Fire Protection-Emergency Response Senior Director

Pantex; Amarillo (TX); On-site; USD 200,000 - 270,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Education reimbursement

Health coverage

Robust retirement planning

Security clearance support

Job summary

Pantex Plant seeks a Fire Chief with executive leadership to oversee the Fire Department, safeguarding personnel and mission-critical operations at a national nuclear weapons facility. The role requires deep expertise in emergency response, high-hazard risk management, and working within a highly regulated environment.

Ideal candidates bring extensive command-level experience, DOE/NNSA familiarity, and a track record of leading under a union workforce, with a Master’s degree and relevant

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and minimum 15 years of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience with at least 23 years total.
• Minimum 5 years of supervisory/management experience.
• DOE O 426.2A requirements must be met or satisfied after hire.

Responsibilities

• Executive Command and Strategic Leadership.
• Specialized Emergency Response.
• High-Hazard Risk Management and Prevention.
• Budgetary and Resource Stewardship.
• Elite Training and Professional Readiness.
• Regulatory Compliance and Stakeholder Relations.
• Labor-Management Relations.

Skills

Executive leadership

Strategic leadership

Emergency response

Budgeting & resource stewardship

Labor-management relations

Regulatory compliance

Stakeholder relations

Training & readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree

23 years education/experience combo

Master's degree

Job description

Location: Amarillo, TX - Pantex Plant

Job Title: Fire Protection-Emergency Response Senior Director

Career Level From: Senior Director

Career Level To: Senior Director

Organization: Fire Department (51075305)

Job Specialty: Fire Protection-Emergency Response

What You’ll Do

The Pantex Plant is seeking an exceptional and highly experienced executive leader to serve as Fire Chief. This critical senior leadership role is responsible for the direct management and strategic oversight of the Pantex Fire Department, ensuring the protection of the nation’s primary nuclear weapons assembly and disassembly facility. The Fire Chief is ultimately responsible for safeguarding personnel, mission-critical operations, and the surrounding environment from a unique and unparalleled combination of hazards, including high explosives, radiological materials, and complex industrial processes. This position demands proven executive leadership, deep technical expertise in specialized emergency response, and the ability to operate flawlessly within a high-security, heavily regulated, and unionized environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Executive Command and Strategic Leadership
• Specialized Emergency Response
• High-Hazard Risk Management and Prevention
• Budgetary and Resource Stewardship
• Elite Training and Professional Readiness
• Regulatory Compliance and Stakeholder Relations
• Labor-Management Relations

Minimum Job Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree and minimum 15 years of relevant experience
• OR applicants without a bachelor's degree may be considered based on a combination of at least 23 years of completed education and/or relevant experience
• Minimum 5 years of supervisory/ management experience.

Department of Energy (DOE) Order 426.2A Requirements

In addition to the above requirements, the applicant must also meet the requirements of DOE O 426.2A (i.e., Baccalaureate in engineering or related science and 4 years nuclear experience, or a DOE O 426.2A alternative). DOE O 426.2A experience requirements can be satisfied following employment. In the interim, newly hired personnel will not be assigned duties that could impact the safety basis of nuclear facilities. (Ref. DOE O 426.2A)

Preferred Job Requirements

• Seven years of supervisory/management experience. Candidates with less years of supervisory/management experience will be required to complete a developmental plan approved by the Division Director or their delegate.
• A minimum of fifteen (15) years of progressively responsible experience in a career fire department, including a minimum of seven (7) years of command-level experience.
• Direct, hands-on command experience in a Department of Engery (DOE)/National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).
• Demonstrated experience as an Incident Commander for complex incidents.
• Proven success in leading under a collective bargaining agreement.
• A Master's degree from an accredited university in a related field.
• Certified Fire Officer IV (or state equivalent).
• Incident Command System (ICS) certifications (ICS-100, 200, 300, 400, 700, 800, and National Incident Management System (NIMS) compliance).
• Hazardous Materials Technician.
• Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) (Paramedic preferred).
• Graduation from an executive fire officer and an emergency manager program.

#JointheMission: Your Impact Starts Here

At Pantex, you won’t just find a job—you’ll discover a career of purpose safeguarding national security through work performed nowhere else on Earth. We empower dedicated, innovative individuals like you to achieve their greatest impact surrounded by exceptional talent and limitless opportunities for professional growth.

When you #JointheMission, you choose a lifetime career where your commitment is genuinely valued and rewarded. At Pantex, we believe that extraordinary talent thrives when supported by a balanced life. Discover the flexibility that empowers you to excel, coupled with a benefits package designed for your total peace of mind from comprehensive health coverage and robust retirement planning, to opportunities for continuous learning through education reimbursement.

Notes

The minimum education and experience for the lowest career level in the job posting range are listed under Minimum Job Requirements. Successful candidates hired into a higher career level than the minimum in the range must meet the requirements listed in the job leveling charts for the career level into which they are being hired.

If a range of Career Levels is posted, i.e., Senior Associate to Senior Specialist, internal applicants already in one of the Career Levels would come across at their current Career Level. Internal applicants currently in a lower level Career Level would move to the lowest posted Career Level.

Requires a Q clearance; however all qualified candidates will be considered regardless of their current clearance status. The ability to obtain and maintain a Department of Energy Q clearance is required.

Position may require entry into Materials Access Areas (MAA) and participation in the Human Reliability Program (HRP). If HRP is required, candidate must complete a counterintelligence-scope polygraph, pursuant to 10 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 709. Medical requirements may apply.

Pantex is a drug-free workplace. Candidates accepting a job offer will be required to pass a pre-placement physical, drug screening and background investigation. As an employee, you may be required to receive and maintain a security clearance from the United States Department of Energy in order to meet eligibility requirements for access to sensitive information or matter. U.S. citizenship is a requirement for security clearance applicants. All employees are subject to random selection for drug testing without advance notification.

Pantex is an equal opportunity employer, and does not tolerate discrimination in the terms and conditions of employment on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other characteristic protected by law. Such terms and conditions of employment include, but are not limited to, hiring, training, promotion, discipline, compensation, benefits, and termination of employment. Pantex takes affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities and protected veterans; including disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, active-duty wartime, or campaign badge veterans, and Armed Forces service medal veterans. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications.