About the Department
The hiring manager reserves the right to make a hiring decision at any time. It will be in your best interest to apply as soon as possible.
Application review will begin after the closing date of April 15, 2026.
Schedule and Location: RCO is head-quartered in Olympia, WA on the state's capital campus. RCO will consider candidates that can successfully do this job from another location (in-state only) with occasional travel to Olympia for meetings and other functions.
The Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) is a small state agency located in Olympia, Washington that plans for and provides funding to: create and maintain opportunities for recreation; protect the best of the state's wild lands, farms, and forests; and recover salmon.
RCO strives to maintain a workplace that is respectful, inclusive and family-friendly where all team members feel safe to bring their true selves to work. We believe in a culture where everyone continually improves and has the opportunity to lead.
The core competencies for all RCO team members are communication, customer service, integrity, self-management, and teamwork.
At RCO we envision:A state that has abundant outdoor recreation spaces, healthy habitats, and working farms and forests that support people, fish, and wildlife.
What you will be doing:
You will support the mission of the agency within the Recreation and Conservation Grants Section by providing project level support for various grant programs. These programs provide statewide funding for a broad range of land conservation efforts, habitat restoration, and outdoor recreation projects.
This position will manage habitat and working lands (farms and forests) acquisition projects, and habitat restoration projects funded by the Recreation and Conservation Funding board and Community Forest Program Projects funded by the “office”. As an Outdoor Grants Manager, you will manage a portfolio of grant applications and funded projects with an emphasis on fee and less-than-fee title land acquisitions, provide technical assistance to applicants seeking funding and to sponsors of funded projects, review and interpret policy materials, conduct and document site visits, address compliance issues, conduct workshops for prospective and successful project sponsors, and provide staff support to the various boards and committees.
Position Duties
Some of what you'll enjoy doing includes:
- Consult with project sponsors and others to monitor compliance with program policies and various local, state, and federal laws
- Prepare and submit project applications, amendments, reports, and other items requested for federal grant programs
- Assist project applicants with preparing grant applications, reviewing grant applications to determine eligibility and competitiveness, and move to appropriate program, category, and statuses before applicable project review meetings or technical completion deadlines
- Conduct pre-award, interim, final, and post-completion inspections to determine adherence to and compliance with program policies and the terms of the project agreement
- Assist project sponsors in resolving non-compliance issues as specified by state or federal law, Washington Administrative Code, and program polices
- Serve as a facilitator and/ moderator for general meetings and project review/evaluation meetings, when requested
- Review engineered plans and specifications for compliance with the approved project scope
- Provide technical review of project proposals to determine eligibility and assist prospective applicants with scoping and submittal of grant proposals
- Develop and monitor project agreements for funded proposals, and help ensure sponsors meet established milestones for project completion
- Develop recommendations for project change requests and prepare necessary documents.
- Use the PRISM database to manage grant applications and funded projects and to document project progress by updating narratives, milestones, and other related data
- Process reimbursement requests by reviewing each request to ensure charges are eligible and conform to program, policy, and procedural regulations
- Assist with development and implementation of the section work plan to help ensure section meets annual goals and objectives
- Prepare for and conduct workshops as requested
- Review, analyze, and assist with development and implementation of changes/updates to board and office program policies, statutes, agency plans, performance measures, Washington Administrative Code, special studies, program guidelines, and procedures related to various grant programs, etc. to help ensure goals and objectives are met
- Respond to requests for general information from the public, government agencies, and organizations
- Serve as a resource for others requesting information about programs and program policies
- Serve as staff to the board developing and presenting issues, recommendations, and related data to the board and members of the public
Minimum Qualifications
REQUIRED:
A valid driver's license free from serious traffic violations
AND
Seven (7) years of experience and/or education as described below:
- Experience in property acquisitions, development or management of outdoor recreation sites, fish and wildlife habitat, conservation lands and resources or managing grants for the preservation or restoration of natural resources, salmon habitat or outdoor recreation, or related.
- Education in public administration, parks and recreation management, landscape architecture, fish or wildlife management, watershed planning, engineering, geography, land use planning, biology, forestry, natural resource management, environmental studies or a related field.
- Project Management - Effectively manage projects, designed to protect, restore or enhance outdoor recreation or habitat conservation areas, and ensure they meet planned goals and objectives. Appropriately organize, prioritize, and simultaneously address a high volume of project assignments while ensuring accurate high-quality service. Be aware of timelines and manage assignments to meet critical deadlines. Act as a liaison with your clients by insuring they are consistently well informed of the critical milestones affecting the status of their project or their standing with the agency. Assess or evaluate project issues and work to resolve problems efficiently. Assess project plans and specifications and provide clients with feedback on the layout of facilities, cost estimates, etc.
