TPWD - Game Warden/State Park Police Trainee (Cadet)

Job Description:

TPWD - Game Warden/State Park Police Trainee (Cadet)

Description

Job Description

TPWD MISSION

To manage and conserve the natural and cultural resources of Texas and to provide hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

HIRING CONTACT: Major Chase McAninch, (325) 948-3301

PHYSICAL WORK ADDRESS: TPWD Game Warden Training Center, 4363, FM 1047, Hamilton, TX 76531

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The Law Enforcement Cadet will be educated on tactics and subjects related to the duties of a state law enforcement officer and must be able to comprehend, demonstrate knowledge, and apply skills obtained from subjects as they relate to the enforcement of all provisions of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Code, Texas Penal Code and relevant provisions of other Texas laws. The Cadet will receive instruction on providing testimony in court and administrative hearings and executing and serving all criminal processes resulting from enforcement activities; providing public safety and emergency management functions including working in response to natural disasters and in homeland security operations; safeguarding departmental equipment; preparing reports of activities and presenting programs concerning department activities to the public; conducting investigations of holders of permits and licenses issued by the department; maintaining contact with landowners, resource users and the general public; and assisting other law enforcement agencies as needed. Works under close supervision, with minimal latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment. Performs additional duties as assigned. Complies with all Agency, Division and Branch rules, regulations and procedures.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Age :

Must be 21 years of age by October 1, 2027

Education:

Must have successfully completed and conferred a Bachelor's level degree from an accredited college or university by June 30, 2027. Applicants that possess 60 semester hours can meet this qualification with either: Two years of active duty military service with an honorable discharge OR Two years of full-time commissioned law enforcement service. NOTE: All substitutions are subject to verification of service and discharge or commission status.

Citizenship:

Must be a citizen of the United States.

Work Eligibility:

Federal law requires that all new employees present original documents that establishes identity and U.S. employment eligibility. These documents must be presented at the time of background and then again at the time of employment.

License:

Must possess a valid State driver's license.

Peace Officer License:

Applicant must not have had a commission license denied by final order or revoked or have a voluntary surrender of a license currently in effect.

All applicants must meet the minimum peace officer licensing standards outlined in Chapter 217 of the TCOLE Rule Handbook. All other TCOLE requirements must be met.

Military Service:

Applicants that have received a dishonorable discharge, not eligible for reentry service or whose discharge from military service was for ineptitude, unsuitability, undesirability or like causes will be rejected.

Applicants that possess a honorable discharge, eligible for reentry, general discharge under honorable conditions are eligible to apply. Applicants with military service must submit a copy of their most current military history form (DD-214 Member-4 Copy or NGB-22) with required forms during the application process.

Background:

NOTE: Applicants that pass the PRT and pass an interview must accept the Guardian Alliance Technologies (Guardian) invitation to advance in the selection process.

Accepting the Guardian Alliance Technologies (Guardian) invitation allows Texas Parks and Wildlife the ability to view your Personal History Questionnaire (PHQ). If you fail to complete this step it will prohibit your advancement in the hiring process. The PHQ must be completed by the date indicated in the Guardian Alliance email invitation. Failure of the applicant to complete and certify their PHQ could disqualify them from application process.

Applicant will be subjected to, and must successfully pass, a thorough and comprehensive background investigation prior to appointment to a cadet position. The applicant must be of good moral character and not have any of the following incidents in their criminal history:

• a conviction for any Felony or Class A Misdemeanor offense at any time (Deferred Adjudication is defined as a conviction);
• a conviction for any Class B Misdemeanor offense within 10 years prior to the date of application time (Deferred Adjudication is defined as a conviction), which includes convictions for DWI (driving while intoxicated), DUID (driving under the influence of drugs) and BWI (boating while intoxicated), never have been convicted of any family violence offense, currently on court-ordered community supervision, and/or probation or parole for any criminal offense above the grade of Class C Misdemeanor.
• Applicants that have a failed a first responder psychological evaluation within the past three years of the date of application will be disqualified.
• Applicants that have failed a polygraph examination during a first responder job application in the past three years from the date of application will be disqualified.

Schedule C:

Applicants currently holding Schedule C positions with another state agency in Texas, who meet all minimum qualifications, are selected and complete the Game Warden Academy will return to their current Schedule C salary position after 1 year of satisfactory performance in the field.

