Employment Opportunities & Wildlife Officer Positions

There are many positions inside the TWRA.  We have listed below the different Wildlife positions occasionally available within the Agency. 

For additional positions and all wildlife positions available within the department, search the State of Tennessee's Department of Human Resources website here!

This is the entry working class in the field of wildlife enforcement and management. An employee in this class is responsible for a variety of law enforcement and wildlife management activities in an assigned area.

Examples of Duties: Patrols an assigned area making inspections for boating, hunting, fishing, littering, and pollution law violations; checks hunting and fishing licenses; inspects vehicles for possession of illegal game; apprehends and arrests violators of wildlife laws; collects and preserves evidence; serves as state's witness at court cases; Performs public safety functions on public waterways primarily by enforcing boating safety laws and investigating boating incidents; collects and prepares wildlife research data using such techniques as browse surveys, wildlife call counts, field bag checks, and aging and collecting parts of harvested animals; presents wildlife conservation educational programs to civic clubs, sportsman associations, and school groups; teaches hunting and boating safety education classes; assists landowners in the development of a wildlife management plan for their property; investigates wildlife damage complaints; operates a variety of equipment including motor vehicles, boats, motors, firearms, cameras and two-way radios.

Education and Experience Required: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife or Fisheries Management, Wildlife Biology, or other related acceptable field. Related acceptable fields include: General Biology, Zoology, Forestry, Ecology, Vertebrate Biology or Vertebrate Zoology, Agriculture, Agricultural Science or Animal Science; provided the applicant has an additional twenty semester hours of Wildlife related coursework.
OR
One year of full time working experience as a Wildlife Manager 1 with the State of Tennessee.

This is the entry level working class in the field of wildlife management. An employee in this class is responsible for professional wildlife management work in the implementation of wildlife management practices on a wildlife area or facility.

Examples of Duties: Implements or assists in implementing projects and programs to provide optimum wildlife habitat development; uses agricultural techniques involving trees, shrubs, grains, grasses, and other wildlife food and cover plantings and cuttings; provides information to public pertaining to hunting, fishing, boating and associated recreational activities; conducts browse, mast and creel surveys, and collects water and fish samples; traps and bands wildlife; determines age, sex and weight of harvested wildlife; maintains and repairs equipment and buildings; constructs outbuildings, checking stations, docks and signs; performs maintenance duties; assists in patrol and law enforcement duties on management areas, appears in court; operates a variety of equipment including autos; trucks, bulldozers, tractors, boats and motors, chain saws, mowers and hand tools.

Education and Experience Required: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in Wildlife or Fisheries Management, Wildlife Biology, or other related acceptable field. Related acceptable fields include: General Biology, Zoology, Forestry, Ecology, Vertebrate Biology or Vertebrate Zoology, Agriculture, Agricultural Science or Animal Science; provided the applicant has an additional twenty semester hours of Wildlife related coursework.
OR
One year of full time working experience as a Wildlife Officer with the State of Tennessee.

An employee in this class leads in a variety of activities associated with the management of wildlife, wildlife lands, and fish and fish facilities. Work involves leading in wildlife habitat development and maintenance, public relations activities, research data collection, and facilities maintenance.

Examples of Duties: Leads in the implementation of projects and management techniques to provide optimum wildlife habitat development, fish production, and hunting and fishing opportunities; uses wildlife agricultural techniques involving trees, shrubs, grains, grass, and other wildlife food and cover plantings; controls burned habitats and flooded wetland areas; restocks area lands, lakes and streams with fish and wildlife; leads in providing information to the public pertaining to hunting and fishing activities; manages field trials and hunts on wildlife areas; conducts browse, mast, and creel surveys; collects water and fish samples; traps and bands wildlife; determines age, sex, and weight of harvested wildlife and fish; assists in determining feasibility of stocking warm and cold water fish in streams, lakes and rivers; conducts wildlife inventories; leads in maintenance and repair of equipment on management area or facility; builds and maintains primitive roads and trails; develops and manages share-crop contracts with farmers; assists in patrol and law enforcement duties; issues citations and appears in court; prepares and monitors budget; operates various equipment.

