State Park Assistant Manager

State of Idaho|Cascade, ID|Other|Entry level

Description

NOTE:All applicants must apply by 4:59 PM MST on the closing date.

The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation is pleased to announce an exciting opportunity for the position of Assistant Park Manager at Lake Cascade State Park.

Just 75 miles north of Boise, Lake Cascade State Park is one of Idaho’s largest and most captivating recreational destinations. With more than 26,000 surface acres of water and 86 miles of shoreline, the park features 17 distinct units and offers a wide variety of year-round activities, including boating, camping, fishing, windsurfing, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling.

As Assistant Park Manager, you will play a vital leadership role, working in close collaboration with the Park Manager to oversee the daily operations of this expansive and diverse park. You will supervise, train, and support both permanent and seasonal staff, cultivating a workplace culture that values teamwork, professionalism, and exceptional visitor service. Your efforts will help ensure that the park remains a safe, well-maintained, and welcoming destination for thousands of annual guests.

Your responsibilities will include coordinating maintenance operations, managing groundskeeping, and ensuring consistent facility upkeep across a broad geographic area. You will assist in allocating resources, organizing staff schedules, tracking project progress, and ensuring compliance with park policies and state regulations. Given the distance between park units, which can require up to 45 minutes of travel, strong time management and the ability to lead a distributed team are essential.

This position also requires strong community engagement. You will collaborate with local law enforcement, community groups, and partner agencies such as the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Building productive relationships and representing the park with professionalism and integrity will be key to supporting long-term success and enhancing the park’s connection to the broader community.

Park housing is available, offering the rare opportunity to live and work in a scenic, serene Idaho location surrounded by the natural beauty you help protect.

This is an exciting opportunity to step into a visible leadership position at one of Idaho’s most beloved parks. At Lake Cascade, you’ll help protect and enhance a vital public resource while guiding a dedicated team and supporting unforgettable outdoor experiences.

Learn more about Park here:https://parksandrecreation.idaho.gov/state-park/lake-cascade-state-park/

For questions about this position, please contact: Park Manager Dalton Crane

EXAMPLE OF DUTIES

  • Park Supervision and Maintenance.Assists park manager in hiring, training, evaluating, and managing permanent, seasonal, and volunteer staff; develops work schedules; recommends budget and monitors staff, park, and maintenance expenditures; prepares performance, financial, and project reports; oversees work projects and may work with development staff to implement construction projects; provides information on park services and rules to visitors; supervises reservations, fee collection, and receipt deposits according to Department policy; develops operational guidelines, procedures manual, and preventive maintenance schedules; oversees and may perform maintenance on facilities, equipment, and grounds including operation and repair of vehicles, mowers, backhoes, and tools; oversees concessionaire contract compliance and park project contractors.
  • Resource Management.Assists park manager in overseeing the implementation of corrective action based on resource, environment, and user impact on water quality, water rights, wetlands, soil, wildlife, and geological sites; implements natural resource plans to control plant and animal invasive species; re-vegetates native plant species; controls burns to protect rangeland, and soil; protects and preserves cultural and historic sites; prevents encroachments to park boundaries; coordinates natural resource activities with adjacent landowners and/or other interest groups; manages wildlife habitat, and native flora and fauna; protects threatened or endangered species.
  • Visitor Services and Resource Interpretation.Provides and/or oversees environmental education programs in schools and on field trips; provides and/or oversees interpretive programs which may include developing interpretive programs, marketing those programs, and implementing various activities and special events; also working closely with NPS to reach interpretation goals. Writes press releases and news articles; answers visitors questions regarding park history, geology, plants, animals, and regional tourist services.
  • Safety and Park and Recreation Rule Compliance:Serves as liaison between park and enforcement agencies; works closely with local authorities to ensure compliance with park and recreation program rules and regulations; develops and recommends safety emergency action plans; ensures staff is trained in first aid, search and rescue, and accident investigation; reports property damage, recommends corrective procedures, equipment modification, and visitor and employee safety standards; ensures identified employees are trained in rule compliance and the use of equipment, vehicles, and tools; issues citations when necessary and may testify in court.

Additional Information

This position requires working nights, weekends, and holidays, often in all weather conditions and around potentially hazardous materials such as caustic substances and pesticides.

The role also requires the ability to lift and carry items weighing up to 40 pounds regularly and up to 100 pounds occasionally, as well as frequent bending, stooping, and climbing ladders, with or without reasonable accommodation.

This position requires the incumbent to possess and maintain a valid driver’s license throughout the course of employment.

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check.