Drug Use:

Applicant must have no current illegal drug use, within the past 2 years from the start date of the application process. Illegal drug use is the use of a drug that is considered illegal in Texas. For Example: Marijuana use in some states is legal, but illegal in Texas. So, if you used marijuana in those states, TPWD will consider that as illegal drug use. This also includes the use of prescribed drugs used in an illegal manner.

Psychological Condition:

Applicants that receive a conditional job offer must be examined by a TPWD designated licensed psychologist or psychiatrist and be declared to be in satisfactory psychological and emotional health for law enforcement duty prior to employment and the issuance of a peace officer license.

Physical Condition:

Applicant must be examined by a TPWD designated physician licensed by the Texas Medical Board and be declared to be able to physically perform the duties of a cadet prior to employment.

Hearing:

Applicant must meet the minimal standard with or without hearing aids of 35 decibels or better in each of the following four frequencies: 500, 1000, 2000 and 3000Hz; to include long distance, directional and voice conversation hearing.

Vision:

Uncorrected visual acuity must be at least 20/100 (both eyes) for those who wear glasses or hard contact lenses; Wearers of soft contact lenses are exempt from uncorrected visual acuity. If you wear contact lenses, you must wear them during the medical exam;

Corrected visual acuity should be at least 20/20 (both eyes) and 20/40 (each eye);

Applicant must have uninterrupted peripheral vision of 140 degrees or better, have night vision, and be able to distinguish red and green colors.

Physical Readiness:

The application process to become a Texas Game Warden/State Park Police Officer is very competitive, and only the top qualified applicants will be selected to attend the Texas Game Warden Academy.

All Cadets accepted to attend the academy must pass the entrance physical readiness test at the minimum 70 percentile on the first day of the academy. Cadets not passing the entrance physical readiness test at the minimum requirement will have their conditional job offer rescinded and will be sent home. Cadets sent home due to not passing the entrance physical readiness test or who resign from the Game Warden Academy will be required to reapply and complete the entire application process again if the applicant wishes to attend a future Academy. NOTE: Before being allowed to take the physical readiness tests, the applicant will be required to provide a description of the test to a physician and obtain written medical clearance.

A demonstration showing proper form will be given to applicants. Proper form will be evaluated by the GWTC staff and immediate feedback will be given for reps that do not count or meet the below requirements. Applicants must successfully complete the full battery of all physical readiness tests, which includes the following activities:

13 Push-ups

• Applicants have 1-minute to complete the push-ups
• You may not place your knees on the floor at anytime
• If you rest, it must be in the up position
• Hands are shoulder width apart with legs behind you in a straight line from head to heels
• Keeping your back straight through the entire push-up, you will lower yourself to the floor until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle.
• Push back up to return to a full arm extension

22 Sit-ups

• Applicants have 1-minute to complete the sit-ups
• You must have your feet on the floor and knees bent at approximately 90 degrees
• You must rest in the up position and not lay on the floor at any time.
• Hands must be interlaced and placed behind the head
• You must go all the way down with your shoulder blades flat on the floor
• When going back up, your elbows must touch the top of your knee

4-min Row: (This test will be conducted on a Concept 2 Rower.)

• Applicants must achieve, at minimum, the 70th percentile V02 max;
• Rowing time limits will be individualized and calculated based upon age, weight, and gender; with the damper set on level 5.

Indoor Rowing Machine Technique - How to use Concept2 Rowers

*To calculate individual row times, use this link

Handgun Stability Test:

• Complete five consecutive dry fire trigger pulls with the index finger in the standing position, with both the left and right hand, holding the barrel with a 5-inch ring without touching the sides of the ring.
• While holding the handgun with both hands, the applicant must transition to the kneeling position and dry fire the pistol five times while holding the barrel inside a 5-inch ring without touching the sides of the ring.
• After the exercise is complete, the applicant is required to return to the standing position without the assistance of placing a hand on the floor or any other object.
• Then using both hands, pull the slide to the rear locked position therefore displaying a safe weapon.

Swim Test:

Applicants must fall backwards into the pool and tread water for 1-minute (body upright treading water not merely floating), without touching the sides or the bottom of the pool. After the 1-minute water tread, applicants will be required to swim 100 meters within 2-minutes and 30-seconds . Any stroke may be used. Applicants will be allowed to push off the vertical part of the wall under the water line on each end of the pool or use a flip turn.

