Conservation Foreman

PLEASE ATTACH THE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS LISTED AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE

Job ID: 36276

Agency: Game Fish & Parks

Location: Mitchell, SD

Salary: minimum $20.89, depending on qualifications

Pay Grade: G

Closing Date: 06/22/2026

This is a Full-Time position with the Department of Game Fish & Parks. For more information on the Department of Game Fish & Parks, please visit https://gfp.sd.gov/.

Working for the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks is not just a job. It is a life passion. It is about working together as a team with colleagues, customers, landowners, and partner organizations to ensure that our state's outdoor heritage lives on for the next generation. Providing exceptional outdoor recreational opportunities for people to enjoy is one of the best jobs in state government. Our atmosphere empowers professional success and team building, while fostering relationships to build a culture focused on our four strategic plan goals.

• Provide outdoor recreational opportunities
• Serve as stewards of our state's natural resources
• Inspire confidence
• Foster professional excellence

All we need is you to join our team! Sound like a good fit so far?

As a South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks employee, here is what you will experience:

• Innovation - the GFP team is consistently revolutionizing enhancements to outdoor recreation in terms of technology and customer experience. We invite new ideas and interaction from our employees.
• Collaboration and Communication - our employees work with various teams, programs and divisions within the agency, outside state and federal agencies and public stakeholders. We want all employees to know that their voice will be heard as we continuously work towards our future goals.
• Professional Development - We provide training and support for you to become an expert in the field and obtain the skills necessary to be successful in your position.
• Task Diversity - the work duties are never boring. Your duties may include meetings with coworkers, collaborating with other government representatives, representing the Department at Commission meetings and national conferences, visiting one of our state parks and recreation areas or working to enhance habitat on a game production area. The outdoors provides for a pretty nice corner office!

What You Will Do:

This Conservation Foreman position will be responsible for implementing management plans on Game Production Areas located in southeastern South Dakota by leading crews in the field to implement land management techniques. Job duties will include an aggressive approach in developing new habitat and improving and managing existing habitat for wildlife by coordinating field staff on day to day management. This position will lead efforts in planting and maintaining shelterbelts and native grass and forb mixes.

Field work to include but not limited to planting native grass and forbs, planting food plots, building fence, spraying noxious weeds, posting boundaries and other general GPA maintenance. This individual will maintain their equipment such as tractors, trailers, drills, UTVs, and other agricultural implements used in habitat management.

Licenses and Certifications:

A valid driver's license is required and a CDL will be required within 120 days of hire. The successful applicant will also be required to complete a certified ATV course, an online UTV safety course, obtain a South Dakota Department of Agricultural Commercial Pesticide Applicator License.

The Ideal Candidate Will Have:

• Do you have a high degree of professional ethics and integrity?
• Do you excel at organizing and prioritizing multiple tasks and projects while maintaining a positive attitude?
• Do you welcome the opportunity to tackle problems and think quickly to find innovative solutions?
• Are you an effective, outgoing communicator who enjoys providing superior service to customers, leadership, and other employees?

Our ideal candidate will have experience in managing assigned development projects and maintenance and repair activities by prioritizing projects, recruiting and training crew members, developing work schedules, making sure equipment is adequate for the tasks at hand, maintaining inventories of materials and supplies, and monitoring work progress to ensure completion of management plans designed to maintain and enhance wildlife habitat areas and lands leased and managed by the department.

Knowledge of:

• human resources management practices sufficient to interview, train, and evaluate temporary employees;
• purchasing processes such as ordering from contracts, contacting local vendors for bids, writing specifications, and preparing requisitions and vouchers;
• facility maintenance skills such as plumbing, electrical repair, carpentry, and painting;
• farming and harvesting methods and growing seasons;
• seed, fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides;
• farm tractors and implements and their functions;
• soils;
• tree species;
• tree diseases and pests;
• tree storage, planting procedures, and maintenance;
• groundskeeping methods, equipment, and maintenance;
• noxious weeds;
• weed spray, methods of application, and spraying equipment;
• diagnostic and repair methods for a wide variety of vehicles and equipment;
• welding;
• safe-operating guidelines for equipment;
• timber harvesting and equipment;
• fence-building.

Ability to:

• lead, organize and prioritize projects on a long- and short-term basis and calculate time, equipment, and manpower needs;
• clearly provide work direction to others;
• delegate work to others based on evaluation of their capabilities;
• handle chemicals safely;
• diagnose vehicle and equipment malfunctions and determine the most cost effective resolution;
• communicate sufficiently to resolve conflicts with staff, the public, and landowners.

If you enjoy a career that is both exciting and challenging and want to make a difference in public service, we'd like to hear from you!

This position is eligible for Veterans' Preference per ARSD 55:10:02:08.

The State of South Dakota does not sponsor work visas for new or existing employees. All persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete an Employment Eligibility Verification, Form I-9. The State of South Dakota as an employer will be using E-Verify to complete employment eligibility verification upon hire.

The State of South Dakota offers $0 premium employee health insurance option plus eleven paid holidays, generous vacation and sick leave accrual, dental, vision, and other insurance options, and retirement benefits. You can view our benefits information here. This position is a member of Class A retirement under SDRS.

Must apply online: https://gen-stateofsouthdako-trn.inforcloudsuite.com/hcm/xmlhttp/shorturl.do?key=46K

You must apply online, emailed resumes or submissions will not be accepted.

South Dakota Bureau of Human Resources and Administration

Telephone: 605.773.3148 Email: careers@state.sd.us

http://bhr.sd.gov/workforus

"An Equal Opportunity Employer"

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