Minimum Qualifications

  • Good knowledge of natural resource management and outdoor recreation.Typically gained by the successful completion of an Associate or Master's degree from an accredited college in park and recreation management, outdoor recreation and tourism, environmental education or ecology, or a closely related natural resource field such as wildlife management, forest management wildlife biology, etc. AND 6 months experience as a ranger, or similar position, in a city, state or federal park and recreation system working with natural resource and outdoor recreation issues; OR 1 year of work experience as a ranger, or similar position, in a city, county, state or federal park and recreation system working natural resource and outdoor recreation issues. NOTE: At this level, the experience must include working with outdoor recreation issues and natural resource management issues.
  • Some knowledge of and experience supervising staff.Typically gained by successful completion of 1 college-level or agency/department course or workshop that included theory and techniques of supervision, AND at least eight months (two seasons) of work experience supervising the work of subordinate staff that included assigning work and training new and existing staff. NOTE: Experience supervising seasonal and/or volunteer staff will qualify.
  • Some knowledge of park interpretation and environmental education.Typically gained by the successful completion of at least 1-college course or 1 agency-sponsored workshop that included park interpretation or environmental education; OR at least six months of work experience presenting structured interpretation or environmental education programs.
  • Experienceproviding service to a variety of customers supervising staff.Typically gained by at least six months of work experience answering questions, providing direction, and asking questions to determine the needs or purpose of the visit. NOTE: Experience working in a visitor center, as a hotel desk clerk, or as a salesclerk could qualify. Your response must clearly be reflected in your resume and/or work experience.
  • Performing construction and building maintenance.Typically gained by experience independently performing intermediate carpentry and plumbing tasks such as structural building remodeling, plumbing installation, electrical installation, etc. Experience performing trade skills such as welding, concrete work, and other construction-type work is highly desirable.
  • Operating and maintaining vehicles/equipment.Typically gained by experienceoperating heavier vehicles and equipment such as tractors with loaders, various types of farm machinery, chain saws, large riding mowers and sprayers. AND experience performing minor maintenance work on small engines, pumps, and vehicles such as changing oil and filters and performing minor tune-ups.

Preferred Candidates Will Have The Following Experience

  • Performing construction and building maintenance.Typically gained by experience independently performing intermediate carpentry and plumbing tasks such as structural building remodeling, plumbing installation, electrical installation, etc. Experience performing trade skills such as welding, concrete work, and other construction-type work is highly desirable.
  • Operating and maintaining vehicles/equipment.Typically gained by experienceoperating heavier vehicles and equipment such as tractors with loaders, various types of farm machinery, chain saws, large riding mowers and sprayers. AND experience performing minor maintenance work on small engines, pumps, and vehicles such as changing oil and filters and performing minor tune-ups.

To provide clarity on our desired expectations, we've prepared a sample resume and cover letter:Example Resume and Cover Letter for Manager Position

Do What You Love, Love What You Do

WHY IDPR?We are innovators in outdoor recreation, committed to excellent service and resource stewardship. We foster experiences that renew the human spirit and promote community vitality. Our mission is to improve the quality of life in Idaho through outdoor recreation and resource stewardship. IDPR manages 30 state parks, trails and attractions throughout every region of Idaho and the registration programs for boats, snowmobiles and other off-highway vehicles (OHV). Money from these registration programs goes back to users to develop and maintain trails, facilities and programs. IDPR also provides free education courses for boaters and OHV operators.To learn more about Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation please visit:https://parksandrecreation.idaho.gov/

BENEFITS:We offer a competitive benefits package which includes excellent medical, dental and vision insurance. There is generous vacation and sick leave accrual that begins as soon as you start. There are ten paid holidays in a year; participation in one of the Nation's best state retirement systems; multiple saving plans and optional 401K; life insurance; wellness programs; ongoing training opportunities and more.For additional information related to benefits and/or State programs, please visit:https://dhr.idaho.gov/information-for-state-employees/.

EEO/ADA/Veteran:The State of Idaho is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, political affiliation or belief, sex, national origin, genetics, or any other status protected under applicable federal, state, or local laws.

The State of Idaho is committed to access and reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities, auxiliary aids and services are available upon request. If you require an accommodation at any step in our recruitment process, you are encouraged to contact (208) 334-2263 (TTY/TTD: 711), or email [email protected].

Preference may be given to veterans who qualify under state and federal laws and regulations.

AI Sourcing Intelligence

Sourcing Advice for This Role

AI-powered analysis of recruitment difficulty and recommended sourcing channels for this position.

Recruitment Difficulty Analysis

Key challenge: The role demands an entry-level park supervisor with formal park and natural resource management training, the ability to lead a distributed team across Lake Cascade's dispersed units, and strong community engagement in a rural Idaho setting. Coupled with government hiring timelines and housing considerations, the candidate pool is relatively small and geographically constrained for Cascade, ID.

Recommended Sourcing Channels

LinkedIn Groups

Best Channel

Niche field combines park management, resource stewardship, and Idaho-specific operations; groups enable targeted outreach to professionals in state parks and outdoor recreation.

Recommended Groups on StrategyBrain:

LinkedIn Search (Boolean)

Supplementary

Boolean search broadens reach to passive candidates beyond groups and events, capturing individuals with park operations and supervisory experience across Idaho and neighboring states.

Recommended Boolean query:
(Assistant Park Manager OR Park Manager OR Park Supervisor) AND (Cascade OR Idaho)(park maintenance OR facilities management OR groundskeeping OR environmental education OR park interpretation) AND (supervis OR supervisor) AND (resource management OR outdoor recreation OR natural resources)(Entry level OR Junior OR Assistant) AND (Park OR Ranger) AND (State OR Government OR Public) AND (Idaho OR IDPR)

Suggested Search Criteria

Job Titles to Search
Assistant Park ManagerPark ManagerPark SupervisorParks and Recreation Assistant ManagerState Park Superintendent
Key Skills
park managementnatural resource managementstaff supervisionfacility maintenancesafety and compliance
Location Radius
Target candidates within 100 miles of Cascade, ID, with willingness to relocate; include Boise metro as a feeder region and consider nearby states with park systems.
Experience Level
1-3 years Prioritize candidates with park/recreation experience and demonstrated supervision of staff, plus experience with safety protocols and facility operations.

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