District Ranger

North Carolina Association of Official Court Reporters; Northern (KY); On-site; USD 41,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

The North Carolina Forest Service District Ranger position oversees fire control, training, and administrative duties across the district. It requires coordinating equipment readiness, facility upkeep, and procurement while applying fire-control strategies and providing law enforcement support.

The role may involve incident command and participation on regional teams. Residency is required, with duties at 133 Glenn Cabe Road, Sylva, NC 28779.

Qualifications

• Associate’s degree in forest management or an environmental or natural science curriculum from an accredited institution and five years of related experience.
• Possession of a valid North Carolina driver’s license within 90 days of hire.
• Experience in forest protection, resource management, and environmental education preferred.

Responsibilities

• Oversees fire/all-risk training, equipment readiness, facility maintenance/improvement, and purchasing for the district.
• Provides technical fire control expertise, develops fire strategies, and supports law enforcement activities.
• Trains district personnel and assists with statewide training; may serve as IC/OPS Chief on district teams.

Skills

Wildland fire suppression

Instructing

Forest law enforcement

Agency coordination

Education

Associate’s degree in forest management or environmental or natural science

Job description

## District RangerApplylocations: Jackson County, NCtime type: Full timeposted on: Posted Todaytime left to apply: End Date: August 28, 2026 (13 days left to apply)job requisition id: JR-120969**Agency**Dept of Agriculture , Consumer Services**Division**North Carolina Forest Service**Job Classification Title**Forestry Technician III (S)**Position Number**60031801**Grade**NC09**About Us**The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services provides services that promote and improve agriculture, agribusiness, and forests; protect consumers and businesses; and conserve farmland and natural resources for the prosperity of all North Carolinians. The Department employs approximately 2,000 employees.**Description of Work**Please note: Job postings close at 11:59:59 p.m. the night before the listed Posting End Date above. \*\*\* This is a readvertisement. All previous applicants MUST reapply to be considered. \*\*\* The North Carolina Forest Service is designated as an emergency response Division and is a team of professionals who provide forest protection, resource management and environmental education to the residents and landowners of North Carolina through a variety of programs. The NC Forest Service provides services to the 100 counties in North Carolina. The District Ranger (DR) is an administrative position that oversees fire/all-risk training, equipment readiness, facility maintenance/improvement, and purchasing throughout the district. The DR provides technical expertise in fire control, develops fire strategies and tactics, and provides law enforcement support. The DR conducts needed fire control & safety training for the district, trains cooperating agency personnel, and assists with statewide training. The DR implements ICS at the district and state level. May serve as initial attack IC & OPS Chief on district fire team. Will fill OPS roles on regional & state Type 3 & Type 2 IMTs. The DR assists county personnel with fire suppression duties and advises District Forester of inconsistencies; and ensures the quality and accuracy of all fire reports. The DR functions as liaison with fire suppression cooperators; serves as the district coordinator for western fire detail; provides technical assistance in determining fire cause & responsible parties, preparing court cases and issuing citations. The DR is the district safety committee chairman & serves on the regional and state safety committees. Responsible for maintaining IQS system; responsible for management of District OPS; District Lead responsibility for the RAWS system and NFDRS and has or can obtain burning plan approval authority. The DR provides direction & oversight of cooperative programs such as FEPP/GSA; responsible for Repair and Renovation project oversight; responsible for requisitioning supplies & equipment following all state guidelines as well as being the uniform coordinator and maintaining a district uniform cache; and responsible for state & federal inventory systems. This position requires the successful completion of Ranger Training to maintain my employment. Residency requirements discussed at time of interview. Duty Station Location: 133 Glenn Cabe Road, Sylva, NC 28779 Telephone required. This position has wildland firefighter duties such as detection, suppression, and prevention. Responds to wildfires both in-state and out-of-state. Responds to other natural and human caused emergencies and disasters. Participates on incident management teams as assigned. May lead or assist in basic criminal law enforcement investigations related to wildfires. Work hours are typically 8-5 M-F. Some work functions require evening, holiday, and/or weekend work. Wildfire and emergency response require year-round readiness 24 hrs/day, 7 days/week. Overnight travel up to 18 continuous days may be required. Must be able to be on-call 24 hours/day, 7 days per week during high fire danger periods and during times of natural disasters. Occasional heavy lifting required.**Knowledge Skills and Abilities/Management Preferences****Recruitment Range: $41,206 - $72,113*** Skilled in wildland fire suppression strategy and tactics.* Experience in wildland firefighter instructing.* Skilled in forest law enforcement program (this includes origin and cause investigations, issuing citations, court preparation).* Ability to develop good working relationships, be self-motivated, and service oriented.Click Here to Learn more about State Employee Benefits.**Any employment offer may be less than the maximum of the range due to salary equity with similarly situated employees or the selected candidate's related education and experience.** Please follow the instructions to apply online. **It is important that your application includes all your relevant education and experience. Text or attached resumes ARE NOT accepted as a substitution for a completed application.**Applicants seeking veteran's/National Guard preference should submit a copy of their Form DD-214, NGB 23A (RPAS), DD256 or NGB 22. All Law Enforcement positions, aviation safety-sensitive positions, and positions requiring a Pilot's License or a Commercial Driver's License (CDL) shall be subject to pre-employment drug testing. All positions requiring a Commercial Driver's License shall also be subject to pre-employment DMV physicals. Selected applicants must obtain a U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) medical certificate prior to employment. If a CDL is listed as a preference and the selected applicant has a CDL at the time of hire, then the CDL will become a requirement for the position. \* Note: When required, you must answer the question(s) for this position, or your application will be considered incomplete. \* Questions regarding this posting? Contact 919-707-3201.**Minimum Education and Experience**Some state job postings say you can qualify by an “equivalent combination of education and experience.” If that language appears below, then you may qualify through EITHER years of education OR years of directly related experience, OR a combination of both. See the Education and Experience Equivalency Guide for details.Associate’s degree in forest management or an environmental or natural science curriculum from an appropriate accredited institution and five years of related experience in providing forestry services; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.**Necessary Special Qualification:** Possession of a valid North Carolina driver's license is required within 90 days of hire.