Department of Land and Natural Resources

Jobs

If you’re passionate about protecting Hawaiʻi’s natural, cultural, and historical resources, we would love to work with you! If you are wondering what kind of people work at the Department of Land & Natural Resources, check out our page on the divisions and offices that make up the department, or hear directly from staff in videos on the Forestry & Wildlife “About Us” page about what they do, how they got into this field, and why their work is important to them.

We are nearly 900 employees working across the state in a wide range of job and career types, including conservation officers, aquatic biologists, wildlife biologists, natural resource management specialists, foresters, environmental engineers, planners, archaeologists, hydrologists, abstractors, cultural historians, and more.

There are multiple ways to work with us: as an employee of the department, or as an employee or service member through a partner organization like those described below. Click the opportunity type you’re interested in to learn more.

State Jobs at the Department of Land and Natural Resources

These are official jobs with the Executive Branch of state government. They include civil service and non-civil service jobs. Applicants apply through the Dept of Human Resources Development. Scroll down to learn more how to apply or see our current openings.

Partner Jobs at RCUH

We often work with project-specific or term-limited positions managed by the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaiʻi, via research groups with UH oversight. These partnership positions often work alongside DLNR employees but are employed by RCUH. They have a different application process and HR structure. Visit RCUH.com to see job postings

Hawaiʻi Youth Conservation Corps & Kupu

We administer a Hawaiʻi Youth Conservation Corps for workforce development and training opportunities, including the Green Jobs Youth Corps. Our current partner for providing these opportunities is Kupu, a non-profit that specializes in conservation training and development. Visit Kupuhawaii.org to learn more

If you aren’t sure where to start or what you want to do, try exploring a pair of sites run by our partners at the Hawaiʻi Conservation Alliance:

Conservation Career Compass: find guidance on how to write a resume, prepare for an interview, or find academic and scholarship opportunities.
Conservation Connections: find jobs and volunteer opportunities all across Hawaiʻi for a variety of conservation organizations.

Applying for State Jobs at the Department of Land and Natural Resources

How to Apply

Where to apply: The DHRD site https://jobs.hawaii.gov/careers/ is your starting point for tips, FAQs, and links to job postings. DHRD splits most of their job postings into two categories:

Civil service jobs, meaning you are hired based on your merit through a competitive process. Most state jobs are part of the civil service. Current openings are posted at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/hawaii.
Non-civil service jobs (also called “civil service exempt”) are a bit different in that employees may be appointed through special processes and are generally considered “at will,” meaning they can be dismissed at any time. Current openings are posted at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/hawaii/transferjobs. You may also need to complete the HRD 278 Application for Non-Civil Service Appointment.

How to find job current openings: At either of the “governmentjobs” links above, use the Filter button to find jobs in a specific location, at a specific department, by category, etc. For jobs with DLNR, click Filter>Department and check the box for “Land & Natural Resources.”

Tips for applying: DHRD provides resources to support applicants, including an FAQ, user guide, employment laws, and more. They also provide the video below to help you navigate the application website.

Keep in mind that the initial review of your application will be by HR specialists at DHRD, not by biologists or other subject-matter experts at DLNR. To make it easier for these HR specialists to evaluate your application, we recommend:

Using broadly understood vocabulary (avoiding technical jargon)
Making direct, clear connections between the minimum qualifications in the job posting and your information in your resume or cover letter
Highlighting any classes on your transcript that are required by the posting and adding up the relevant credit hours
If your transcript includes a course title that doesn’t sound like covers a required topic but you feel it does, make sure to include in your application a description of the course and why it is relevant
If you receive a letter saying you are not qualified for a position but you believe that you are, you can contest this decision. You must do this within the timeframe described in the letter.

How to be notified when new opportunities arise: You can subscribe to notifications for opportunities based on job categories. For jobs with the Department of Land and Natural Resources, try subscribing to these categories:

Categories related to administrative or managerial positions	Accounting and Finance, Office and Administrative Support, Planning & Development, Purchasing, Administration, Management, Program Management
Categories related to environmental positions	Forestry, Wildlife, Environmental Services, Geology/Hydrology, Natural Resources, Agriculture, Green-Collar/Environmental, Water Agency
Categories related to recreation positions	Hospitality and Tourism, Parks and Beaches, Public Safety, Recreation
Categories applicable to other specialized fields at DLNR	Communications, Engineering, Land Use, Law Enforcement, Real Estate, Statistics/Mathematics, Emergency Management, Historic Preservation, Research
Categories related to facilities and equipment management positions	Building Maintenance, Custodial, Maintenance, Trades, Grounds & Landscaping

For more guidance on how to apply, see the following video from the Department of Human Resources Development:

Employee Benefits

The Department of Land and Natural Resources offers a competitive compensation package. In addition to salary, which is an important part of the compensation package, an employee may be eligible for a broad range of valuable benefits, such as comprehensive health care insurance, life insurance, retirement programs, sick leave, vacation leave and paid holidays. The benefits information provided below is not a contract or binding agreement. It does not supersede laws, rules, collective bargaining agreements, policies and procedures, and benefit plan documents pertaining to the various subject matters covered. Benefits vary by type of employment appointment and applicable collective bargaining agreement, and are subject to change.

Learn more about employee benefits for state employees from the Department of Human Resources Development.

Current Openings

Opening Date	Job Title	Recruitment
06/04/22	Abstractor IV – Downtown, Oahu	22-0332
10/01/22	Account Clerk II – Kona	22-0640
09/14/22	Applications/Systems Analyst	EX120503
04/23/22	Boating – Harbor Agent – IV – Maui	22-0206
08/05/22	Boating – Harbor Agent – IV – Kona	22-0480
09/17/22	Civil Rights – Specialist V	22-0612
10/15/22	Education Specialist (Hunter & Conservation Resources) III – Pearl City, Oahu	22-0636
11/12/22	Engineer I	22-0689
11/12/22	Engineer II-III	22-0690
10/23/21	Engineer IV-V	21-0562
	Forester V	23-0032
10/01/22	General Professional IV (Archaeological Research)	22-0614
09/26/22	Mineral Resources Specialist	EX120856
11/19/22	Natural Resources Specialist III	22-0741
12/10/22	Program Specialist IV	22-0763
10/09/22	Planner IV – Oahu	22-0557
09/02/22	Planner V – Oahu	22-0540

Please check the website regularly for updates. For more information, please visit dhrd.hawaii.gov. DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife is an equal-opportunity employer. For more information see our Civil Rights statement.