Battalion Chief - INTERNAL APPLICANTS ONLY

Moraga-Orinda Fire Protection District; Moraga (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Moraga-Orinda Fire District is seeking a Battalion Chief to oversee a platoon, direct emergency response, and supervise training and performance. This management role requires flexible hours and the ability to assume command of major incidents as incident commander or other ICS function.

Qualified candidates will have at least four years of progressive firefighting experience, two years in a captain level role, and an Associate's Degree.

Qualifications

• Currently employed as a full-time Fire Captain, Fire Captain-Paramedic-I, or Fire Captain-Paramedic-II.
• Total of at least four (4) years of progressively responsible firefighting experience by December 8, 2026, with two years at captain level or higher.
• At the time of application, possess at least an Associate's Degree or equivalent from an accredited institution.
• Must possess the listed certifications at time of application: CA Chief Officer Certification or all Chief Fire Officer Certificates (3A–D) and ICS-300, plus I-400, S-404, S-330AR.

Responsibilities

• Lead and supervise a platoon, directing activities at fires, other emergencies, EMS, fire prevention, and training.
• Assume command of major incidents as incident commander or other ICS function.
• Oversee scheduling, training, motivation, and performance evaluations of personnel.
• Assist in developing and implementing District goals, budgets, policies, and new programs; interact with the Board of Directors.

Skills

Leadership

Decision making

Public safety

Education

Associate's Degree

Tools

California Chief Officer Certification

Chief Fire Officer 3A

Chief Fire Officer 3B

Chief Fire Officer 3C

Chief Fire Officer 3D

ICS-300

I-400

S-404

S-330AR

Job description

Moraga-Orinda Fire District is accepting applications for the position of:

BATTALION CHIEF

Open to current Moraga Orinda Fire District employees only

FINAL FILING DEADLINE: Thursday, December 3, 2026 @ 5:00 p.m.

The Assessment Center is scheduled for Tuesday, December 8, 2026

The eligibility list resulting from this recruitment process will remain active for two years from the date it is established

THE POSITION

The Battalion Chief is a multiple-position classification and works under the general direction of the Fire Chief. This is a management position and must be able to work flexible hours and flexible work schedules.

The Battalion Chief is responsible for the basic instruction of a wide variety of fire service related topics. Incumbents are divisional supervisors, who enforce the policies, procedures, rules, and regulations of the district. They lead and manage personnel on an assigned platoon, and direct the activities of subordinates at fires, other emergencies, emergency medical calls, fire prevention, and training activities. During the course of their duties, Battalion Chiefs will be required to assume command of major emergency incidents and to serve as incident commander or other qualified Ics function. They are responsible for the morale, daily schedule, work activities, and discipline of their platoon and/or division.

The Battalion Chief may be assigned to a shift, where he/she will coordinate the scheduling and oversee the daily activities of that shift. In this process the Battalion Chief will oversee the training, motivation and evaluation of personnel assigned to that platoon.

The Battalion Chief also may be assigned to plan, organize, and coordinate the operations of a division of the Fire District. These divisions include 'Operations', 'Support Services', 'Emergency Medical Services', and 'Training'; including the coordination of appropriate committees and on-going program management.

A broad range of administrative tasks will be performed in this position including, but not limited to: assist in the development and implementation of District goals, objectives, and policies; budget preparation; assist with developing policies and new programs; write reports, interact with the Board of Directors; conduct safety training and accident investigations; conduct performance evaluations, attend training; maintain effective public relations and evaluate community needs.

TO QUALIFY

1. Be currently employed with the Moraga-Orinda Fire District as a full-time Fire Captain, Fire Captain-Paramedic-I or Fire Captain-Paramedic-II.
2. Have a total of at least four (4) years of progressively responsible firefighting experience as of December 8, 2026. Two (2) years of this total service must have been in the rank of Fire Captain or higher with the Moraga-Orinda Fire District.
3. At the time of application, possess, at a minimum, an Associate's Degree (any major) or an equivalent degree from an accredited post-secondary institution.
4. The possession of the following is required at the time of application:
   • California Chief Officer Certification (retired 12-31-16); or
   • Possess all course completion certificates for California Chief Fire Officer Certification (2020):
     • Chief Fire Officer 3A
     • Chief Fire Officer 3B
     • Chief Fire Officer 3C
     • Chief Fire Officer 3D
     • ICS-300
   • Possess the following certifications:
     • I-400
     • S-404
     • S-330AR

THE SELECTION PROCESS

The selection process will consist of the following elements:

1. Assessment Center consisting of:
   • Writing Assignment (weighted 20%)
   • Structured Oral Interview (weighted 20%)
   • In-Basket Exercise (weighted 20%)
   • Tactical Simulations* (weighted 40%) *Dynamic & Static
2. Candidates who successfully complete each element of the assessment center with a passing score of 70% or greater and a cumulative score of 80% or greater will be placed on an eligibility list for a period of time to be determined by the District.
3. Candidates from the eligibility list may be selected for an interview with the Fire Chief at any time. The Fire Chief reserves the right to select any candidate on the basis of the eligibility list and/or his/her interview based on the needs of the District.

All candidates participating in the testing process must participate in all components of the assessment center. The dimensions of the assessment center are as follows:

• The writing assignment will evaluate: comprehension skills; letter, essay or memorandum structure, design, planning, organizing, presentation skills, and completion; note taking abilities; ability to write in grammatical sentences and demonstrate appropriate written communication skills.

• The structured oral interview is designed to evaluate the background and experience candidates must possess to be successful in the position. Candidates will be required to discuss a wide variety of issues they may face as a Battalion Chief, including operational scenarios.

• The in-basket exercise is designed to simulate the workload and associated need for prioritization encountered by Battalion Chiefs during the course of a typical day. The ability to rapidly organize a wide range of topic while coordinating with appropriate stakeholders will be assessed, along with the ability to use the electronic tools and equipment typically used by Battalion Chiefs on a daily basis. Candidates may be summoned away to other events throughout the exercise.

• The tactical simulation exercises, consisting of dynamic and static components, are designed to evaluate the candidates’ ability to develop safe and appropriate strategic and tactical responses, track and assign resources during an emergency simulation through the application of advanced Ics methods.

Applicants will have their name placed on the employment list in order of scores received.

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer

The Moraga-Orinda Fire District is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.

Reasonable Accommodations

Qualified individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process may contact Human Resources at [phone].

Disclaimer Notice

The job duties, elements, responsibilities, skills, and functions listed on this job description are representative only, and not exhaustive of the tasks that an employee may be required to perform. The Employer reserves the right to revise the job description as necessary.