Salary : $83,664.00 - $108,756.00 Annually
Location : Denver Metro, CO
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: PMA 32225 07/26
Department: Department of Natural Resources
Division: Colorado Parks & Wildlife
Opening Date: 07/21/2026
Closing Date: 8/5/2026 11:59 PM Mountain
FLSA: Determined by Position
Type of Announcement: This position is open only to Colorado state residents.
Primary Physical Work Address: 6060 Broadway, Denver, CO 80216, USA
FLSA Status: Exempt; position is not eligible for overtime compensation.
Department Contact Information:
Salary Note: Although the full salary range for this position is provided, appointments are typically made at or near the range minimum.
Hiring Pay Rate: Please note that all employees new to the State Personnel System are paid on a bi-weekly basis.
How To Apply: Please submit an online application for this position at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/colorado. Reach out to the Department Contact to apply using a paper application, including any supplemental questions. Failure to submit a complete and timely application may result in the rejection of your application. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that application materials are received by the appropriate Human Resources office before the closing date and time listed.

COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFEOur Mission is to perpetuate the wildlife resources of the state, to provide a quality state parks system, and to provide enjoyable and sustainable outdoor recreation opportunities that educate and inspire current and future generations to serve as active stewards of Colorado's natural resources.
This Work Unit exists to exercise principle responsibility for the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Species Conservation programs for wildlife species at risk (threatened, endangered, Species of Greatest Conservation Need, nongame) and the integration of those programs with CPW's sport fish, game, and other programs through strategic, tactical, and operational planning and implementation of species conservation activities for all species as well as species-specific habitat management activities. Furthermore, the Work Unit exercises principle responsibility for conservation planning and implementation for sensitive biological and cultural resources on Colorado Natural Areas. Particular emphasis is placed on securing current threatened and endangered species and/or other species at risk and habitats such that the need to classify them as threatened or endangered is reduced or eliminated, as well as identifying and recommending conservation actions for securing biological and cultural resources on Natural Areas. This is accomplished by the formation of partnerships, cooperative ventures, and other collaborative relationships with diverse governmental and non-governmental interests, both within and outside Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and within and outside the state of Colorado (most species have distributions that cross state boundaries). Governmental interests include local, state of Colorado, other state, and federal agencies. Non-governmental interests include private landowners as individuals or organizations, and economic, conservation, environmental, and sportsperson's organizations.
Description of Job
This position is recognized by senior and executive management and serves as CPW's senior authority regarding the recovery, conservation, and management of native species (especially threatened and endangered reptiles, reptiles petitioned for listing, and reptiles identified in the State Wildlife Action Plan). Responsibility as a senior authority includes formulating and developing strategic terrestrial conservation program goals and objectives for consideration and adoption by CPW management and/or Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission; and developing, directing, coordinating, and overseeing terrestrial conservation program implementation. As the agency's statewide reptile taxa and species expert, the position has direct impact outside of the organizational boundaries of CPW, influencing policy and program formulation within DNR, other state agencies, other states, Federal agencies, and private organizations on issues directly or indirectly related to the conservation, preservation, and enhancement of threatened and endangered terrestrial wildlife species and their habitats. This position will also work with CPW's Law Enforcement by providing identification (native vs. non-native and legal vs. illegal reptiles) and handling support.

Specific job duties include but are not limited to:

Program Design and Development

On an ongoing basis, formulates, recommends, reviews, writes, comments, and consults with other affected interests outside of the agency on CPW statewide directives, regulations, management and budgetary guidelines and strategies for effective and consistent implementation of the terrestrial species conservation programmatic goals and objectives. Recommends and justifies statewide program goals, strategies, and objectives for consideration by the Terrestrial Branch and other state wildlife managers in the formulation and execution of numerous operations plans and long-range plans (e.g., Wildlife Action Plan). Position ensures that plans are consistent with Division, Department, and State Policies, statutes, and regulations. cessary to achieve Plan objectives, and for making recommendations to the Species Conservation Unit Team Deputy Assistant Director to implement those determinations.

