CPW PARK RANGER TRAINEE

THIS POSITION HAS OPENED TO RECEIVING APPLICATIONS UNTIL THE CLOSING DATE

** CPW is hosting a Park Ranger and District Wildlife Manager Hiring Q&A session Sept. 10th at 6:00 p.m MST. Interested attendees can register for the webinar through this link:  REGISTER  (This session is recorded for those that cannot attend and will be uploaded to Colorado Parks & Wildlife YouTube channel) More information regarding this position can be found at the CPW Steps to Becoming an Officer website.

A residency waiver has been granted for this announcement. Applications will be considered from residents and non-residents of Colorado.

• Medical, Vision and Dental plans (learn more about the wonderful Benefits the State of Colorado has to offer here)

• Strong, flexible retirement plans including PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan, plus pre-tax and Roth 401K and 457 plans

• Paid life insurance

• Short and long-term disability coverage

• Employee Wellness programs

• Flexible Spending Accounts

• Health Savings Accounts

• 11 paid holidays per year plus generous vacation and sick leave

• Flexible work schedule options and remote-work options

• Career advancement opportunities throughout the State system

• Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

• Year one Working Title: "Park Ranger Trainee" 
• Years two and three Working Title: "Park Ranger" 

• Participates in POST training to achieve certification, is ultimately commissioned at the discretion of the Director of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and applies knowledge and techniques in a field setting.
• Disseminates and communicates information concerning park management, data, regulations, public outreach, and conducts educational and interpretive activities to internal and external stakeholders (schools, civic groups, sporting clubs, etc). 
• Understands the responsibilities and expectations of a Park Ranger to represent the Division in a professional manner.
• Applies natural resource management plans, stewardship plans, improvement projects, habitat assessment, inventories, and other field training in order to protect and preserve native wildlife, plants, and ecosystems in and around state parks.
• Participates in various certification training including Wilderness First Responder, Swift Water Rescue, and other valuable training.
• Performs patrols through operation of boats, Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV), and snowmobiles.
• Enforces Park's laws and regulations and investigates alleged law violations, seizes equipment and arranges for disposition of illegal activities under the leadership of a commissioned officer.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Strong written and oral communication skills 
• Experience providing customer service
• Experience leading/mentoring others
• Experience with public speaking/presenting and/or facilitating meetings
• Knowledge of or experience with Park Management techniques and/or principles
• Ability or experience working in a team environment
• Knowledge of or experience with working in outdoor conditions, including principles of safety in the outdoors.
• At least a bachelor's degree in natural resources management, natural sciences, earth sciences, environmental science, biology, ecology, forestry, geology, range management, wildlife biology, wildlife management, zoology, *outdoor recreation management, *parks administration, or *parks management

•  Must be willing and able to submit to, and pass a background investigation, which includes the following:
  • Felony convictions
  • Domestic Violence charges/convictions/restraining orders
  • Driving under the Influence/Impaired and/or boating under the Influence/Impaired convictions
  • Misdemeanor convictions that preclude being P.O.S.T certified as a Colorado Peace Officer.
  • Fingerprint submission and check
  • Polygraph
  • Moral turpitude
  • Suitability interview, and psychological examination (administered by a third party professional organization)
  • Drug Screening (administered by a third party professional organization).
  • Medical physical exam from a medical professional (administered by a third party professional organization).
• Must be able to wear a full duty uniform, including a ballistic vest, body-worn camera, and a duty belt weighing approximately 20 pounds, for extended periods (up to 8 hours or more per shift).
• Must be willing and able to obtain a State of Colorado drivers' license no later than the first day of employment if selected for hire.
• IMPORTANT - Federal law maintains prohibition of illegal drugs. If you have used marijuana within the past 12 months preceding your employment and/or used any illegal drugs within the past 36 months preceding your employment you will be disqualified from the process and will not advance further.
• If you have been convicted of a felony or any domestic violence charge, and/or been convicted of any misdemeanors which preclude POST certification as a Colorado Peace Officer you will be disqualified from the process and will not advance further.  Please see link: Decertifying Misdemeanors Colorado POST.
• If you receive a conditional job offer, you must pass the POST Academy and CPW's Field Training Program within the 12-month probationary period.
• Candidates offered a position must be willing and able to accept an assignment to a State Park and remain at that Park for a minimum of two years.
• Former State employees who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination must disclose the information on the application and provide an explanation why the prior termination or resignation should not disqualify their application from the current position.  (Please Note: Absent extraordinary circumstances, prior disciplinary termination or resignation in lieu of termination will disqualify the applicant from future State employment with DNR).

• Pursuant to the DNR-120 Fleet and Driving Standards Administrative Directive, any worker who will be expected to drive a State-owned vehicle is responsible for maintaining a safe driving record and a valid driver license prior to driving any State-owned vehicle. 

