Fire Management Unit Leader

Who We Are

The Tennessee Division of Forestry (TDF) celebrated its centennial anniversary in 2014. One of the Division’s first missions was to plant trees on eroded and abandoned farmland in the western part of the state. Over the decades, TDF has grown to protect, conserve, and enhance Tennessee’s 14 million acres of forestland through forest health protection, rural and urban forest management, wildfire and prescribed fire management, water quality protection, forest business services, state forest management and conservation education. Today, TDF employs over 400 personnel statewide and is well known as the wildland fire and forest health experts. The Division resides within the Tennessee Department of Agriculture whose mission is to promote wise uses of Tennessee’s agricultural and forest resources, to develop economic opportunities, and to ensure safe and dependable food, fuel, and fiber for all citizens.

What you will bring to this role

The Fire Management Unit Leader is responsible for managing programs and services that minimize damage to Tennessee forest resources and risk to public/firefighter safety caused by wildfire and coordinates assistance to and from other federal, interstate, intrastate agencies and municipalities responding to wildfire and other all-hazard emergency situations. This position develops and provides leadership to implement the Division’s wildland fire prevention, mitigation, suppression, volunteer fire assistance, prescribed fire, and public safety programs and ensures programs address current and future wildland fire risks facing Tennessee’s citizens and forest resources. This position reports to the Assistant State Forester for Forest Protection.

Key Responsibilities:
STRATEGIC, OPERATIONAL AND FISCAL OVERSIGHT

1.  Identifies and implements protocols to achieve the best strategic deployment of wildland fire management of personnel and equipment resources.
2. Manages the development of strategic, annual, project work plans and budgets for wildland fire management programs.

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION

1. Provides leadership to keep wildland fire management programs relevant, responsive, and evolving.
2. Identifies and implements new technologies and innovations that improve effectiveness and efficiency of wildfire management capabilities to enhance program effectiveness.
3. Ensures wildland fire management procedures are current, communicated and consistently implemented in the field.
4. Ensures Assistant State Forester is apprised of significant incidents.
5. Develops partnerships and fosters close and responsive communication among all relevant Division, Department, and interagency personnel particularly during periods of high fire occurrence and increased risks to communities.
6. Manages the development, training, and deployment of Division personnel, equipment, and Incident Management Teams.

ADMINISTRATIVE

1. Directly supervises 4 personnel with their associated staff.
2. Coordinates with local, state, interstate and federal government agencies involved in wildland fire and all-hazard incidents.
3. Serves as a Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) Emergency Services Coordinator.
4. Serves on committees, councils, or boards.
5. Recommends alterations and creation to law, policy, and procedures to the Assistant State Forester.

Required Experience:
Minimum Qualifications:  Education and Experience: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree in forestry and experience equivalent to five years of professional forestry work, three of which must involve supervisory or program management experience.

Substitution of Education for Experience:  Additional qualifying graduate course work in forestry may substitute for the required experience, on a year for year basis, to a maximum of one year (e.g., 36 graduate quarter hours in forestry may substitute for one year of the required experience).

Substitution of Experience for Education: None.

Other Requirements: Necessary Special Qualifications: A valid vehicle operator’s license may be required for employment in