Fire Fuels and Mitigation Manager

For questions regarding this position, please contact the Recruiter listed in the Supplemental Information section. ## ABOUT THE POSITION 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. ## EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES • 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. ## MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS 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. ## SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION For questions regarding this recruitment Please contact Stephanie Rodriguez at (951) 955-5776 or sterodriguez@rivco.org. Please allow 1-2 business days for a response to general inquiries.

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APPLICATION INFORMATION

**Veteran's Preference **

The County has a Veterans Preference Policy applicable to new hires. To qualify, attach the required documents to your job application.  Documents include a copy of your (or your spouse's) Member-4 Form DD-214 indicating dates of service. For spousal preference, and as applicable, the following documents: a copy of your marriage certificate, spouse's death certificate, a letter of spouse's disability and/or letter of service-related death (if available) from the U.S. Veteran's Administration. For privacy reasons, it is recommended that you remove your social security information from the document(s). A Human Resources Representative will review the materials and determine if you qualify for veterans' preference. For complete details and documentation requirements, please review the Veterans Preference Policy, C-3 here:  https://rivcocob.org/board-policies

 

Reasonable Accommodations

The County of Riverside is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Qualified individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter for the position noted above. For additional information and/or to obtain the appropriate form for requesting a reasonable accommodation, please visit the Disability Access Office web page located at: https://rc-hr.com/disability 

 

Work Location and Telework

In-person attendance is the standard work expectation for County of Riverside assignments. Certain assignments may be eligible for a hybrid telework schedule; however, telework arrangements are subject to management approval, operational needs, and/or may be modified or discontinued at any time. Employees who telework are expected to be able to report to their assigned worksite on short notice or as operational needs require. Unless otherwise specified for a particular position, employees are expected to reside in California following appointment. Limited exceptions may apply. Applicants should contact the assigned recruiter for additional information regarding work location expectations, telework eligibility, and residency requirements.

 

**Proof of Education **

If using education to qualify or when requested by the recruiter, upload a copy of any license(s), official/unofficial transcript(s), degrees, and/or related employment documents to your NeoGov account at the time of application and before the closing date. Official or unofficial transcripts will be accepted.

If your education was completed outside of the United States, you will need to provide a copy of your Foreign Education Equivalency evaluation from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE).

 

Work Authorization Requirement

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application. The County of Riverside does not participate in visa sponsorship programs, including H1-B visas, and will not provide sponsorship for any employment-based visas.

 

Equal Opportunity Employer

The County of Riverside is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of the County of Riverside to provide equal employment opportunities for all qualified persons. All applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, ancestry, medical condition (cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, or denial of medical and family care leave, or any other non-job-related factors.

 

Pre-Employment

All employment offers are contingent upon successful completion of pre-employment requirements including a criminal background investigation, which involves fingerprinting. (A felony or misdemeanor conviction may disqualify the applicant from County employment).  A pre-employment physical examination and background check may be required.

 

Probationary Period

As an Approved Local Merit System, all County of Riverside employees, except those serving "At Will," are subject to the probationary period provisions as specified in the applicable Memorandum of Understanding, County Resolution, or Salary Ordinance. Temporary and Per Diem employees serve at the pleasure of the agency/department head.

 

General Information

Current County of Riverside and/or current employees of the hiring department may receive priority consideration. Qualified candidates may be considered for future County vacancies. 

 

Job postings may close without notice based on application volume. Submit your complete application by the recruitment close date; no late applications are accepted. Ensure all relevant experience/education is reflected on your application/resume, as a failure to demonstrate position requirements may disqualify applicants. A description of job duties directly copied from the job classification or job posting will not be considered.

 

Please read and follow any special application instructions on this posting. Click the ' Apply ' link located on this page to submit your application. For additional instructions on the application process, examinations, Veteran's preference, pre-employment accommodation or other employment questions, please refer to our web site, www.rc-hr.com. 

 

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