Fire Academy Program Manager

Fire Academy Program Manager, Wildland Fire Program Coordinator 2 (WFPC2)
Work Hours and Partial Telework flexibility may be available and considered
Salary: $5,812.00 – $7,817.00 Monthly

Review of applications is ongoing. We reserve the right to make a hiring decision or close this recruitment at any time after 2/11/26. It is in your best interest to submit materials as soon as possible.

Responsibilities:

• Provide initiative-based leadership and strategic oversight of the DNR Interagency Wildland Fire Academy program. Develop and implement training opportunities to ensure that DNR personnel, and those Washington State and Local agencies the DNR is partnered with, will meet incident command system certification requirements through attendance at DNR wildland fire academies. This includes primary responsibility for implementing annual academy sessions that meet relevant DNR policy and ensuring all performance standards, certification requirements, and training offered at the academies meet DNR and National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) standards. These academy sessions include in-person and virtual instructor-led (VILT) sessions.
• Develop and implement systems to ensure DNR personnel meet all performance standards, certification requirements, and ensure the academy program procedures and guidance are documented in an Academy Operations Plan.
• Support six Regions in delivering the academy program. Coordinate with team members and other staff available to ensure training needs and opportunities are being met. This includes setting and adjusting program priorities.
• Supervise four Wildland Fire Coordinator 1s who are project leads for each of the academy’s services that round out a successful cadre to deliver up to three in-person fire academies, and other training events to include: stand-alone, in-person, and virtual instructor-led training (VILT). Provide leadership and guidance to direct reports on work processes, procedures, and forward progression.
• Conduct analyses and make recommendations for future DNR fire academy budgets. Assesses expenditures on an ongoing basis and makes recommendations for actual and anticipated spending changes according to available funding.
• Propose new and innovative ways to deliver academy training. These might generate cost savings and efficiencies, or new and innovative ways to instruct wildland firefighters.
• Recommend, develop, and implement a succession plan by ensuring that DNR has the appropriate number of academies to serve employees and other agency personnel seeking to gain basic and advanced qualifications in wildland firefighting on a sustained basis. Complete seasonal reports documenting objective achievements over the course of 12 months.
• Maintain accurate data/information about individual DNR employees’ fire academy experience, as well as records maintenance and data collection of other agency personnel attending academies.

Required Qualifications: 

• 5 years’ experience in wildland fire activities, suppression, or other closely related natural resource management;
  OR an equivalent combination of relevant education and/or experience.
• Experience coordinating wildland fire training programs or other complex single or multiday training events.
• Experience leading, planning, and organizing work groups.
• Supervisory experience.
• Working knowledge of wildland fire operations, ICS, NWCG fire training doctrine/training guides, and required training.
• Accustomed to working with inter-agency fire cooperators.
• Writing and presentation skills.
• Verbal and written communication skills.
• Possesses highly functional organizational skills and the ability to prioritize competing work tasks and demands.
• Proficient in computer skills with MS Office Suite applications (Word, PowerPoint, Excel).
• Ability to think strategically and creatively, be detail-oriented, take initiative, and function in a highly productive unit with little supervision in a team setting.
• Commitment to fostering and supporting an environment that honors diversity, equity, inclusion, and environmental justice practices.