The Ember Alliance is a national organization of fire practitioners, researchers, analysts, and instructors dedicated to increasing the pace and scale of prescribed fire and planning. The Ember Alliance is dedicated to supporting fire as a natural process in fire-adapted ecosystems on a landscape scale to improve ecosystem function and health and increase wildfire resilience. 

TEA’s Fire Operations unit is responsible for many functions including:  

1. Prescribed fire operations including supporting broadcast and pile burning 

2. Prescribed fire planning 

3. Fuels mitigations work 

4. Wildland and prescribed fire training 

The Ember Alliance provides an open, transparent, and just organization and workplace. We strive for clear, open, and kind communication and are committed to centering, recruiting, hiring, mentoring, and supporting fire practitioners from traditionally underserved and underrepresented communities. We are dedicated to building a better way to do fire management, that recognizes the inherent value of our employees, that supports work / life balance, and provides an environment that supports growth.  

The Ember Alliance will actively support the professional development of the selected candidate. If selected, you will have an Individual Development Plan (IDP) and access to paid training on an annual basis. Additionally, you will have a ‘position review’ every six months. The review will be an opportunity for both you and your supervisor to evaluate if your actual job duties meet your position description and adjust accordingly. 

The Planning Assistant Fire Management Officer is responsible for oversight of the daily and annual leadership, governance, and management for TEA’s Prescribed Fire Planning section of the Fire Operations program. A successful candidate will have experience with burn plan writing and prescribed fire planning and implementation. The Planning AFMO is responsible for overseeing prescribed fire planning and development, developing and maintaining partner relationships, developing prescribed fire project proposals, reviewing prescribed fire plans developed by the Planning Operations Specialist and other TEA staff and supporting the overall Fire Operations program. Our program provides support to many partners (local, state, federal and private) in meeting their prescribed fire planning, implementation, and coordination needs. This position will work independently, both as a supervisor and as a project manager reporting to TEA’s Director of Fire Operations. Potential candidate must be able to work from duty station when required. Preferred location would be the greater Fort Collins, CO area; remote work may be a consideration.  

Responsibilities 

• Oversee and supervise daily prescribed fire burn planning and fuels management activities.
• Apply the 5 principles of High Reliability Organizing.
• Manage the annual work plan for burn plan projects.
• Manage and oversee Planning Operations staff members and support Fire Operations staff.
• Assist with contract development, budgeting, and invoicing.
• Assist with partner recruitment and relationship management
• Ensure local, state, and federal prescribed fire policies and laws are met.
• May serve as Duty Officer for TEA fire operations, dependent on NWCG Qualifications.
• Participate in the development and planning of Prescribed Fire Training Exchanges as a project manager
• Plan, organize, and lead large scale collaborative burns.
• Develop and author NWCG burn plans, as an additional preparer, final reviewer, and/or subject matter expert.
• Support fire behavior and smoke modeling. 
• Support ArcGIS map production in support of prescribed fire operations. 
• Assist with coordinating prescribed fire planning and implementation activities as part of a larger planning team or independently. 
• Assist lead instructor with teaching and implementing S130/190 or other NWCG courses, as needed.
• Provide leadership in the prescribed fire safety program and instill risk management principles in all program activities.
• May work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain and under physically demanding circumstances.
• Demonstrate a strong work ethic, including a commitment to principles of Duty, Integrity and Respect. Actively participate in creating a kind, safe and healthy work environment which encourages the diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice of all people.
• 30% travel required for planning and operational implementation required of this position. 
• Breakdown of duties: 75% planning (15% field work/travel + 70% office) and 15% operations (field work/travel). 

Minimum Qualifications

• Passion for TEA’s ecological and social missions
• Strong communications skills
• Strong operational and logistical fire management subject matter knowledge
• Ability to foster burn planning partnership from proposal to invoicing stage.
• Strong project and program management skills and ability to effectively multitask.
• Excellence in organizational management with the ability to coach staff, manage, and develop high-performance teams, set and achieve strategic objectives, and manage a budget.
• Double single resource boss (SRB, i.e. ENGB + FIRB) and Incident Commander Type 4 (ICT4)
• Supervisory experience, including motivating, leading, setting objectives, and managing performance.
• Experience managing organizational risk.
• Effective knowledge of common software applications (e.g. Microsoft Office Suite).
• Desire to work in a fast-paced start-up environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Task Force Leader (TFLD) and/or Burn Boss Type 2 (RXB2)
• Experience authoring and reviewing programmatic pile and broadcast burn plans.
• Experience in partnership development with nonprofits, community groups and/or government agencies.

We strongly encourage any individual that meets 75% or more of requirements to apply.

Fitness and Red Card Requirements

Primary fire duties are required of this candidate to interested candidates. This position will require passing an “arduous” pack test and maintain red card currency.

Schedule Requirements

The average work week is 40 hours, but the schedule may vary depending on operational needs. Projects may require working 10–12-hour days and/or outside of normal business hours and working during weekends. Flexible work schedules will be considered to accommodate family or other commitments.

Pay and Benefits

Pay: $28.00/hr. Paid leave and paid holiday benefits are provided. Employer-sponsored health and dental care coverage is available as soon as employment begins at an 80% employer match. Paid vacation and sick time are offered, and their use is encouraged. The Ember Alliance is an equal opportunity employer.

Location

The Ember Alliance is headquartered in Fort Collins, CO. Our operational resource, the Gravitas Peak Prescribed Fire Module, is based in Loveland, CO. Our team works nationally on training assignments, suppression and prescribed fire, and fuels treatments projects.

How to Apply

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, a resume and three professional references. Application is rolling until filled. Please specify your earliest available start date.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.