Fire Fuels and Mitigation Manager

County of Riverside; Riverside (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Riverside County Fire Department is hiring a Fire Fuels and Mitigation Manager to oversee hazardous fuels reduction projects, coordinate with staff and contractors, and ensure CEQA compliance. The role requires GIS experience, leadership, and strong project management in a dynamic environment.

Ideal candidates will have a bachelor’s degree in a related field and at least two years of vegetation abatement experience, with the ability to coordinate across agencies and landowners while maintaining

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in forest management, fire management, recreation management, landscape architecture, land use planning, or closely related field.
• Two years of inspections and/or abatement of unwanted vegetation, weeds or other potential fire hazards.
• Experience using GIS to support project planning and data analysis.
• Experience leading or supervising staff and managing related projects.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate wildland fuels/vegetation management projects; read maps and manage contracts with governments, vendors and landowners.
• Review CEQA documents and assess environmental impacts; coordinate with agencies on compliance.
• Develop grant applications; gather data, create maps, monitor budgets, and control expenditures.
• Develop RFPs; interview contractors; lead site meetings; manage purchases and invoicing.
• Serve as liaison with landowners for training on their property and for incident support.
• Maintain GIS data for projects, grants, and mapping; use ArcGIS to analyze imagery and create shapefiles.
• Prepare reports and correspondence; present findings to stakeholders.

Skills

GIS

Staff supervision

Contract management

Budgeting

Hazard reduction

Regulatory knowledge

Report writing

Stakeholder liaison

Education

Bachelor’s degree in forest management, fire management, recreation management, landscape architecture, land use planning, or closely related field

Tools

ArcGIS

Job description

The Riverside County Fire Department is seeking to fill a Fire Fuels and Mitigation Manager vacancy in Riverside.

As a Fire Fuels and Mitigation Manager, the incumbent will manage hazardous wildland fuels reduction projects, including planning, organizing, developing, directing, and administering fuel reduction contracts for tree and brush removal. The incumbent will also manage and lead the crew; coordinate project activities and needed resources with staff, contractors, vendors, and landowners; address issues encountered during hazardous vegetation abatement; complete required project documentation, including California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements; and perform other related duties as required.

The department seeks candidates with experience in wildland fuels, vegetation management, fire prevention, or related operations, as well as experience using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to support project planning and data analysis. Experience leading or supervising staff and managing related projects is also desirable, along with training related to wildland fire operations, incident management, or fire safety.

The incumbent will have a 9/80 schedule.

This class has been deemed eligible for the Performance Recognition Plan as set forth under Article 3, Section 311 of the County Management Resolution. Program eligibility requires employees to be in a leadership position, manage other employees or programs, and have significant influence on the achievement of organizational objectives.

Meet the Team!

The Riverside County Fire Department is one of California’s largest integrated, cooperative, regional fire protection organizations. The Department, a unique partnership between State of California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and the County of Riverside, serves 19 partner agencies and 1 community service district. The Department has five core values: Leadership, Competence, Integrity, Safety, and Customer Service.

• Coordinate wildland fuels/vegetation management projects and programs; read maps, evaluate and determine program feasibility, resources required, times and critical milestone; manage contracts with governmental agencies, vendors and landowners.
• Review and analyze potential projects by determining environmental impacts and creating and completing California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) documents; determine impacts to rare and sensitive plant and animal species native to Riverside County’s diverse and complex landscape; determine cost effectiveness of projects and analyze potential impacts on cooperative and neighboring areas.
• Complete and submit fuel mitigation and land management plans and grant applications; receive and manage grants by gathering data, creating maps, preparing and monitoring budgets, and controlling expenditures; ensure compliance and fulfill grant reporting obligations.
• Develop Requests for Proposal (RFP) for projects; interview potential contractors; prepare, send, receive, and review liability forms; lead onsite meetings with staff and contractors; conduct job walks; coordinate purchases and manage invoicing.
• Secure access to lands for training purposes and wildland fuels treatments; act as the primary liaison between staff and landowners requesting permission to train on their property.
• May respond to vegetation fires and act as a liaison between staff and landowner during incidents to educate landowners on suppression strategies and tactics used to suppress fires on their property; manage suppression repair activities, including mapping the fire and bulldozer/handlines ensuring broken items are repaired following fires and ensure archeological surveys are completed.
• Ensure maps and Geographical Information System (GIS) data to support projects, grants, training, management plans, and other activities is collected; utilize ArcGIS to review and manipulate GIS data, including creating shapefiles and analyzing aerial and multi-spectral imagery; collect perimeter and origins of vegetation fires; work with Office of the Fire Marshal to maintain a database.
• Analyze and interpret local, state and federal laws and regulations pertaining to wildland fuels and hazardous vegetation management/abatement.
• Manage, supervise and train staff; participate in hiring and disciplinary actions.
• Participate in associated professional organizations and attend regular classes, trainings, conferences, and seminars to remain current on applicable codes, regulation, policies, and procedures.
• Interact with stakeholders, other agency representatives and the public on projects; make presentations to the Board of Supervisors and other public entities.
• Develop, write and review reports and correspondences.

Education:

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree in forest management, fire management, recreation management, landscape architecture, land use planning, or closely related field. Additional qualifying experience may substitute for the required education on the basis of one year of full-time experience equaling 30 semester or 45 quarter units of required experience.

Experience:

Two years of performing inspections and/or abatement of unwanted vegetation, weeds or other potential fire hazards.

Knowledge of:

Brush land management principles, practices and economics; methods of enforcement relating to the protection and conservation of resources and rural lands; state and federal forest and fire laws, regulations and ordinances; common fire hazards and fire safety practices; the capabilities of heavy machinery, such as tractors, skidders, loaders, and masticators; Geographic Information Systems (GIS); methods and resources used in researching, analyzing and evaluating services and vendor capability and performance; competitive bid practices and procedures; principles and practices of management and supervision; functions of word processing, presentation, database, and spreadsheet software.

Ability to:

Plan, interpret and apply hazard reduction and fire safety laws and regulations; act in an emergency; facilitate the completion of multi-faceted projects, activities and/or functions with good attention to detail; manage projects and work under schedule constraints; manage, lead and coordinate the work of others; prepare bid documents and specifications; prepare Request for Proposal (RFP); establish and maintain courteous, friendly and cooperative relations with public officials and private parties interested in forest protection and conservation.

License:

Possession of a valid California Driver’s License.

Other Requirements

Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds unassisted with or without reasonable accommodation, and maintain the physical condition necessary for standing, walking, bending, climbing, or crouching.

May be required to use respirators in accordance with Cal/OSHA regulations, and wear personal protective equipment (PPE) and a County-issued uniform, as necessary.