Assistant Fire Management Officer

Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation's mission is to help ensure that Montana's land and water resources provide benefits for present and future generations.

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. Montana DNRC (mt.gov)

Work Unit Overview: 
The mission of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC or Department) is to ensure that Montana's land and water resources provide benefits for present and future generations. Land Offices are responsible for integrating and implementing programs for both the Forestry and Trust Land Management Divisions. The Forestry Division plans and implements forestry and Fire Management programs through an extensive network of staff in field offices across the state. Division functions include: fire & aviation management, forestry assistance, business management, and policy, planning and outreach.

Job Overview: 
This position is the Area Fire Program Specialist.  The position is responsible for performing professional fire prevention, suppression, and related program activities for the Northeastern Land Office.  This includes coordinating and performing Fire Program planning, training, interagency coordination, and prevention services within the assigned Land Office jurisdictional areas; Fire Management suppression and pre-suppression; and coordinating and performing Area-specific fire and forestry program operations to meet the needs of the individual Area and Units served.  The position reports to the Area Fire Program Manager.

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 Coordination
  Coordinate and perform Fire Program planning, training, interagency coordination, and prevention services within the assigned Land Office jurisdictional areas to protect lives, property and natural resources on state and private lands.
• Fire Suppression
  Perform Fire Management suppression and pre-suppression duties based on agency needs and individual qualifications and certifications on national, regional, or local interagency incident management overhead teams.  This includes participation in duty officer rotations at the land office.
• Fire Operations [Varies by Area]            
  Coordinate and perform Area-specific fire and forestry program operations to meet the needs of the individual Area and Units served. This includes performing activities such as air operations coordination, public information, asset management, environmental analyses, and related professional program support services.
• Supervision and Leadership
  Provide Supervision and Leadership to Land Office personnel, County Commissioners, County Fire Wardens, County Fire personnel, temporary firefighters, and contractors to ensure that the area has an adequately trained firefighting force which is necessary to meet fire prevention and fire suppression responsibilities of the both the County and State as outlined in the County Cooperative Fire Agreement.  When staffing under severity supervise area fire staff including seasonal, temporaries, and contractors to ensure the area has adequate trained personnel to meet fire prevention and suppression program requirements.

Supervision
Supervise 7 - 10 emergency  firefighters during times of severity.

APPLICATION MATERIALS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION ARE:

• State Application
• Cover Letter
• Resume

Please apply through the state of Montana website mt.gov Home (mt.gov)

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

Approximately 25% travel time withoccasional overnight travel.

*If you are interested in a complete job description please contact HR at Makayla.Mangold@mt.gov.

Minimum Qualifications (Education and Experience):
Requires education and experience equivalent to a bachelor's degree in natural resource management or a related field and one (1) year experience; or a High School diploma and four (4) years experience including Incident Command System (ICS) training and related fire program experience.  Requires the ability to attain Incident Commander Type 4 certification upon hire.

Required knowledge, skills, and abilities: 
Requires knowledge of the principles and practices of Wildland Firefighting; emergency management; natural resources; adult education and training; and Fire Management including suppression, protection, 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. Supervisory responsibilities require knowledge of Department and State personnel procedures and policies.

Requires skill in communicating effectively; program coordination and administration; public presentation; operation of specialized tools, vehicles and equipment associated with wildland fire suppression; and skill in the use of a personal computer and business software applications. 

Requires the ability to coordinate extensive and complex amounts of personnel and equipment to meet the needs of fire suppression and support forces during fire actions on multiple jurisdictions; the ability to make independent decisions with minimal supervision, to express views and provide clear direction both in writing and through verbal communications; and the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with the public, government officials, and agency employees. Communications and decisions are frequently conducted under duress and with fire personnel having different backgrounds and management priorities.

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".