Position Summary: We are growing and seeking a Fire Safe mission-focused project manager for our Hazardous Fuel Reduction (HFR) Program. In this important position, you will have the opportunity to join in building our capacity as we implement new grants to increase our organization’s impact. You will be engaged in a growth atmosphere as we develop our wildfire prevention and risk reduction programs, including community fuel breaks, roadside escape route projects, defensible space and home hardening projects, home ignition zone consulting, community risk assessments and planning. HFR program coordination and implementation of fuel reduction projects will be about 60% of the role. Community risk assessments and planning will be about 30%. Education & outreach support and grant reporting components will be about 10%.

Compensation, hours, and benefits: The position is funded for $34-$45 per hour, DOE. Hours may be variable depending on season and phasing of projects, from 32-45 hours per week. Full time employees are eligible for paid time off, holiday pay, and after 90 days, medical and dental insurance coverage.

About the FSSCC: The Fire Safe Santa Cruz County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2016. Our mission is to educate and mobilize the people of Santa Cruz County to protect their lives, homes, community, and environment from wildfire. Two-thirds of Santa Cruz County is considered Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), putting a large percentage of our population, housing, economy, wildlife, and environment at risk of wildfires. We are transitioning from an all-volunteer organization to one that is building professional staffing and placing permanent employees where they will be conducting the bulk of our work and developing their roles as key partners in wildfire readiness in our community.

About the Fuel Reduction Program: Utilizing volunteer board members, agency partners, program volunteers and employees, we will coordinate and manage projects and programs to benefit the wildland-urban interface community. We will work with public or nonprofit land management organizations, watershed agencies, fire protection agencies, private landowners, professional tree contractors and consultants, engaged local Firewise volunteers, and others. We have grant funding in place and are seeking future funding to grow and maintain the program.

Required qualifications:

• Have a connection to the mission of the Fire Safe Council.
• Have experience with vegetation management projects, including working with crews operating chainsaws, chippers and similar equipment to cut brush and trees.
• Have experience with directing teams and managing supervisors and their crew members.
• Be able to recognize safety hazards and act decisively to reduce risks in work areas.
• Be familiar with wildland fire behavior, fuel models, and wildland fire suppression tactics and strategies.
• Be (or become) familiar with defensible space inspections, fire codes and regulations, and wildfire prevention and risk reduction strategies. See California PRC 4291, Chapter 7A building codes; NFPA 1140 standards.
• Have a positive and professional attitude.
• Be a self-motivated individual who can easily work both independently and collaboratively.
• Be able to identify priorities, stay organized, and solve problems.
• Be able to create pre-project treatment plans and maps of appropriate detail.
• Be able to estimate and track work progress spatially and through time.
• Be familiar with forestry and natural resource management including protection of sensitive species; be familiar with CEQA.
• Be familiar with contract management including preparing bid proposals, specifying work, evaluating qualifications and experience.
• Have good computer and phone/device user skills.
• Be good at writing, using spreadsheets, and working with images.
• Have a reliable car or truck suitable for use traveling to work sites.

Helpful qualifications:

• Conversant in Spanish.
• Public speaking experience in motivating and supporting groups such as neighborhoods who are living with the risk of wildfire.
• Familiarity with the geography and natural environment of Santa Cruz County.
• Experience using GIS such as ArcGIS or Google Earth.
• Have a home office (FSCSCC does not yet have its own office space).

Functional Capacities: To perform the duties outlined above, the following functional capacities are required and include the ability to:

• Comprehend technical information and complex written materials.
• Remember information and track progress of work.
• Analyze, plan, organize and solve complicated problems.
• Read printed material and media displayed on a computer monitor including text and images. Clearly see objects at a distance such as trees and their branches, have good peripheral vision.
• Hear speech outdoors and on radios, including perceiving shouts from a distance over background noise such as wind and power equipment.
• Gather verbal information on the telephone, in person, and in a group setting.
• Communicate by writing and drawing; using a keyboard and pen or pencil.
• Lift and carry boxes or other materials up to 50 pounds.
• Stand for long periods, walk over uneven and difficult terrain, crawl through brush, climb ladders.
• Work outside in adverse environmental conditions such as heat, sun, cold, rain, and in the presence of sawdust, pollen, poison oak, ticks, and other natural hazards.
• If notified of a need, FSCSCC will provide reasonable accommodations for persons who have difficulty with some of the above functions.

