Battalion Chief - INTERNAL APPLICANTS ONLY

Moraga-Orinda Fire District; Orinda (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

MOFCOA benefits

CCCERA retirement

Uniform allowance

Educational incentives

Deferred compensation (457)

RHSA

Holiday pay

Employee assistance program

Job summary

Moraga-Orinda Fire District is seeking a Battalion Chief to lead a platoon, manage daily operations, and assume incident command when required. The role involves directing training, medical and fire response activities, and administrative duties to support district goals.

The ideal candidate has four years of progressive firefighting experience, with two years at Captain level or higher within MOFD, plus a combination of Associate’s degree and CFO/ICS certifications.

Qualifications

• 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.
• 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.
• The following certifications are required at the time of application: I-400, S-404, S-330AR.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage personnel on an assigned platoon; direct activities at fires, emergencies, medical calls, fire prevention, and training.
• Coordinate scheduling and oversee daily activities of assigned shift; oversee training and evaluation of personnel.
• Plan, organize, and coordinate operations of divisions such as Operations, Support Services, EMS, and Training; manage committees and programs.
• Assist in developing District goals, budget, policies, reports, and interaction with the Board of Directors; conduct safety training and investigations; maintain public relations.

Education

Associate's Degree (any major)

California Chief Officer Certification (retired 12-31-16)

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 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.

Typical Qualifications

TO QUALIFY

• Be currently employed with the Moraga-Orinda Fire District as a full-time Fire Captain, Fire Captain-Paramedic-I or Fire Captain-Paramedic-II.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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

• Assessment Center consisting of:
  • Writing Assignment (weighted 20%)
  • Structured Oral Interview (weighted 20%)
  • In-Basket Exercise (weighted 20%)
  • Tactical Simulations* (weighted 40%) *Dynamic & Static
• 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.
• 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.

• 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 IC S methods.

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

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

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.

BENEFITS & COMPENSAION

• The classification of Battalion Chief is covered by the Moraga Orinda Fire Chief Officers Association (MOFCOA) MOU. Please click here to view the MOU in its entirety.
• The District is a member of the Contra Costa County Employees' Retirement Association (CCCERA). Battalion Chiefs are classified as safety members and receive retirement benefits of 3%@50 (Legacy) or 2.7%@57 (PEPRA).
• The District provides a specific dollar amount to each employee based on the employee's benefit enrollment level to apply to health coverage.
• District-paid dental and vision programs are available.
• Uniform allowance of $86 per month.
• Educational Incentive of 2.5% of total base salary for possession of a Bachelor's Degree.
• Educational Incentive of 2.5% of total of base salary for possession of a Master's Degree.
• Deferred Compensation Savings Plan (457) is available to employees. $150 per month employer contribution (must maintain a minimum employee contribution of $100).
• Retiree Health Savings Account (RHSA): an employer paid tax‑advantage savings and investing vehicle used to pay for health‑care costs at retirement. The District contributes $167 per month to the employee's plan.
• Holiday Pay in the amount of twelve hours of overtime credit paid in the month that the holiday occurs for each of the 13 annually paid holidays.
• American Fidelity voluntary insurances are available to include a Flexible Spending Account (FSA), disability income, critical illness and life insurance.
• Employee Assistance Program: A District‑paid EAP is available for employees and members of their household.
• The District does not participate in Social Security for regular, full‑time employees.
• $50,000 Life Insurance Policy paid for by the District with an option to elect additional coverage at the employees expense.
• Employees pay an amount equal to 1.45% of salary toward Medicare. An equal amount is paid by the District.

LEAVES

13 paid holidays annually; 14 hours per month of accrued vacation for 1-5 years of service; 18 hours per month of accrued vacation for 5 through 14 years of service; 12 hours of sick leave accrued per month (unused leave applied to service credit at retirement).