plans, or environmental reviews; building cooperative relationships with partners – including local communities, tribes, landowners, or agencies – to address natural resource issues; and leading teams or projects by setting priorities, coordinating work, or providing guidance to others in support of refuge or land management operations. You must include hours per week worked.

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, https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications

Additional information

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

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, DOI Ethics Prohibitions | U.S. Department of the Interior.

Physical Demands/Work Environment: The work requires some physical exertion such as walking over wet, rough, uneven, or marshy surfaces; bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, reaching, or similar activities; and recurring lifting of moderately heavy items weighing up to 50 pounds. Work requires average agility and dexterity.

The duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

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.

Benefits

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.

Review our benefits. 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.

How you will be evaluated: You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g. resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessment(s) required for this position. To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process.

Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. Only the document submitted as the “Resume” under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes.

You will be assessed in the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Accountability
• Attention to Detail
• Organizational Awareness
• Problem Solving
• Teamwork

To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessment(s), including a structured resume review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.

The assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

All qualified non‑competitive applicants and the best‑qualified Merit Promotion applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration or your score may be lowered. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in your application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.

Current or former displaced Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well‑qualified, score at least 85 (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry.

Required documents

1. Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates in month‑year format (include month/day/year format if needed for 52 weeks of experience), and indicate hours worked per week (or full‑time) . Your resume must clearly show how long you have held each grade/rank. Resumes must not exceed two single‑sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10‑point for all body text. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5‑inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. Your 2‑page resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements. If you have federal experience, you should include series, and grade for each position held, and if experience is part of a career ladder position, you must clearly distinguish the job duties and length of time working for each grade level. More information on how to write a Federal Resume: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what‑to‑include
2. Complete All Required Assessment(s).
3. Performance Appraisals and Awards: You must submit your most recent performance appraisal showing the official rating of record and signed by a supervisor dated within the past 18 months. If unavailable, a written explanation is required (including if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level). Performance awards dated within the past 5 years may also be submitted for due weight consideration.
4. All College Transcript(s), if qualifying based on education.
5. Eligibility Documentation :

• Current FWS employees must submit latest SF‑50 (i.e. Promotion, Separation, Within Grade Increase (WGI)) showing tenure 1 or 2 in block 24, grade, and if applicable, an additional SF‑50 showing the highest grade or promotion potential held. Time in grade will be determined by reviewing your resume and required SF‑50s. If your SF‑50 showing highest permanent grade held has an effective date within the past year, your resume must clearly show that you held that grade for one year. ++Do not submit award SF‑50s.++
• Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA): you must submit ALL Appointment AND Termination SF‑50s for EACH Competitive time‑limited appointment (block 34, code 1); AND Documentation of satisfactory performance for each period of employment claimed, such as, performance evaluations, memorandum of record, whereas the supervisor(s) documented an acceptable performance level for a specified rating/employment period. If not currently employed by agency, you must have been most recently separated by the hiring Bureau.
• Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP): You MUST submit proof of eligibility including 1) copy of the agency notice, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc.; 2) SF‑50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be well qualified. For more information visit: USAJOBS Help Center – Career Transition Programs (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL).

Failure to submit any of the above‑mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

Do not submit photographs with your application package. Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents.

Agency contact information

DOI Staffing Team 6 (FWS)

[e-mail]

Eastern South Dakota Wetland Mgmt District

134 Union Blvd Ste 220

Lakewood, CO 80228

US

Next steps

Please refer to your USAJOBS account for application status; the Human Resources Office cannot respond to individual status inquiries.

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application.

You can find your path with the Department of Interior at https://careers.doi.gov/.

Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements or attempt to conceal information may disqualify you for employment consideration. We may verify all information you provide in your resume and questionnaire responses, through reference and/or background checks, and/or verification of your education. If you are selected, you will be contacted personally by the Human Resources Office posting this announcement.

Fair and transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Criminal history inquiries Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Financial suitability New employee probationary period Privacy Act Reasonable accommodation policy Selective Service Signature and false statements Social security number request