Title: Deputy Commissioner

State Role Title: Gen Admin Manager III

Hiring Range: negotiable up to 165,000 annually

Pay Band: 7

Agency: Marine Resources Commission

Location: main location

Agency Website: www.mrc.virginia.gov

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

The Deputy Commissioner position reports directly to the Commissioner of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and serves as a member of the Agency's executive leadership team. The position provides executive leadership and organizational oversight for the Habitat Management, Shellfish Management, and Fisheries Management Divisions and is responsible for aligning divisional operations, programs, and initiatives with the Agency's mission, strategic priorities, and regulatory responsibilities.

The Deputy Commissioner serves as the Commissioner's principal advisor on operational, regulatory, scientific, policy, and organizational matters and provides executive oversight through subordinate division management. The position is responsible for promoting organizational accountability, directing cross-divisional initiatives, evaluating organizational performance, and resolving complex operational and policy issues affecting the Agency.

The Deputy Commissioner may represent the Agency before local, state, and federal agencies, governing bodies, stakeholder groups, advisory committees, and other external partners and may act on behalf of the Commissioner when designated.


Duties and Responsibilities:

-Advises the Commissioner on complex regulatory and policy issues, including habitat management, shellfish management, and fisheries management items, and with specific focus on marine habitat permitting and policy, habitat and shellfish restoration, and coastal zone management enforceable policies. Represents the Commissioner in meetings related to, but not limited to, the Chesapeake Bay Program, Virginia Watershed Implementation Plan, the Coastal Zone Management Program and the Coastal Policy Team.
-Develops, implements and manages VMRC’s program(s) to improve the habitat, shellfish, and fisheries resources of the Commonwealth and related staff programs and procedures. Provides oversight and recommendations for funding projects on state-owned submerged lands, tidal wetlands and coastal primary sand dunes and beaches AND removal of obstructions or hazardous property from State waters. Assist with the management, oversight, expenditures and reporting on all grants and funding projects related to the Habitat Management, Shellfish Management, and Fisheries Management Divisions. Assist the Commissioner’s Office in coordination of agency reports or official responses.
-Serves as an ex-officio member of the Habitat Policy Oversight Committee, overseeing the assignment of meeting coordination, materials, products and summary reports for all agency staff assigned to support the committee, its deliberations and outcomes. Manage and coordinate agency projects funded through the Marine Habitat and Waterways Improvement Fund (Section 28.2-1204.2, Code of VA).
-Assists the Commissioner in the management of all public relations and outreach programs, projects, and personnel as directed.

Minimum Qualifications

Knowledge of environmental, natural resource, regulatory, conservation, or similarly complex public-sector programs. Ability to interpret and apply applicable laws, regulations, policies, and procedures and quickly acquire knowledge of agency-specific programs and regulatory frameworks.

-Demonstrated ability to provide executive leadership and strategic direction across multiple organizational functions, programs, or divisions with broad operational, regulatory, fiscal, and policy responsibilities.

-Demonstrated ability to lead through subordinate managers and senior leadership staff rather than through direct program administration.

-Demonstrated ability to hold executive and senior management personnel accountable immediately for organizational performance, strategic initiatives, operational outcomes, and mission achievement, partnering with agency Human Resources for State and Agency policy compliance.

-Demonstrated ability to assess complex organizational issues, evaluate competing priorities, and make decisions that balance operational, regulatory, fiscal, stakeholder, and public policy considerations.

-Demonstrated ability to build consensus among senior leaders with differing perspectives while maintaining organizational objectives and accountability.

-Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with executive leadership, governing bodies, elected officials, regulatory partners, stakeholder groups, and the public.

-Ability to evaluate technical, scientific, regulatory, operational, and financial information and translate it into agency-wide strategic and operational decisions.

Additional Considerations

Progressively responsible leadership experience directing multiple programs, divisions, and major organizational functions through subordinate management staff. Experience providing executive-level oversight of complex regulatory, environmental, natural resource, scientific, operational, fiscal, or public-sector programs. Experience establishing organizational priorities and directing agency-wide initiatives that affect multiple divisions, programs, or stakeholder groups. Experience supervising senior managers, executives, division directors, or equivalent leadership positions responsible for significant organizational functions. Experience balancing operational, fiscal, regulatory, political, and stakeholder considerations in support of organizational objectives.

Special Instructions

You will be provided a confirmation of receipt when your application and/or résumé is submitted successfully. Please refer to “Your Application” in your account to check the status of your application for this position.

A combination of education, training, and executive-level experience that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to successfully perform the work. Experience providing executive leadership and oversight across multiple organizational functions, divisions, or major programs is preferred.

Experience supervising senior managers responsible for significant operational, regulatory, scientific, fiscal, or policy functions is preferred.

Experience serving as a principal advisor to executive leadership, governing boards, elected officials, or other senior decision-making bodies is preferred.


Note: This position requires minimal physical ability, but may lift up to 5 lbs occasionally; pushing and pulling; standing, sitting, reaching, walking, bending, and stooping,

Contact Information

Name: Malinda Cross

Phone: 757-247-2216

Email: HR@MRC.VIRGINIA.GOV

In support of the Commonwealth’s commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their AHP Letter (formerly COD) provided by the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS), or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI). Service-Connected Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation, if applicable, to DARS/DBVI to get their AHP Letter. Requesting an AHP Letter can be found at AHP Letter or by calling DARS at 800-552-5019.

Note: Applicants who received a Certificate of Disability from DARS or DBVI dated between April 1, 2022- February 29, 2024, can still use that COD as applicable documentation for the Alternative Hiring Process.