Wildlife Refuge Manager

Summary

This position is located within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. You will serve as Wildlife Refuge Manager (Project Leader) for a National Wildlife Refuge Complex (Complex) at one of three refuge complexes with Region 8-Pacific Southwest.

Duties

• Location Information: A total of three vacancies will be filled through this announcement - one vacancy at each of the following locations. Las Vegas, Nevada - salary range per annum: $128,473 to $167,020 Chula Vista, California - salary range per annum: $143,677 to $186,785 Willows, California - salary range per annum: $125,776 to $163,514 Applicants may be considered for one or more of these locations based on the location preference(s) selected in their application. Only one position will be filled at each location. The Wildlife Refuge Manager (Project Leader) will provide leadership and oversight for the management and administration of a National Wildlife Refuge Complex (Complex). The Project Leader applies expert knowledge of fish, wildlife, and land management to guide staff, resolve complex operational and resource challenges, and develop innovative solutions to significant environmental issues involving competing priorities, laws, and policies. Your duties will include, but are not limited to the following: Plan, direct, and administer Complex operations, including wildlife and habitat management, public use and recreation, fire and law enforcement activities, land acquisition, facilities and infrastructure, and environmental and cultural resource compliance. Develop and implement conservation plans, policies, research, and administrative programs, while coordinating with Federal, State, and local agencies, interest groups, and other partners on complex refuge management issues. Represent the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by building and maintaining partnerships with Federal, Tribal, State, and local agencies, conservation organizations, stakeholders, and the public to advance refuge management and landscape-scale conservation priorities. Oversee visitor services, public use, and law enforcement programs to provide high-quality wildlife-dependent recreation, environmental education, interpretation, outreach, volunteer engagement, and resource protection while balancing public access with conservation objectives. Supervise and lead a multidisciplinary team, overseeing program performance, budget and resource management, workforce development, and operational excellence to achieve mission objectives.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 09/22/2026-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 Educational Requirement AND Specialized Experience for the series to which you are applying. Basic Educational 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. -OR- 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 possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: (1) supervising and leading a refuge, field station, conservation area, or comparable organization engaged in natural resource conservation or land management activities; (2) resolving complex or controversial natural resource issues involving environmental compliance, habitat conservation, land management, or public use; (3) serving as a representative of a land management agency or conservation organization in collaborative efforts with Federal, Tribal, State, and local governments, nongovernmental organizations, stakeholders, and the public; and (4) developing and implementing management strategies that achieve conservation objectives while balancing competing priorities, stakeholder interests, and organizational resources. 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.

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, visit 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. 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 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 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.

Education

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

How to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the 09/22/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement to receive consideration. Note: You will only be marked eligible for those eligibilities that you selected and provided the appropriate supporting documentation. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. To PREVIEW the application questionnaire, select the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13056446 Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status, visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.