  To be compliant with the new fleet vehicle policy, Motor Vehicle Records (MVRs) will be pulled for review for workers who: 

  • Have an assigned State fleet vehicle

  • Are required to operate a vehicle as part of the position

  • Utilize a State fleet vehicle as a pool vehicle

*** DATES & TIMELINES FOR EACH OF THESE EXAMS IS OUTLINED BELOW ***

THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS: 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REVIEW 

All applications received by the closing of this announcement will be reviewed by an HR Specialist against the Minimum Qualifications in this announcement. Please be advised that resumes, cover letters and other miscellaneous attachments are NOT considered as part of the minimum qualification screening, therefore, it is important your APPLICATION details your education, experience, qualifications, and any applicable substitutions. If you are using education to meet the minimum qualifications, you must upload/attach a copy of your educational transcripts when you submit your application. Once submitted, you will receive an auto-generated notification and within 3 business days you should receive a secondary notification from the HR Specialist updating you as to your application’s status.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT EXAMS 

10/02/2026 - 10/08/2026: Online Exam and Writing Prompt - The HR Specialist will provide links to the following exams via email to eligible participants on 10/02/2026. Both exams must be completed before 10/08/26 deadline:

• The online exam consists of 100 multiple choice questions that assess foundational/educational knowledge on a variety of topics.  Participants will have 90-minutes to complete the exam.  The test will consist of the following: 

  • 20 questions - CPW knowledge

  • 5 questions - Colorado knowledge

  • 5 questions - Critical Thinking

  • 5 questions - Problem Solving

  • 5 questions - Mechanical Knowledge

  • 10 questions - Fisheries

  • 10 questions - Big Game 

  • 5 questions - Non-Game

  • 10 questions - Small Game

  • 15 questions - Natural Resources

  • 10 questions - Outdoor Recreation

• The writing prompt exam contains a topic or scenario for candidates to respond to. Participants must submit a typed response (approximately 500 words) that will be evaluated for content and writing skills. Candidates can incorporate research in their response, however help or assistance from another person is not permitted.

Background Investigation - Candidates must comply with background investigation related requests throughout the selection process and are required to successfully pass a thorough background investigation which includes criminal, driving & reference checks.

10/14/2026 - 10/16/2026: Virtual Interactive Oral Panel Assessment - Eligible candidates are scheduled for an assessment. This is a virtual question and answer session led by a panel of subject matter experts who are at various levels in their CPW careers. Candidates will be asked about a broad array of issues related to outdoor recreation and wildlife management, CPW priorities, and interpersonal skills. Candidates should be prepared to give a 5-minute presentation to the panel on a Natural Resource topic of their choice. We highly encourage candidates to visit CPW's website to learn more about Park Ranger and District Wildlife Managers and their role within CPW and be prepared to answer questions from panel members thoroughly, thoughtfully, and in a logical format.

10/19/2026 - 10/23/2026 - Open District and Parks Preference Video - After completing the oral panel assessment, successful candidates will be asked to submit a short video, less than 5 minutes in length, explaining what locations they would prefer to be assigned.  Candidates may receive conditional job offer along with a direct assignment that would begin after completion of their training year.  Candidates will receive an email with the available parks or districts along with a link for submitting your video.  The videos will be used for consideration when offering a position to candidates who successfully pass the Executive Management Interview.  Some candidates may receive a conditional job offer without a direct assignment and may be placed later in the year for any open park or district in Colorado. 

10/28/2026 - 11/5/2026: Polygraph & Physical Fitness Exams - The polygraph exam confirms previous statements made and information gathered throughout the hiring process and is administered by a third-party. This exam may take up to 2-hours and the physical fitness exam will take place the same day the candidate completes their polygraph exam. 

The physical fitness exam will consist of a 2,000 Meter Row. This test will be conducted on a Concept 2 Rower. Applicants must achieve, at minimum, the 70th percentile VO2 max. Time limits will be individualized and calculated based upon age, weight, and gender.  A calculator can be found on our careers page under “tests”: https://cpw.state.co.us/careers.  Each rower will be set at 2000 meters with the damper set on level 5. Candidates are strongly encouraged to begin training to ensure that they are able to successfully pass the fitness test.  For videos on how to use the Concept2 Rower, Training Programs or to find a Concept 2 Rower near you visit: https://www.concept2.com.

10/29/2026 - 10/30/2026: Executive Management Interviews - Participants will be scheduled for an in-person final interview conducted by a panel of CPW Managers. We highly encourage candidates to be prepared to answer questions from panel members thoroughly, thoughtfully, and in a logical format. 

Final Exams & Conditional Job Offers - Eligible candidates that have successfully completed all of the above steps will receive a conditional job offer that requires successful completion of these additional exams:  Psychological Exam (evaluates mental health and required by Colorado POST and any prior testing is considered), Drug Test, and a Medical Physical Exam (identifies ailments that would prohibit a person from performing the functions of the job and is different from the physical fitness test). Candidates may be offered an open park or district position at the time of a job offer.  Failure to accept this park or district assignment will result in your removal for consideration for this position.

POST-HIRE INFORMATION

Start date January 2, 2027 and consists of CPW orientation and NEO information in section. Topics will include state employment, learning and performance, payroll, benefits, PERA and COWINS.

January 2027 - May 2027:  Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) 

[19 weeks] mandatory training is held in the Denver metro area. There is no reimbursement for relocation expenses. Training includes Colorado Criminal Code: laws of arrest; search and seizure; officer survival; use of force; civil liability; suspect/witness interview and interrogation.  CPW pays 100% of the tuition and provides training materials and equipment. Training includes physically demanding exercises to develop proficiency in firearms, arrest control, and overall law enforcement activities.

May 2027 - December 2027: Field Training Program

[7 months] - includes classroom and field training (outside) about public relations, customer service, natural resource management and overall law enforcement. Field training requires extended travel away from Denver and CPW provides per diem and vehicles.

Upon Successful Completion of Training:

• Park Rangers must accept any park location assigned to them.

• Park Rangers must remain in the initial assigned location for a minimum of 2 years from the date of placement.

• Park Rangers who fail to relocate as a condition of employment will be terminated and will reimburse CPW for training expenses.