Applicants will not be allowed to do the following:

• Touch or hold the horizontal edge of the pool;
• Touch the bottom of the pool;
• Hold onto any pool lane markers.
• Wear a Personal Flotation Devices during the swim test.
• Wear or use swim fins.
• Wear a nose plug or anything covering the nose completely.

Applicants can wear :

• Swim googles but they may not cover up or block the nose entirely.
• Ear plugs.

NOTE: Applicant needs to be mentally and physically capable of submerging themselves underwater.

Applicant must successfully complete ALL components of the physical readiness test on the assigned day of testing. Since all activities must be completed in one (1) day, applicants should consider some form of advance preparation for this test.

Applicants are encouraged to seek professional medical advice prior to beginning a regimen of physical activity to prepare for this test. Individuals selected for cadet positions will be required to again meet these standards at the beginning of the cadet class.

NOTE: Before being allowed to take the physical readiness tests the applicant will be required to provide a description of the test to a physician and obtain a written medical clearance.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES :

Knowledge of State and Federal statutes and regulations related to wildlife and natural resource enforcement, the Texas Penal Code, the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure and TPWD policies and procedures;

Skill in using MS Word, Excel, Teams and Outlook; Skill in effective verbal and written communication; Skill in using appropriate interpersonal skills;

Skill in making decisions and using discretion appropriately;

Skill in preparing and completing all required agency and investigative reports; Skill in making independent, sound and timely decisions;

Skill in effective interaction with staff at all levels of the department, other State agencies and organizations; Ability to work independently;

Ability to work as a member of a team;

Ability to conduct affairs with integrity and personal accountability; Ability to learn and apply new techniques and concepts;

Ability to maintain a positive attitude in adverse conditions; Ability to follow directions;

Ability to be service minded;

Ability to patrol land and public water for hunting, sport and commercial fishing, boating, water safety, and other natural resource conservation violations;

Ability to take enforcement action when law violations are observed, reported, or suspected; Ability to lawfully use physical force, including lawful deadly force on another person;

Ability to enforce the statutes and laws of the Texas Penal Code and other relevant state statutes; Ability to secure, search, and process crime scenes for evidence and contraband;

Ability to assist local, county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies; Ability to provide assistance and respond to calls from the public;

Ability to work with local landowners, sports groups, and other constituents;

Ability to prepare and submit investigative reports, arrest and case reports, citations, dispositions, warrants, and other records related to enforcement activities, programs and operations;

Ability to testify in court, administrative hearings, and other official proceedings; Ability to conduct work activities in accordance with TPWD safety program.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Required to respond to emergency situations;

Required to stay awake for extended periods of time;

Required to conduct work activities in accordance with TPWD safety program;

Required to travel 5% with possible overnight stays;

Required to operate a State vehicle;

Non-smoking environment in State buildings and vehicles.

Station Assignment:

Must be willing and able to accept assignment anywhere in the State of Texas assigned prior to graduation from academy training and commissioning as a state law enforcement officer;

Assignments will be made where vacancies exist statewide and shall be made in the best interest of the department. Duty Station assignments are given to applicants before the completion of academy training period. However, the cadets must successfully complete the academy as a condition of placement in their duty assignment.

Work Schedule:

Must be willing and able to: work state and federal holidays; work hours other than 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with days off other than Saturday and Sunday; are subject to call 24 hours a day, seven days a week;

Cadets may be required to work over 8 hours per day.

Overtime Compensation:

In accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act, the department uses a system of compensatory time off in lieu of overtime payment, at a rate of 1.5 hours of compensatory time for every hour physically worked over 40 hours in a workweek. The department may authorize overtime payment when operational needs, budget availability, or management discretion warrant it.

Work Environment:

Cadets and Game Wardens/State Park Police Officers work extensively outdoors and around water, during inclement and sometimes hazardous weather conditions where swift water may be present, during natural disasters and under other possibly dangerous conditions to include exposure to wild animals. At times, officers and cadets are required to work in highly stressful situations that may be hazardous to their health and safety, which could include working with or restraining people who are injured, violent, emotionally upset or otherwise pose a danger. Cadets are required to be around and safely handle firearms.

Cadets are required to complete training where they are exposed to live OC Spray and a separate live Taser exposure.