Program OversightServes as principal liaison between Terrestrial Branch and other CPW Branches for species conservation issues. Develops narratives, progress reports, and summaries and recommends actions to align planned and actual activities as they pertain to statewide terrestrial species conservation program goals and objectives. Facilitates implementation and develops species specific adaptive management for SGCN and SGIN as identified in Colorado's State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP), within CPW and among external stakeholders.

Technical Expertise

Compiles and analyzes technical data on terrestrial target native species and maintains technical knowledge through review and evaluation of professional literature and programmatic reports; disseminates technical information on the native terrestrial species (especially threatened, endangered, and those petitioned for listing) and provides technical counsel to other CPW personnel; leads species status assessments that influence federal listing, down-listing and delisting processes under ESA, and state designations of threatened, endangered and greatest conservation need. Represents CPW and Colorado on federal recovery teams and multi-agency/multi-state program biology committees as technical expert; and leads development and justification for species' recovery goals and objectives within Colorado and in the context of range-wide goals and objectives for federally listed terrestrial species.

Planning and Budgeting

Develops terrestrial species conservation planning standards for use by cost center managers in preparation of annual work plans to meet program objectives; guides, reviews, evaluates, and analyzes unit-level work plans and progress and performance, within the Terrestrial section, other units within CPW, as well as multi-agency/multi-state, regional recovery programs and projects to determine progress toward goals and objectives; recommends resource reallocations where warranted to meet priority terrestrial native species conservation program objectives or critical dependencies (e.g., where Step 1 must be accomplished before Step 2 can proceed).
Agency Representation

Represents Colorado Parks and Wildlife at statewide and regional levels as a range-wide terrestrial species expert and information source for strategic species conservation issues and programs; serves as the principal technical representative for Colorado Parks and Wildlife on terrestrial native species conservation issues at multi-agency/multi-state forums or committees or coordination teams for declining wildlife species.

Other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights

Minimum Qualifications
Eight (8) years of relevant experience in wildlife research, wildlife management, conservation biology, wildlife biology, ecology, or an occupation related to the work assigned to this position.

OR

A combination of related education in Wildlife Management, Biology, Ecology, Zoology/Animal Sciences and/or relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned equal to eight (8) years.

Substitutions

• Additional appropriate education will substitute for the degree requirement on a year-for-year basis.

Preferred Qualifications

• Current or former State experience relevant to this position.
• Current or former Colorado Parks and Wildlife experience.
• Working on a team.
• Collaboration building.
• Strong internal and external customer service focus.
• Conservation program building.

Required Competencies

• Reptile conservation and identification.
• Species conservation program building and management.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Strong multi tasking skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office products.
• Proficiency with the Google suite.

Conditions of Employment

• State of Colorado residency is required at the time of application.
• Must possess and maintain a valid state of Colorado driver's license if operating a State vehicle.
• Periodic in and out of state travel required. Typically
• Former State employees who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination must disclose the information on the application and provide an explanation why the prior termination or resignation should not disqualify their application from the current position. (Please Note: Absent extraordinary circumstances, prior disciplinary termination or resignation in lieu of termination will disqualify the applicant from future State employment with DNR).
• Pursuant to the DNR-120 Fleet and Driving Standards Administrative Directive, any worker who will be expected to drive a State-owned vehicle is responsible for maintaining a safe driving record and a valid driver license prior to driving any State-owned vehicle.
  
  To be compliant with the new fleet vehicle policy, Motor Vehicle Records (MVRs) will be pulled for review for workers who:
  
  • Have an assigned State fleet vehicle
  • Are required to operate a vehicle as part of the position
  • Utilize a State fleet vehicle as a pool vehicle

Supplemental Information
The Assessment Process

• All applications received by the closing of this announcement will be reviewed by an HR Specialist against the Minimum Qualifications in this announcement.
• Colorado Revised Statutes require that state employees are hired and promoted based on merit and fitness through a comparative analysis process. Part of, or all of, the comparative analysis for this position will be a structured application review by Subject Matter Exp