Launch your career in wildlife conservation with hands-on field experience through a partnership with Pheasants Forever (PF) and Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). This position offers recent graduates and emerging natural resource professionals with an opportunity to build technical skills, work directly with landowners and wildlife professionals, and gain real-world experience that has proven to lead to permanent careers in conservation!
Work Location: Iowa DNR Blackhawk Wildlife Unit (Sac County) 2392 230th Street, Early, Iowa 50535
Application deadline: May 17, 2026 Salary: $17.00 per hour Typical Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. – 40 hours per week
Anticipated Start Date:2-4 weeks post successful job offer End Date: One year from start date
This role is designed to provide foundational experience in habitat management, maintenance and technical skills, wildlife surveys, and landowner relations. The PF Wildlife Management Specialist will work with other wildlife unit personnel and be under the general direction of the Natural Resource Biologist. The job duties of this position include general wildlife management activities on state-owned wildlife areas within the assigned unit counties. The position will also assist the public with wildlife concerns and crop evaluations for wildlife damage in addition to performing a variety of maintenance and technical tasks at the wildlife management unit. The employee is expected to efficiently display a high level of initiative and commitment towards completing assignments. Overnight travel will occasionally be required on special projects outside of the assigned unit counties. Watch this video to see a day in the role of a Wildlife Management Specialist.
Examples of typical job duties may include:
Perform wildlife habitat management activities including: Wetland management, prairie management, native prairie seeding, food plot development, edge feathering, tree/brush removal, spraying, disking, mowing, etc. using large farm machinery, chainsaws, and other hand tools.
Prescribed fire implementation for ecological purposes. This duty will require fire-line construction, fire-line holding, and mop-up activities. Performance of these tasks will require the employee to periodically work under physically stressful and adverse conditions. Proficiency in the use of basic wildland firefighting equipment will be needed.
Wildlife Depredation Program: Evaluate crops and work with producers on reducing crop damage through technical advice, habitat recommendations, and implementation of the depredation program. Get training on a number of wildlife damage mitigation techniques and present them to landowners and producers. Respond to inquiries on a variety of wildlife topics.
Wildlife Surveys & Monitoring including: Waterfowl banding, deer spotlight routes, august roadside surveys, chronic wasting disease sampling, etc. Collecting of biological data occasionally will require early or late in the day work scheduling.
General area maintenance involving mowing, sign posting, fence building, fence removal, tree/brush control, noxious weed control etc. These activities require the ability to use simple power equipment; drills, saws, hand tools, chain saws, trimmers, small mowers etc.
Special assignments may require some overnight travel as part of a crew, to accomplish large scale fence removal, fence building or tree removal projects outside of the assigned unit counties. These assignments will require the ability to work well with others, work out of doors under all types of weather conditions, and to withstand physically demanding work, i.e., lifting, bending and hauling.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Degree in wildlife biology, animal ecology, or another closely related natural resource field.
Passion for conservation and outdoor fieldwork.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team, demonstrating responsible behavior, attention to detail, and the capacity to work with minimal supervision.
Display professionalism, integrity, and accountability, with strong initiative, effort, and commitment to completing assignments efficiently.
Able to travel on overnight duties and work on weekends, holidays, nights, and evenings as required.
Must have a valid motor vehicle operator’s license.
Able to follow policy and cooperate with supervisors and co-workers.
CAREER ADVANCEMENT BENEFITS
Proven pathway to full-timecareers — this position has a strong track record of placement into full-time permanent roles with DNR, Pheasants Forever, and other conservation organizations.
Build valuable, hands-on technical skills while working alongside experienced DNR professionals.
Grow your professional network and form lasting connections across the conservation field.
Gain real-world, outdoor experience doing meaningful, on-the-ground conservation work.
Experience a unique dual-agency role, with opportunities to engage in trainings, collaboration, and annual staff meetings with both DNR and Pheasants Forever.
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS PACKAGE: Pheasants Forever offers a competitive benefits package. Employee Benefit Package information can be found here:Employee Benefit Summary pdf
To Apply: Please combine your cover letter including which locations you are interested in, resume and three references into one Word document or PDF file before uploading as part of your application on our recruitment website at www.pheasantsforever.org/jobs.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Must possess or be able to acquire a pesticide applicator’s license and S130-190 basic firefighter training certification, special requirements shall be met within 90 days of hire if not currently possessed. Successful applicant will also be encouraged to obtain a Iowa DNR chainsaw safety certification and complete first aid & bloodborne pathogen training.
If you have additional questions, please contact Brian Hickman, SW District Supervisor, at 712-250-0518, or brian.hickman@dnr.iowa.gov. Pheasants Forever, Inc is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, status as a qualified individual with disability, or any other category that may be protected by law.
