Wildland Firefighter 3 - Fire Operations Specialist / Prevention - (25141384)
Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation's mission is to help ensure that Montana's land and water resources provide benefits for present and future generations.
The DNRC believes employees are their most important asset. The DNRC empowers employees to exercise professional judgment in carrying out their duties. Employees are provided with the training and tools necessary to achieve the mission. Both team effort and individual employee expertise are supported and sustained.
Core Values:
The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation’s Forestry and Trust Land Division recognizes that building a collaborative, professional, and inclusive work environment is critical to fulfilling our mission of managing, protecting, and promoting stewardship of Montana’s forests and lands for the benefit of current and future generations and our trust beneficiaries. We hold ourselves to these high standards as we are accountable to the people of Montana.
Work Unit Overview:
The mission of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) is to ensure that Montana's land and water resources provide benefits for present and future generations. The Missoula Unit represents the DNRC’s, Forestry and Trust Land Management Divisions within its assigned areas of Granite, Missoula, Mineral, and Ravalli counties. Specifically, the Missoula Unit Fire Program protects the natural resources for the benefit of all Montanans through aggressive fire prevention and suppression on approximately 670,000 acres of state, private, and federal land. A large portion of the land area is wildland urban interface which presents a complex fire management situation.
Job Overview:
This position is located at Missoula Unit and is a crucial position that will provide leadership both off and on the line to the Unit engine crews. This position may also be responsible for various Trust Land Management Division (TLMD) duties.
This position’s primary responsibility is to coordinate and implement Missoula Unit prevention work. The incumbent will attend local and statewide prevention meetings and will also support annual inter-agency prevention activities in Missoula County. This position includes responsibilities to coordinate, implement, and supervise wildland fire initial attack personnel and equipment to provide a safe and effective fire management capability for the Unit. The position administers seasonal activities related to wildland fire protection, maintenance of buildings, grounds, and vehicles, and fire-related program projects of the Unit. The incumbent may attend county fire meetings and plan and coordinate county fire trainings. One of the priorities for the Missoula Unit is our cooperator relationships, therefore the Fire Operations Specialist-Prevention will help build and maintain relationships with the adjoining DNRC Units, surrounding National Forests and other federal agencies, and surrounding counties. This position may directly supervise the engine crews as directed by the Assistant Fire Management Officer and Fire Management Officer. The Missoula Unit Assistant Fire Management Officer supervises this position.
This position will assist forest management duties concerning forest improvement and timber sale administration.
This position reports directly to the Missoula Unit Assistant Fire Management Officer (position #60251)
Essential Functions (Major Duties or Responsibilities): These job functions are the essential duties of the position and are not all-inclusive of all the duties the incumbent may be assigned.
Fire Management and Coordination:
The incumbent has the responsibility to plan, coordinate, and supervise several concurrent activities within the Unit Fire Program or where assigned.
Project Work and Fire-Related Programs :
The incumbent helps to serve as direct supervisor to seasonal and temporary fire positions. Exercises supervisory skills necessary to implement job activities to assigned seasonal fire staff that assist the Unit Manager, Unit Fire Management Officer, and Unit Assistant Fire Management Officer. The incumbent helps to plan, coordinate, implement, and administer projects and duties pertaining to buildings, grounds, and vehicle maintenance at the Unit.
Trust Land Management:
This position may be responsible for managing various Trust Land activities as directed by the Unit Manager, Forest Management Supervisor, and Assistant Fire Management Officer. It can be any or all of the duties listed below.
Supervision:
This position typically supervises t6 engine bosses and 6 wildland firefighters.
APPLICATION MATERIALS REQUIRED FOR THIS POSITION ARE:
HELPFUL HINT: You must check the “relevant document” box to ensure your attachments are uploading correctly to the specific application.
Benefits:
Required knowledge, skills, and abilities:
The position requires knowledge of fire management and suppression practices and techniques; fire protection systems; jurisdiction and land ownership; the availability, capability and limitations of resources within the unit; DNRC’s legal requirements and standard operating procedures; map-reading; geographic area and site-specific hazards relating to resource mobilization.
This position requires skill in written and verbal communication; supervisory skills and practices; and maintaining effectiveness and control under periods of extreme stress. Equipment used: radio systems, GPS units, chainsaws, type 5 and 6 engines, power tools, fax machines, computers (Microsoft Word, Excel), USGS topographic maps, Weather Information Management System, the National Fire Danger Rating System, etc.
This position demands a high degree of skill and ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others, to communicate effectively verbally and in writing, to learn and apply program rules and processes; to read and interpret topographic and aerial maps; and to gather, research, assemble, and present information for use by others. Requires the ability to establish and maintain good rapport with program cooperators and the general public.
Special Requirements:
Generally, this position is physically demanding and is conducted in a field setting. The incumbent may be required to work extended hours in the office or fire environment. Fire suppression activities often include extremely hectic conditions, requiring an ability to think calmly and clearly, make appropriate but rapid decisions, provide adequate responses, and coordinate numerous activities all occurring at the same time. Under such conditions this position can be extremely demanding, both mentally and emotionally.
SPECIAL INFORMATION:
Candidates must be eligible to work in the United States. A valid driver's license is required with less than 12 conviction points in the most recent completed 36 months.
ELIGIBILITY TO WORK:
In accordance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act, the person selected must produce within three days of hire documents that show authorization to work in the United States. Examples of such documentation include a birth certificate or Social Security card along with a driver’s license or other picture I.D., or a U.S. passport, or a "green card"
Applicant Pool Statement: If another department vacancy occurs in this job title within six months, the same applicant pool may be used for the selection. Training Assignment: This agency may use a training assignment. Employees in training assignments may be paid below the base pay established by the agency pay rules. Conditions of the training assignment will be stated in writing at the time of hire.
25.76 - 25.76 Hourly
Telework Eligibility: Not Telework Eligible Benefits Package Eligibility: Health Insurance, Paid Leave & Holidays, Retirement Plan
: 1 Employee Status: Seasonal Schedule: Full-Time
: Standard
: Day Job
: Yes, 10 % of the Time
: Missoula
Agency: Department of Natural Resources & Conservation Union: 000 - None
: Jun 17, 2025, 9:24:38 PM
: Jul 14, 2025, 5:59:00 AM
Required Application Materials: Cover Letter, Resume
Contact Name: Stacey Gabrio | Contact Email: Stacey.Gabrio@mt.gov | Contact Phone: 4064443309 The State of Montana has a decentralized human resources (HR) system. Each agency is responsible for its own recruitment and selection. Anyone who needs a reasonable accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the agency's HR staff identified on the job listing or by dialing the Montana Relay at 711. Montana Job Service Offices also offer services including assistance with submitting an online application.
State government does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, childbirth or medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, creed, political beliefs or affiliation, veteran status, military service, retaliation, or any other factor not related to merit and qualifications of an employee or applicant.
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