Operations Coordinator

Canadian-Interagency-Forest-Fire-Centre; Winnipeg; On-site; CAD 81,000 - 108,000; Full time

Job summary

Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) is seeking an Operations Coordinator to support national wildfire resource coordination and operational activities across Canada. The role collaborates with member agencies, national committees and industry partners to improve readiness and response.

The position requires a university/college degree in Natural Resource Management or an equivalent combination of education and experience, with proficiency in Microsoft Office and strong organizational

Qualifications

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Strong verbal and written communication skills; bilingual ability preferred.
• Demonstrated leadership and team coordination abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities with tight deadlines.
• Experience in interagency coordination or resource mobilization is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Participate in day-to-day operations of CIFFC's Coordination Centre during wildfire season.
• Serve in Duty Officer or Aviation Coordinator roles as required.
• Monitor wildfire activity, resource availability and priorities to support coordination.
• Coordinate movement of personnel, equipment and aviation resources between jurisdictions.
• Represent CIFFC at meetings and support national equipment standardization efforts.

Skills

Microsoft Office

Communication

Leadership

Organizational skills

Problem solving

Collaboration

Education

Natural Resource Management degree

Education/experience equivalence

Job description

The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) supports wildfire management agencies across Canada by coordinating resource sharing, strengthening national collaboration, and advancing programs and standards that improve Canada’s collective wildfire response and resilience. FireSmart Canada, a program under CIFFC, empowers communities and individuals to take proactive steps to reduce wildfire risk through education, resources, and best practices for prevention and mitigation.

Reporting to the Director of Operations, the Operations Coordinator plays an important role in supporting the coordination of wildfire resources and operational activities across Canada.

As part of CIFFC's national operations team, the Operations Coordinator supports the Coordination Centre during wildfire season, participating in Duty Officer and Aviation Coordinator functions to facilitate interagency resource sharing, mobilization and operational coordination among member agencies.

Beyond the operational responsibilities, this position also provides leadership in advancing national equipment standards and safety initiatives. Working closely with wildfire management agencies, national committees and industry partners, the Operations Coordinator helps strengthen collaboration, operational readiness and the effectiveness of wildfire response across Canada.

Key Responsibilities

• Participate in the day-to-day operations of CIFFC's Coordination Centre during wildfire season, supporting national and international wildfire resource coordination and mobilization.
• Serve in the Duty Officer or Aviation Coordinator role as required, supporting operational decision-making, resource requests and interagency coordination.
• Monitor wildfire activity, resource availability and emerging operational priorities to support timely and effective coordination among member agencies.
• Assist with the coordination and movement of firefighting personnel, equipment and aviation resources between jurisdictions, including international deployments as required.
• Maintain effective communication with member agencies and operational partners, responding to requests for information and supporting operational requirements during periods of increased wildfire activity.

National Equipment Coordination

• Chair the CIFFC Equipment Working Group (EWG), providing leadership and coordination to advance national equipment standardization, collaboration and information sharing among member agencies.
• Work with the Director of Operations and member agencies to establish priorities, coordinate projects and identify opportunities to improve equipment standards, operational efficiencies and resource mobilization processes.
• Facilitate national working groups, meetings and initiatives to address emerging equipment issues and support consistent practices across jurisdictions.

Additional Responsibilities

• Represent CIFFC at national and international meetings, workshops and conferences, and provide additional operational and coordination support as required.

Qualifications

• Graduate from a recognized university or college in Natural Resource Management, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Understanding of operational wildland fire activities (including working knowledge of fire behavior and experience in resource mobilization).
• Understanding of air attack and aircraft management operations.
• Understanding of CIFFC’s operational environment and how it supports member agencies.
• Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Demonstrated proficiency in presentation design and delivery.
• Ability to effectively communicate (verbally and written) in Canada’s two official languages (English and French) preferred but not required.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain strong working relationships with stakeholders, both internally and externally.
• Exceptional organizational skills.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability in taking initiative and working well under limited supervision.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality when dealing with private and sensitive information.
• Demonstrated ability to manage change and achieve results.
• Demonstrated ability to resolve conflict, problem-solve, and achieve consensus by fostering collaboration.
• Integrity & Trust - Honest, reliable, follows through.
• Client Focus - Understands and meets client needs, listens actively, builds trust and respect, and treats colleagues as internal clients.
• Problem Solving - Analyzes complex issues, separates facts from opinions, evaluates risks, identifies root causes, and generates practical solutions.
• Quality of Work - Pays attention to detail, ensures accuracy, delivers high-quality outcomes, and takes ownership of errors.
• Adaptability - Adapts readily to change, remains open to differing perspectives, and adjusts behaviours and approaches as needed.

Collaboration and Teamwork: Works effectively across teams and jurisdictions.

• Drive for Results - Committed to achieving objectives, overcomes obstacles, sets challenging goals, and follows through on commitments.
• Planning & Organizing - Establishes priorities, sets clear goals, coordinates work effectively, and ensures alignment with organizational objectives.
• Emotional Intelligence - Maintains composure under pressure, demonstrates empathy, inspires optimism, and responds effectively to others.

Work Arrangement

This position is based in Winnipeg and is expected to report to the Winnipeg CIFFC office daily during fire season.Hybrid remote work arrangements may be considered outside of fire season.

Willingness to travel.

Must be available to work weekends, extended hours on short notice

Salary Range

The base salary range for this position is between $80,831 - $108,078 annually.

(The starting salary will be determined based on relevant experience, skills, and internal equity. New hires generally begin within the lower to first quarter of the range, with room to progress as they develop in the role.)

This represents base salary only and does not represent other compensation components of the total compensation (i.e. annual vacation allotments, pension contributions, etc.). The actual base salary will vary depending on relevant job-related factors such as knowledge, skills, qualifications, experience, and education/training. If you are selected to move forward in our recruitment process, our recruitment team will be able to provide additional details of the total compensation package for this role.

For further information about this career opportunity, please feel free to contact Janelle Robin at 204.396.4752.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected will be contacted for an interview.