Salary: $5,136.00 – $6,908.00 Monthly
Location: Multiple Locations Statewide, WA
Job Type: Full Time – Permanent
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
Department: Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
Job Number: 2023-04914
Closing: Continuous

*Most of the work performed by this position is in Eastern Washington working with the two burn teams located in Okanogan Co and Yakima Co, though burn sites are statewide. The selected employee will have the option to work remotely when not in the field. 

We are recruiting to hire at the Environmental Planner 3 or 4 level and we will train an Environmental Planner 3 level hire up to the Environmental Planner 4 level.

Depending on which level you are hired at, your salary will be as follows:

• Environmental Planner 3 – $5,136 – $6,908 Monthly
• Environmental Planner 4 – $5,673 – $7,627 Monthly

Provide the senior level leadership for all operational functions of the Prescribed Fire division and ensure program staff have the tools, training, and skills to implement prescribe fire treatments in a variety of different fuel models across Washington State. Develop prescribed fire planning, prioritization, coordination, and implementation of prescribed (Rx) burn projects for fire-dependent dry forest ecosystems located on WDFW wildlife lands! In this dynamic role, you will work collaboratively with, federal, state, local, and tribal partners, forest collaboratives, and external stakeholders to plan and implement coordinated prescribed fire treatments across all-land ownerships to fulfill forest health and resilience needs.

Duties
Our Prescribed Fire Operations Planner, 
Coordinates prescribed fire treatments across WDFW ownerships to fulfill forest health and resilience needs:

• Utilize landscape evaluations and other analyses to understand forest health treatment needs and review proposed projects in priority landscapes and provide recommendations on necessary actions and investments to move priority landscapes into a resilient condition. 
• Work collaboratively with, federal, state, local, and tribal partners, forest collaboratives and external stakeholders to plan and implement coordinated prescribed fire treatments across all-land ownerships to fulfill forest health and resilience needs.
• Coordinate with internal WDFW staff to develop and implement landscape-scale work plans that address identified prescribed fire treatment needs for priority landscapes. Advise other program staff and partners on utilization of prescribed fire within larger integrated restoration projects.
• Provides the senior level leadership to train others on technical components of prescribed fire project planning to incorporate science-based decision making, including burn plan development, fuels monitoring, and implementation.
• Serves as agency representative on steering committees and planning groups as needed local and state levels.

Provides leadership for major program activities related to prescribed fire and wildfire:

• Serves as the agencies senior level operations planner to develop and lead coordination with agency staff (Forestry, Diversity, Cultural, Communications, etc.) and external partners to prioritize individual project and community prescribed fire projects for state investment of resources. 
• Utilize and provide data for internal tracking systems, and its integration with other agency reporting requirements and tracking tools including National Wildfire Coordination Group (NWCG) and Incident Qualification System (IQS), and Forest Health Tracker. 
• Provide planning and training principles, techniques, current trends, environmental laws, policies, and program staff development concerning all phases of fire related activities and requirements.
• Serves as senior level planner to utilize funding opportunities and develop funding proposals, which involves coordination and liaison within the agency and amongst external stakeholders, to further landscape scale application of prescribed fire including state, federal, and private funding sources. 

Guide the development and implementation of forest health and land management projects related to prescribed fire with fuels and fire effects monitoring plans in support of the overall agency mission and management goals:

