Employment with Fish & Wildlife

All permanent, full-time professional positions within the NJDEP Fish and Wildlife Program and other state agencies are filled from certification lists maintained by the N.J. Civil Service Commission (CSC). Information about state employment and current vacancies is also available at www.nj.gov/nj/employ/.

Employment opportunities within DEP are listed at www.nj.gov/dep/jobs/. It is advisable to apply for any vacancy/title that is related to the field you wish to enter. Even if a vacancy is not in a location you are interested in, if you are eligible to apply you should – taking and passing an exam will place you on a list for future vacancies.

Most professional positions within Fish and Wildlife require a bachelors degree with a major in one of the following or related fields: wildlife management, fisheries management, natural resources management, environmental science, wildlife biology, or fisheries biology. Often a major outside these areas will be acceptable provided adequate related course work has been performed, but that is a Civil Service Commission decision. Each CSC announcement specifies educational requirements.

Occasionally, seasonal employment is available at our fish hatcheries, Lebanon Freshwater Fisheries Field Office, Delaware Bay Office and Nacote Creek Marine Lab, with our deer project and with the Endangered and Nongame Species Program. See the Contact Us page for the facility or program you are interested in and phone to inquire. Many permanent employees begin in a seasonal position.

Seasonal employment opportunities are posted above when available. Summer employment is offered in the Division of Parks and Forestry each year – see the DPF Summer Seasonal Jobs page.

Another option, and often a first step toward employment, is joining the division’s volunteer wing, the Wildlife Conservation Corps. It is an excellent way to gain practical experience and make valuable contacts. Visit the WCC Homepage to learn more. Good luck in your career search!

Becoming a Conservation Police Officer

Many people inquire about becoming a Conservation Police Officer. Officers have full police powers and are subject to rigorous educational requirements in addition to the basic requirements of becoming a State of NJ Law Enforcement officer.

The physical conditioning standard is the same for all law enforcement trainees. Those standards are found here (pdf, Police Training Commission site)). Also, candidates cannot have any tattoo on the hands, neck, or head/face, nor any visible tattoo from the wrist to the short shirt sleeve hem, that is offensive in nature or insulting to any protected class.

The educational requirements include: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s degree in one of the Biological Sciences, Biology, Biostatistics, Microbiology, Natural Science, Zoology, Marine Science, Wildlife Biology, Marine Biology, Animal Science, Botany, Physics, Wildlife Science/Conservation, Fisheries Science, Wildlife Management, Conservation Law Enforcement, Ecology, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Studies or Environmental Science. The Bachelor’s degree must include or be supplemented by twenty-four (24) semester-hour credits in any combination of the following areas: Fisheries Science, Wildlife Science, Ecology, Natural Resource Management or Biological Sciences.

NOTE: A Bachelor degree in Environmental Education, Parks and Recreation or Criminal Justice supplemented by thirty (30) semester-hour credits in any combination of the subject areas indicated above will be considered acceptable.