Hiring Soon: Forestry Program Manager - Fire

The Nevada Division of Forestry seeks a qualified and experienced wildland fire management professional to fill the position of Forestry Program Manager - Fire. The positions is one of seven program managers that partner to implement the agency's mission, which is to protect and enhance communities and ecosystems through natural resource stewardship and wildfire management. The position fulfills the following duties statewide: 

• Reports to a Deputy Administrator of Operations and works with a team of other Forestry Program Managers to ensure a coordinated and unified approach to achieve agency goals and objectives in the NDF Strategic Plan. 

• Supervises a team of wildland fire, aviation, grant management and outreach professionals, establishing and adjusting priorities, assigning work to subordinates, and evaluating work performance.  

• Provides guidance, mentorship, and professional development to direct reports and others. 

• Directs all phases of NDF’s wildland fire and aviation program areas to effectively plan, prepare, dispatch, respond, rehabilitate, mitigate and prevent wildfires. 

• Directs long-range planning for the state, coordinating and collaborating with partner agencies, to establish and support preparedness, response and mitigation goals that include safe and effective wildfire response and fire adapted community support. 

• Facilitates teamwork with NDF natural resource professionals to establish and staff priority hazardous fuels reduction and prescribed burn projects that minimize the potential damage and maximize multiple resource benefit and enhancement. 

• Ensures adequate coordination of prescribed burns, including burn plan development, technical review, staffing, cooperator assistance, closeout and reporting. 

• Oversees the management of Cooperative federal grants, including State Fire Assistance, Volunteer Fire Assistance, Wildland Urban Interface, Hazardous Fuels-Community Protection, and others, ensuring compliance with agency and federal guidelines. 

• Convene and/or participate in relevant meetings, representing the Division on state boards, as well as to local, regional, and national groups and organizations that enhance wildfire management in Nevada. 

• Leads agreement development and state coordination with federal, state, tribal, and local governments and entities, including the Wildland Fire Protection Program, and other relevant agreements, to support program and agency priorities. 

• Coordinate, anticipate and request activation of partner resources when needed, including the Nevada National Guard Modular Airborne Firefighting System (MAFFS) and rotor wing aircraft for wildland fire suppression. 

• Participate as the Emergency Support Function 4 (ESF4) for the State Emergency Operations Center to assist in coordinating firefighting resources and actions when the center is activated. 

• Coordinate with the NDF Incident Business Unit on fire billings, cost-shares, contracts, and agreements, to ensure timely, efficient, and accurate invoicing, payments, and reimbursements. 

Desired attributes 

NDF seeks an experienced wildfire and aviation program manager, with extensive knowledge of applicable standards, practices, guidelines, policies, legislation, and procedures that support safe and effective wildland fire mitigation, suppression, rehabilitation, and public education. This individual will lead a staff of six direct reports and oversees 175 wildland fire, aviation, grant management, outreach and natural resource professionals. 

The ideal candidate can demonstrate exceptional leadership qualities and the ability to collaborate with peers, partners, and stakeholders while directing a complex, statewide program. This includes the ability to negotiate, coordinate, and collaborate with federal, state, tribal, local, and regional partner agencies and entities, building and supporting coalitions that enhance NDF’s ability to carry out its mission.