Education and Experience Required: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in wildlife or fisheries management, wildlife biology, or other related acceptable field and experience equivalent to two years of full-time professional wildlife resources work; additional graduate course work in wildlife management or other related acceptable field may be substituted for the required experience, to a maximum of one year. See Wildlife Officer 1 or Wildlife Manager 1 for closely related fields.

This is the entry level class in the Wildlife Biologist sub-series. An employee in this class works under immediate supervision in learning the proper methods and procedures of performing professional wildlife or fisheries management work.

Examples of Duties: Learns to trap, tag, band, or transplant wildlife for research or management purposes; assists in conducting age-growth, length-weight, migration, distribution, food, and life history studies; learns to measure depth and surface areas of water, water flow, and basic chemical composition of water; assists in coordinating the development and management of share-crop contracts, landowner leases, and cooperative projects with federal and local agencies; assists in conducting aerial and ground wildlife censuses, and fish inventories in area streams, lakes, and rivers; learns to conduct ecological surveys; investigates and assists in determining feasibility of stocking warm and cold water fish in streams, lakes and rivers in the state; identifies, preserves, and protects fish and wildlife species and their habitats; compiles and analyzes data; may perform law enforcement related duties.

Education and Experience Required: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a master's degree in wildlife or fish management or closely related field; qualifying full-time professional wildlife or fisheries experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis to a maximum of one year. Closely related fields include those degrees acceptable for the class of Wildlife Officer 1 and Wildlife Manager 1.

This is the working level class in the Wildlife Biologist sub-series. An employee in this class is responsible for planning, participation in, and coordination of a regional or other non-statewide program or project for fish and wildlife management or research.

Examples of Duties: Coordinates and participates in specific regional or other non-statewide fish and wildlife research and management programs; traps, tags, bands, or transplants fish and wildlife for research or management purposes; conducts age-growth, length-weight, migration, distribution, food, and life history studies; measures depth and surface areas of water, water flow, and basic chemical composition of water; coordinates the development and management of share-crop contracts, landowner leases, and cooperative projects with federal and local agencies; conducts wildlife censuses; conducts fish inventories in area streams, lakes, and rivers; conducts ecological surveys; investigates and assists in determining feasibility of stocking warm and cold water fish in streams, lakes and rivers in the state; compiles and analyzes data and prepares reports; may perform law enforcement work; may supervise others.

Education and Experience Required: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a master's degree in wildlife or fish management or closely related field and experience equivalent to one year of full-time professional wildlife resources work; qualifying full-time professional wildlife or fisheries experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-for year basis to a maximum of one year. See Wildlife Officer 1 or Wildlife Manager 1 for closely related fields.

An employee in this class is responsible for planning, participation in, and coordination of a statewide program or project for fish and wildlife management or research. Work involves planning, conducting, and interpreting biological studies; developing and coordinating statewide program activities; and giving consultation to regional personnel on specific programs.

Examples of Duties: Coordinates and participates in specific statewide fish and wildlife research and management programs; coordinates fish and wildlife censuses and the gathering and interpretation of other data; coordinates and participates in the analysis of fish and wildlife reports; makes recommendations affecting the wildlife and fish management program; coordinates fish and wildlife management studies; prepares reports on assigned functions; reviews reports and data from field; coordinates cooperative documents for planning activities; works with various agencies, wildlife organizations, news media, and the general public in explaining and interpreting wildlife programs; designs and develops data collection methods and survey forms for use by field personnel; responds to requests by owners/managers of private, public, and industrial lands and waters for technical assistance to improve fish and wildlife habitat; may perform law enforcement related duties; may supervise the work of others; assists in the preparation of program budgets.

Education and Experience Required: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a master's degree in wildlife or fish management or closely related field and experience equivalent to two years of full-time professional wildlife resources work; qualifying full-time professional wildlife or fisheries experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis to a maximum of one year. See Wildlife Officer 1 or Wildlife Manager 1 for closely related fields.

Call for more information call TWRA Human Resources at:

(615) 781-6594