- Attention to Detail - Diligently attend to details and pursue quality in accomplishing tasks. Perform tasks with care; be thorough. Strive to make few if any errors. Check work to ensure accuracy and completeness. Compare observations or finished work to what is expected to find inconsistencies. Remain aware and take care of details that are easy to overlook or dismiss as insignificant.
- Critical Thinking & Problem Solving - Analyze complex information, read technical documents (site plans, engineering drawings, reports), exercise sound judgment, and develop practical solutions to problems. Persistence to find resolutions that move processes forward.
- Customer Service - Build and maintain internal and external customer satisfaction with the products and services offered by the organization. Consistently reflect on customer feedback to improve service expectations, helping customers implement complete solutions in a timely fashion.
- Effectively Use Computer Software - Access and move between multiple computer programs such as email, database, Microsoft programs and the Internet to search for enter, or update information. Basic GIS map interpretation. Use of RCO’s internal grant management system (PRISM) can be learned on the job.
- Communication - Effectively express ideas and information through the spoken and/or written word using language that is appropriate to both the complexity of the topic and the knowledge and understanding of the audience. Communicate openly and honestly with staff and management.
- Integrity - Earn the trust, respect, and confidence of co-workers and customers through consistent honesty, forthrightness, and professionalism in all interactions.
- Self-Management - Complete work within expected or internal policy timelines. Identify what needs to be done and proactively take appropriate action. Recognize situations that warrant assertive action and move forward on next steps. Be accountable for work and consistently achieve excellent, timely results with little need for oversight.
- Teamwork - Actively partner with co-workers to provide them with assistance, information, techniques, instruction, feedback, and encouragement to maximize their successes on the job. Emphasize team approach to providing excellent customer service.
- Ability to Take Action to Learn and Grow - Practices self-awareness by reflecting on personal strengths, growth areas, and biases.
- Ability to Take Action to Meet the Needs of Others - Flexible, adaptable, customer service focused, and willing and able to empathically respond to the unique needs of the people they work with and serve.
PREFERRED:
A Bachelor’s degree in public administration, parks and recreation management, landscape architecture, fish or wildlife management, watershed planning, engineering, geography, land use planning, biology, forestry, natural resource management, environmental studies or a related field.
Preferred Competencies:
Expertise in Recreation and Conservation Programs - Brings broad knowledge of the activities and tools available across the state of Washington that allow people to recreate and conserve outdoor resources.
Understanding Of Laws and Rules - Knowledge of state, federal and local rules, laws and policies related to conservation, outdoor recreation, and cultural resources and be able to clearly articulate them to others.
Presentation - Prepare high quality materials and explain or present/information in a clear, concise, logical manner that achieves understanding of the intended message.
Other Qualifications
How to apply:
In addition to completing the online application, you must attach the following documents to your profile or paste into the "text resume" field in order to be considered for this position:
- A letter of interest (no more than 2 pages in length) explaining how your past experiences make you an ideal candidate for this position and what exceptional skills you would bring to RCO;
- A current resume, detailing experience, education, and other relevant interests;
- A current list of at least three (3) professional references with current contact information (attached or available to provide at the time of interview)
NOTE: By submitting these materials, you are indicating that all information is true and correct. The state may verify information. Any untruthful or misleading information is cause for removal from the applicant pool or dismissal if employed. A resume will not substitute for completing the “duties summary” section or supplemental questions of the application. Please do not “refer to resume” for detail, or your application may be disqualified.
Union Inclusion:
This position is included in a bargaining unit represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE).
Opportunity for All:
The Recreation and Conservation Office celebrates our differences and we are committed to a workplace that supports equal opportunity employment and inclusion regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, marital status, families with children (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sex, sexual orientation, gender identity diversity, age, status as a protected veteran, honorably discharged veteran or military status, status as an individual with the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with disabilities or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We will also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local laws.
You are welcome to include the name and pronoun you would like to be referred to in your materials and we will honor this as you interact with our organization.
Contact us:
If you have questions about this opportunity, please contact Anita Macpherson at [email protected]
For questions about this recruitment or to request a reasonable accommodation in the application process, contact Angie Anderson at [email protected].
Applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing may call 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388 or access the Washington Relay Service.