Position Title: Director of Hunting and Game Management
Position Number: 77000201
Salary: $96,500 Annually
Facility: 620 South Meridian Street
City: Tallahassee, Florida
Closing Date: December 17, 2017
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) consists of 2,118.5 full-time positions which includes over 500 Biologists and 853 sworn Law Enforcement Officers. FWC employees work together to balance the needs of fish and wildlife species and the habitats that support them with the needs of Florida’s growing population of nearly 20 million people and the record number of visitors who visit Florida to enjoy outdoor recreational activities.
FWC is seeking applicants for the position of Director of the Division of Hunting and Game Management. Employees in this division use scientifically proven game-management strategies and professional expertise to perpetuate sustainable hunting opportunities statewide, with an emphasis on waterfowl, small game, deer, wild turkeys and alligators. The division develops rules and recommends wildlife management and public access policies for the more than 5.9 million acres of public hunting lands, which provide various hunting opportunities. The division also promotes the recruitment, retention, and reactivation of hunters in Florida. The division houses the Hunter Safety and Public Shooting Ranges section, which manages public shooting sports facilities throughout the state and offers hunter safety programs to teach people hunting laws, ethics, conservation and responsible use of firearms. Many division staff participate in national, state and regional advisory groups to support management and regulation of Florida game species, hunting safety, hunting-related recreation opportunities.
Preferred Qualifications
-Minimum of eight years of progressively responsible broad-based management level experience in conservation management or research.
-Bachelor of Science (Master of Science preferred) in a natural resource conservation field of study.
-Extensive knowledge of hunting and game wildlife conservation and management issues.
-Outstanding interpersonal skills and the ability to excel in a team-oriented matrix environment.
-Ability to build and maintain productive partnerships with other agencies and relevant organizations.
-Excellent public speaking skills.
-Highly developed writing skills.
-Minimum of five years of supervisory experience.
Description
This position is a highly responsible and complex leadership position which requires knowledge of wildlife species ecology, conservation and related management techniques; knowledge of administrative management practices; principles in the areas of planning, budget preparation, personnel, administration, facilities/property management; and legislative procedures and processes. Specific duties include:
-Leads, directs, and supports staff in division, and champions their professional development.
-Directs and coordinates short-term and long-term planning.
-Coordinates operational activities and programs with other agency divisions and offices and external stakeholders.
-Provides oversight for administrative and operational policies.
-Serves as a member of the agency senior leadership and team.
-Provides information and reports for Commission meetings.
-Provides leadership for agency outreach regarding hunting, shooting sports, and game management.
-Provides technical review and oversight of the division’s scientific and management functions. This will i include developing recommendations to support effective regulation of public use and sound management of game wildlife resources, coordinating, developing, and managing public hunting opportunities, delivering hunter safety training and certification, administering public shooting ranges, and coordination or rules regarding public hunting areas and game species conservation. Provides review and oversight in the preparation of proposed rules developed for the Florida Administrative Code.
-Serves as an agency liaison for game wildlife conservation and management issues with public agencies and private organizations at local, state, regional, and international levels.
-Prepares division-specific legislative proposals.
-Reviews and comments on proposed legislation that may impact the agency.
-Addresses legislation on behalf of the agency in coordination with the Director of Legislative Affairs and, as such, may be a registered lobbyist pursuant to Section 11.061, Florida Statutes.
Additional Requirements
The Commission expects its employees to be courteous and respectful while assisting Commission customers stakeholders, and staff. They should ensure each encounter is as positive as possible. Employees should promptly resolve questions or problems relating to the Commission, its programs and/or fish and wildlife resources. Employees should seek to gain public support for agency objectives and programs by serving Florida’s citizens in a positive and proactive manner and by listening to what the customer wants and striving to meet their needs. When appropriate, employees will explain the reasons for agency actions or decisions while communicating a consistent Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) point-of-view.
Work at FWC is cross-functional meaning duties may cross division/office lines. The Commission expects employees to function across FWC’s organizational structure by providing their skills and expertise wherever needed through work on teams or as directed. The Director should encourage staff to embrace this concept and facilitate this work whenever possible.
Responsible for following the provisions and requirements in Section 215.422, Florida Statutes, related to the Department of Financial Services rules and FWC’s invoice processing and warrant distribution procedures.
Additional Information
The work hours will vary at times requiring work on holidays, weekends, nights and hours more than eight hours per day or forty hours per week.
The incumbent will be required to submit a financial disclosure form upon hire and annually thereafter in accordance with Section 112.3145, Florida Statutes.
Employment in this position is contingent upon a satisfactory criminal history check (fingerprints) in accordance with Chapter 435, Florida Statutes.
Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center at 1-877-562-7287 or TTY at 1-866-221-0268. Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.
The State Florida hires only U.S. citizens and lawfully authorized alien workers. If a conditional offer of employment is made, you will be required to provide identification and proof of citizenship and or authorization to work in the United States for the hiring authority to which applications is made. E-Verify will be used to confirm work authorization. See E-Verify for additional information.
The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.
The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action and Veterans’ Preference Employer and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.