Dress Code:

Cadets and officers are required to wear a prescribed uniform and adhere to established dress and grooming standards. Uniforms include equipment such as firearms and other defensive equipment. Commissioned personnel on duty and in uniform will maintain a neat and clean appearance according to the Law Enforcement General Orders and GWTC academy rules and regulations to include:

Hair for both male and female officers in uniform, must be of natural color and in length and style;

No tattoos from the neck and above, to include any part of the head are allowed. Commissioned personnel with tattoo markings, if visible or exposed, that are of an offensive manner or nature, while in uniform.

Employees must be neat and clean in their appearance in public, whether in or out of uniform. Therefore, applicants with tattoos, brandings, and/or body piercings in areas of the body which cannot be covered by the appropriate dress required of this position will be disqualified, if they are not removed by the date of their final interview. Such markings may not be concealed in any manner, including make-up or bandages. Further, tattoos or brandings anywhere on the body that promote racism/discrimination, indecency, extremist or supremacist philosophies, gang affiliation or lawlessness, violence, or contain sexually explicitly material are prohibited. Applicants with gauged earlobes will also be disqualified if not corrected by the start date of the academy.

Residence:

Cadets will be required to live at the Game Warden Training Center near Hamilton, Texas, for the duration of the training period, approximately 35 weeks. All rules, regulations, policies and procedures of the Academy must be followed while in residence.

Emolument :

An emolument will be taken from cadets for food services while at the Game Warden Training Center.

PLEASE NOTE:

All applications must include complete job history information for each period of employment, provided either in the WORK HISTORY SECTION or in the attached RÉSUMÉ. Please ensure each entry includes:

• Job title,
• Employer name,
• Dates of employment (month/year),
• If employment is less than full-time status, indicate part-time in the work history section or résumé, and
• Description of duties performed.
  NOTE: Volunteer experience may be counted toward required experience.

IMPORTANT:

• College Transcripts: If education is used to meet the minimum qualifications, a copy of the college transcript(s) issued by the registrar must be provided at the time of interview (unless otherwise noted in the posting).
• "N/A" may be entered in fields that are not applicable.
• Omission of required information may result in disqualification.

Work In Texas (WIT) Applicants:

• WIT applicants must complete the supplemental questions in the CAPPS Candidate Gateway to be considered.
• To complete these questions, log in to CAPPS Candidate Gateway .
• If you need assistance creating a résumé, please refer to the "Create a Résumé" link for Job Seekers on the Work In Texas website .

If the required information and attachments are not submitted as noted above, your application will be considered incomplete.

EXCELLENT BENEFITS:

Texas Parks and Wildlife offers a variety of benefits for employees such as generous paid time off, group insurance, retirement and pension, and frequent training and staff development opportunities. Other benefits include longevity pay, merit pay, deferred compensation, flexible benefit plans, 401K/457 retirement plans, direct deposit, staggered work hours, Employee Assistance Program and a Return-to-Work Program. For new employees or rehires, health insurance is available on the 1st of the following month after a 60-day waiting period. Click HERE to view our Benefits page.

MILITARY EMPLOYMENT PREFERENCE:

If you choose to claim military employment preference as outlined by the State of Texas, you must attach the required documentation referenced below at the time your application is submitted . If you have questions regarding this requirement, please visit our Military Employment Reference page at https://tpwd.texas.gov/jobs/veterans/ .

Required forms that will need to be attached with application for Military Employment Preference:

Veteran- DD214 showing honorable discharge or Statement of Service (only for transitioning service members who have not reached their date of separation).

Surviving spouse of a veteran who has not remarried- Marriage Certificate and DD Form 1300 or appropriate documentation.

Orphan of a veteran killed while on active duty- Birth Certificate and DD Form 1300 or appropriate documentation.

Spouse of a member of the US Armed Forces/Texas National Guard serving on Active Duty- Marriage Certificate and copy of spouses active-duty military orders.

Spouse of a veteran with disability and is the primary income for household- Marriage Certificate, Veterans DD214, and VA Benefits Summary Letter showing disability rating.

Documentation must be attached to the application before military preference can be granted.

*More information on military occupational specialty codes can be found below:

https://www.onetonline.org/crosswalk/MOC/

https://hr.sao.texas.gov/Compensation/MilitaryCrosswalk/MilitaryCrosswalkGuide.pdf

TPWD IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Closing Date/Time: 2026-12-31

Salary:

$4271.25 - 4271.25 Monthly