• Utilize the DNR 20-Year Forest Health Strategic Plan Monitoring Framework in eastern Washington and the Forest Action Plan. 
• Coordinates monitoring data collection, analysis, and reporting as appropriate.
• Provides input to Science and Planning Programs for priority monitoring sites.
• Develops training models for fire effects monitoring data collection and tools to integrate appropriate methodologies for measuring and categorizing fuels metrics.
• Provides significant input on related research projects and initiatives.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Work Setting, including hazards:
  • This position will require work in an office environment as well as working in the field, on uneven terrain carrying a typical fire field pack and possibly tools in all types of weather and often smoky conditions. 
  • Remote work will be allowed based on location to duty station and workload.
  • Field work is performed on uneven terrain carrying a typical fire field pack and possibly tools in all types of weather and often smoky conditions. 
  • Walk, bend, stoop, while at times carrying up to 50 lbs. 
  • Load and transport equipment and gear.
  • Hazardous fuels may be encountered including flares, Gas, Diesel, (Drip torch mix). 
• Schedule:
  • Regular schedule is full time, 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week. Work will exceed 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week during prescribed the burning season. 
  • Work hours will remain flexible to enhance functionality and productivity to ensure program goals are achieved. 
  • Weekend and Holiday work may be required.
• Travel Requirements:
  • Frequent traveling is required throughout Washington to interact with region staff, stakeholders, agency partners, to conduct planning and implementation efforts of prescribed fire projects, necessary trainings, and meetings. 
• Tools and Equipment:
  • Computer, vehicle, cell phone, ATV/UTV, GPS unit to enable spatial documentation, PPE, drip torch, flare pistol, chainsaw, hand tools. 
• Customer Interactions:
  • Federal, state, local, and tribal partners, forest collaboratives, external stakeholders, and general members of the public.

Qualifications
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: This in-training series provides mentoring and career development opportunities for candidates with limited experience.  

To Qualify at the Environmental Planner 3 level:

Closely related qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-by-year basis.

• A Bachelor’s degree with a major study in natural resources (e.g. natural resource planning, forestry, landscape ecology, fire science, fire ecology), or a closely related field;

OR 

PLUS

• Three (3) years’ experience in natural resources including prescribed fire planning and application.
• Five (5) years of supervisory experience 
• Familiarity with Washington’s Smoke Management Plan, burn permitting system, and fire regulation standards. 
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including teaching or public presentation experience. 
• Knowledge of forest and fire ecology in the PNW or similar ecosystems and successful management strategies to address those issues. 
• Experience participating in and leading multi-stakeholder natural resource groups. 
• Experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), including ArcMap, Survey123, and Collector, and other mapping tools to document work and convey information to non-technical audiences.

NWCG or specific fire qualifications required 

• Experience with Prescribed fire implementation and planning. 

NWCG minimum qualification of Firing Boss (FIRB) and an initiated Prescribed Burn Boss (RXB2) task book. 

To Qualify at the Environmental Planner 4 level:

• A Bachelor’s degree with a major study in natural resources (e.g. natural resource planning, forestry, landscape ecology, fire science, fire ecology), or a closely related field;

OR 

AND

• Five (5) years’ experience in natural resources including prescribed fire planning and application.
• NWCG qualifications minimum qualification of RXB2

FOR ALL OF THE ABOVE

• Familiarity with Washington’s Smoke Management Plan, burn permitting system, and fire regulation standards. 
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including teaching or public presentation experience. 
• Knowledge of forest and fire ecology in the PNW or similar ecosystems and successful management strategies to address those issues. 
• Experience participating in and leading multi-stakeholder natural resource groups. 
• Experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), including ArcMap, Survey123, and Collector, and other mapping tools to document work and convey information to non-technical audiences.

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS: 

• Valid Driver’s License

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Five (5) years of experience at the NWCG standard of RXB2, with all supporting position qualifications for conducting prescribed burns.
• Two (2) years of experience in successfully administering contracts, interagency agreements, grants or other partnership agreements.

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT: WDFW requires all employees to be fully vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of employment.  You will be required to provide proof of vaccination as part of the hiring process. Please do not upload your vaccination documentation with your application materials – your vaccination status will be verified by your supervisor before you will be allowed to work. Exemptions may be granted for religious or medical purposes.

To Apply
Please note: Failure to follow the instructions below may lead to disqualification.

In order to successfully apply for this position, you MUST complete your profile at www.careers.wa.gov and attach the following to your profile before completing the online application:

• A cover letter describing how you meet the qualifications of this position (Generic cover letter will not be accepted).
• A current resume. 
• Three professional references. 
• Master record (if applicable) 

For more information and to apply online: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/3994380/prescribed-fire-operations-planner-environmental-planner-4-in-training-perm