Area Fire Program Manager

The DNRC believes employees are their most important asset. The DNRC empowers employees to exercise professional judgment in carrying out their duties. Employees are provided with the training and tools necessary to achieve the mission. Both team effort and individual employee expertise are supported and sustained.

Job Overview: 
This position is the Area Fire Program Manager.  The position is responsible for the oversight and coordination of fire prevention and suppression programs for the Land Office.  This includes managing and administering the Fire Program within the assigned Land Office jurisdictional areas to protect lives, property and natural resources on state and private lands by providing resources, leadership and coordination to ensure safe and responsive fire suppression.  This also includes implementing the Fire Program and coordinating resources by creating successful working relationships with other wild land fire suppression organizations and by providing or arranging for personnel, resources, leadership and inter-agency coordination.  The Fire Program Manager reports to the Area Manager and directly supervises (2.25 FTE) staff positions.

Essential Functions (Major Duties or Responsibilities):  These job functions are the essential duties of the position and are not all-inclusive of all the duties that may be assigned to the incumbent.

Fire Program Management/Administration
Manages and administers the Fire Program within the assigned Land Office jurisdictional areas to protect lives, property and natural resources on state and private lands by providing resources, leadership and coordination to ensure safe and responsive fire suppression.

Fire Program Implementation and Resource Coordination 
Implements the Fire Program and coordinates resources to  achieve the DNRC mission of and protecting lives,  property and natural resources by creating successful working relationships with other wild land fire suppression organizations and by providing or arranging for personnel, resources, leadership and inter-agency coordination to ensure safe, cost-effective and responsive fire suppression.

Staff Management            
Manages Area Fire staff including permanent FTE, seasonal, temporaries, and contractors to ensure the area has adequate trained personnel to meet fire prevention and suppression program requirements.   

APPLICATION MATERIALS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION ARE:

• State Application
• Cover Letter
• Resume

First Review of Applicants will be December 11, 2023

(Please apply through the State of Montana website)

HELPFUL HINT: You must check the "relevant document" box to ensure your attachments are uploading correctly to the specific application.

Benefits:

• Health Care & Benefits  
• Retirement 
• Paid Vacation, Sick Leave and Holidays

*If you are interested in a complete job description, please contact HR at Stacey.Gabrio@mt.gov

Required knowledge, skills, and abilities: 
Requires advanced knowledge of the principles and practices of Wildland Firefighting; emergency management; natural resources; program administration; adult education and training; and fire management including suppression, protection, planning, and prevention.  Requires knowledge of state and Federal  fire protection and natural resources laws including the Departments legal responsibilities to personnel, cooperative personnel, and volunteers; wildfire and structural fire protection techniques relating to WUI; volunteer group organization and management; local government organization, jurisdiction and authorities; equipment management and maintenance; fire budgeting, billing and auditing methods and procedures; communication systems; safety management methods and procedures; public administration; research methods and techniques; and program goals, objectives, and requirements. Supervisory responsibilities require knowledge of Department and State personnel procedures and policies, organizational theory, employment law, and personnel management practices.

This position requires skill in developing strategy and directing programs with diverse personnel and needs which can at times can be crisis driven; analyzing, interpreting, and communicating a variety of detailed and complex information to a wide variety of audiences including financial data and fire behavior/suppression principles; and translating technical information to a broad-ranging professional and vocational audience. Strong written and verbal communication skills including interpersonal skills, negotiation, tact, and diplomacy are also vital.

This position requires the ability to synthesize Department's mission, laws, philosophy, and changes in technologies into comprehensive programs of supervised resource management; be flexible, decisive, assertive, resourceful, and forward thinking under pressure; make informed decisions in emergencies and interpret broad objectives of the Division and individual programs; manage multiple priorities; elicit the cooperation of others; and to collaborate effectively with other managers and professionals. 

SPECIAL INFORMATION: 
Candidates must be eligible to work in the United States. A valid driver's license is required with less than 12 conviction points in the most recent completed 36 months.
ELIGIBILITY TO WORK: 
In accordance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act, the person selected must produce within three days of hire documents that show authorization to work in the United States. Examples of such documentation include a birth certificate or Social Security card along with a driver's license or other picture I.D., or a U.S. passport, or a "green card".