Responsibilities for Hazardous Fuel Reduction Program (60%):

• Outreach: Conduct outreach to agencies having jurisdiction and residents in the vicinity of the project, provide project information, assist with gathering signatures on permission forms for right-of-entry and permission-to-treat.
• Project Planning: Provide recommendations to early project site selection process. Conduct preliminary site visits for project scoping. Work with Registered Professional Forester (RPF) and Biologic Consultant to learn their recommendations and support CEQA document preparation. Understand grant budget and local matching funds requirements to scale project appropriately. Determine if traffic control is required on roads. Meet with landowners and community organizers to discuss the plan and mark treatment specifics on site. Document permissions from landowners. Develop recommended treatment plan and detailed maps; adapt plan as needed.
• Contract Management: Prepare project scope of work and specifications for bid solicitation. Use phased or segmented approach when appropriate. Create and distribute bid package to tree contractor and conservation crew contacts and COE coordinator. Solicit bids for separate traffic control, sanitation if needed. Schedule efficient bid walks and answer contractor questions. Review bids and award contract. Schedule work. Attend morning tailgate, monitor crews and guide crew supervisors in implementing specifications. Deal with unexpected scope changes. Conduct walk-throughs during work and ensure all specifications were met by end of last work day. Notify Administrative Coordinator of project completion and give OK to pay invoice.
• Project Management: Bring projects through selection, planning, permissions, scoping, contracting, treatment, and follow-up phases. Identify dependencies, hurdles or roadblocks, and create realistic schedule from start to finish. Manage multiple projects in different phases.
• Work Monitoring: Be present at worksite during work hours each day. Check in with RPF/Biological monitors and weather forecast. Engage with crew supervisors to ensure work results in final project meeting all specifications. Monitor safety for crews, residents and public in or near the work zone. Act with authority to minimize risks. Respond to concerns of residents. Ensure work area is cleared of hazards and trash at end of each day.
• Documentation, Time Tracking and Reporting: Record work time and work components each day for contract and grant reporting purposes. Select sites for pre- and post-project photos. Mark camera location site to achieve same field of view in both photo sets. Maintain daily work log and capture details of any significant events. Prepare project report narrative and caption photos. Report on program and projects at meetings of the Board of Directors

Responsibilities for Risk Assessments and Planning (30%):

• Firewise USA Program: Assist and partner with FSCSCC Firewise Coordinator, attend and speak at community workshops, coordinate with Fire Agency personnel for initial Firewise assessments and action plans.
• Community Risk Assessments and Risk Reduction Plans: Advise Firewise communities as they build on the basic Firewise requirements and prepare for their 3rd year update. Help Firewise Community leaders evaluate their prior work effectiveness and develop detailed Community Risk Reduction Plans to the NFPA 1300 CRRP standard in partnership with local Fire Agency personnel. Where relevant, implement the CRRP by creating pre-project plans suitable for bidding.
• Home Ignition Zone (HIZ) Program: Assist HIZ program coordinator. Partner with volunteers conducting property assessments. Partner with community leaders and fire agency personnel in developing community risk assessments and plans.

Responsibilities for Communications, Outreach and Education, and Grant Admin (10%):

• Collaborate with COE Program Coordinator at FSCSCC: Assist in maintaining and strengthening relationships with FSSCC Partners (local and regional Fire Safe Councils, Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County (RCD), County Board of Supervisors (BOS) and Office of Response, Recovery and Resilience (OR3), CAL FIRE, Local Fire Districts, etc.), attend partner meetings and give updates from FSCSCC, prepare reports back to FSCSCC.
• Assist with Outreach Booth: Answer questions from the public, help setup and pack up.
• Workshops: Assist with identifying workshop speakers and instructors.
• Outreach Media: Collect photos and stories for content for social media, website, newsletter. Be interviewed onsite by media outlets.
• Grant Admin, Reporting and Applications: Support quarterly grant progress reports with summary time sheets, data, photos and success stories. Assist with grant scoping and rough budgeting for future grant applications

Non-Discrimination Policy: The FSCSCC is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all qualified applicants. In accordance with Federal law and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and FSCSCC policy, we prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy, age, genetic information, medical condition, mental or physical disability, sex, gender identity, gender expression, gender transitioning, sexual orientation, religion, military and veteran status, marital status, familial or parental status, if all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program, or any other status or condition protected by Federal, State and local laws. To file a complaint of discrimination: write USDA Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C, 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD).

To Apply: Please email a resume and letter of interest, to hfr@firesafesantacruzcounty.org with “HFR project manager” in the subject line. If you would like additional information, please review our website at https://www.firesafesantacruz.org/ and contact Joe Christy at 831-515-8389 or joe@firesafesantacruzcounty.org

DEADLINE FOR APPLICANTS: Position is open until filled. Applications will be reviewed as received. Interviews are anticipated to begin in early Summer 2024.