Operational Wildfire Tech Liaison & Training Lead

Science Systems and Applications, Inc.; Lanham (MD); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Science Systems and Applications, Inc. (SSAI) seeks an Operational Wildfire Management Technology Liaison to engage directly with domestic fire management stakeholders and support the integration of NASA remote sensing fire tools into active fire management operations.

The role requires a Master's degree with 6+ years of experience in earth sciences or related fields, plus strong communication and training skills to translate complex data for non-scientific audiences.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Earth science, geography, forestry, fire science or related discipline with 6+ years in the field or equivalent.
• Experience translating complex scientific data and fire science concepts into actionable information for non-scientific audiences.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills for training, outreach and stakeholder engagement.
• Familiarity with fire behavior modeling, fire spread models, or geospatial data tools used in fire management contexts.
• Experience working with federal, state, or local fire management agencies (e.g., USFS, BLM, NIFC).
• U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Residency required.

Responsibilities

• Serve as liaison between operational fire managers and technology developers to support wildfire management.
• Promote and implement AI-enabled, remote sensing, fire behavior, and geospatial decision-support tools for operational fire management.
• Provide training, technical assistance, and user support for operational wildfire technologies.
• Coordinate testing, evaluation, and implementation of emerging technologies in fire management workflows.
• Gather user feedback and translate operational needs into technology requirements and enhancements.
• Collaborate with interagency partners to advance technology integration and improve wildfire decision-making.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Training delivery

Geospatial data tools

Fire behavior modeling

Interagency collaboration

Communication skills

Education

Master's degree in Earth science or related field

Tools

NASA FIRMS/VIIRS data

Geospatial data tools

Job description

Science Systems and Applications, Inc. (SSAI) seeks an Operational Wildfire Management Technology Liaison to engage directly with domestic fire management stakeholders and support the integration of NASA remote sensing fire tools into active fire management operations.

The role requires a Master's degree with 6+ years of experience in earth sciences or related fields, plus strong communication and training skills to translate complex data for non-scientific audiences.