State Park Manager

Park Manager at Lewis and Clark State Park Do you enjoy working outdoors, leading a dedicated team, and making a lasting impact on Iowa's natural resources? The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is seeking an enthusiastic and motivated natural resource professional to serve as the next Park Manager at Lewis and Clark State Park. If you are looking for a career that offers variety, independence, and the opportunity to see the results of your work firsthand, this position may be the perfect fit. As Park Manager, you will play a key role in maintaining high-quality recreational opportunities, protecting natural resources, and creating memorable experiences for park visitors. Located near Onawa in western Iowa, Lewis and Clark State Park is one of the state's premier outdoor recreation destinations. Situated along the shores of Blue Lake, the park offers exceptional camping, boating, fishing, hiking, and wildlife viewing opportunities. Rich in history and natural beauty, the park welcomes thousands of visitors each year and serves as an important gateway to outdoor recreation in the region. This is a unique opportunity to live and work in a beautiful setting while leading the operations, stewardship, and visitor services at one of Iowa's most popular state parks. What You Will Do: As Park Manager, you will oversee the daily operations, maintenance, public safety, and natural resource stewardship of the park complex. This position offers a unique blend of leadership, hands-on field work, public engagement, and natural resource management. Key Responsibilities: Assist the district supervisor with day-to-day administration of the state parks, including managing park employees tasks and workloads, hiring & training of seasonal/temporary employees, managing contract and procurement of goods, services, and rentals. Overseeing the park budgets, monthly reporting, revenue, receipts, and inventory of all property, supplies, tools, and equipment. Work to achieve the long-range goals of the park resource management plan by planning for and performing park maintenance, preventative maintenance, and general construction work to maintain the integrity of facilities and equipment. This will include regular inspections of multi-use trails, natural areas, concession operations, playgrounds, boat ramps and docks to ensure public safety, accessibility compliance and resource integrity. Represent the Department at public appearances and media requests to promote the state park system, recreational safety, and natural resource management. Assist with creating and implementing interpretive and volunteer programs as required, including interactions with local agencies and stakeholder groups to promote park activities and maintain connections to surrounding communities. Ensure the safety of park visitors, security of state property and facilities, and orderliness within public use areas by answering questions and through the enforcement of Iowa DNR Administrative Rules related to parks, boating, and fishing. Attend regular training sessions on enforcement subjects to maintain knowledge of enforcement techniques, equipment proficiency, ensure enforcement related incident reports and citations are properly completed, and law enforcement equipment such as radios and duty belts are properly maintained. What We're Looking For: We're seeking an individual who is: Passionate about natural resources and outdoor recreation Self-motivated and able to work independently Skilled in leadership, communication, and problem-solving Comfortable balancing office administration with hands-on field work Dedicated to public service and visitor experience Adaptable in a fast-paced, outdoor environment Why Join the Iowa DNR? A career with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact while working in Iowa's most treasured natural spaces. Employees enjoy rewarding public service work, professional development opportunities, and the chance to help conserve Iowa's outdoor resources for future generations. Residency Requirement: The successful candidate must reside within 30 miles of their assigned state park in accordance with DNR Park Bureau policy. If you're ready to combine leadership, conservation, and outdoor recreation into a rewarding career, we encourage you to apply and become part of the team at Lewis and Clark State Park. Essential Functions: Manages parks by applying technical knowledge and experience. Maintains power tools and equipment commonly used to maintain buildings and landscapes. Knowledge of principles, theories and practices of parks and recreation and resource management. Performs work both in office environments and outdoors in a variety of extreme weather conditions. Trains other professional staff, technical workers, and volunteers to perform duties; develops and fosters teamwork. Communicates verbally and in writing with DNR staff, management personnel, other state and federal agencies, groups with diverse audiences, other employees, and volunteers. Facilitate public meetings and presentations to diverse groups of stakeholders. Performs work independently with minimal supervision and achieves consistent results. Ensures projects are organized, tracked and completed timely. Utilize fiscal skills to administer budgets and track expenditures; create, modify and manipulate spreadsheets. Use PC-based software to complete work Carry heavy loads (40+ lbs) across great distances and operates a wide variety of motor vehicles. Critical Job Competencies: Accountability Integrity High Productivity Communication Skills Project Management Team Player Interpersonal Skills Computer Skills Self-Management Customer Focus Project Management and Technical Skills (park management, mechanical) What You Get From Us: A competitive pay plan and rewarding work. Insurance benefits that start the first of the month following 30 days of employment. Separate vacation and sick leave accruals that start on the first day and can roll over annually. Nine paid holidays/year. Iowa Public Employee Retirement System (IPERS) retirement package with employer match. Optional deferred compensation (457/401A) plan with employer match. Professional training opportunities. Family friendly and professional work environment. Employee Discount Programs (vision, cellular, fitness, recreation, season passes, travel, counseling) The State's total compensation package features benefits that are worth about 30% of your total compensation. For a list of additional benefits, please visit the DAS website for more information. Flexible work schedules (as approved by the supervisor). Comments: Pesticide license (must obtain within first year of hire) Maintain/Obtain valid Driver's license. (must obtain upon hire) CPR/First Aide certification (must obtain within first six months of hire) Chain Saw Safety Certification (must obtain within first year of hire) Water/wastewater Certification - Grade 1 Water Treatment and Grade 1 Distribution (must obtain within two years of hire) Staff must live within the travel requirement as outlined in the DNR Park Bureau Policy. Drive state vehicles (pick up, passanger vehicles) on public and private roadways. The starting salary for new state (Executive Branch) employees is expected to be at the base of the pay range. Additional salary increases may occur after the first six months, and then annually (if applicable). The State's total compensation package features an outstanding set of employee benefits that are worth about 30% of your total compensation. Visit the DAS website for more benefit information. Ensure you are kept up-to-date of this position by checking your email regularly for emails from View email address on click.appcast.io . This is a system generated email from the DAS application system and it may be sent directly to your Junk/Spam folder. The State of Iowa participates in E-Verify, a federal program that helps employers confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. Within the required timeframe, new hires will be verified through the E-Verify system to ensure authorization to work in the United States. The State of Iowa also complies with the federal Right to Work laws, which protect employees' rights to work without being required to join a labor organization. For more information, please visit The State of Iowa is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. To conserve and enhance our natural resources in cooperation with individuals and organizations to improve the quality of life in Iowa and ensure a legacy for future generations.