Job Type: Full time,remote
Location: Fire Networks, Watershed Research and Training Center
Pay: $28.80-$42.80/hour
Application Deadline: August 20, 2026
Description:
The Fire Networks Learning and Capacity Building Specialist (Specialist) is an experienced professional responsible for designing, coordinating, and delivering learning opportunities that strengthen the capacity of fire resilience practitioners, community leaders, and partner organizations across the Fire Networks community. This position combines deep subject matter expertise in wildfire resilience, adaptation, and community-based fire management with strong skills in adult education, facilitation, training design, and professional development. The Specialist works collaboratively with Fire Networks staff, practitioners, training contractors, and partners to develop engaging virtual and in-person learning experiences that support the development of network members’ and their place-based programming.
This position helps transform practitioner knowledge into shared learning by designing educational experiences, developing practical resources, facilitating peer exchange, and strengthening connections across the Fire Networks partnership. This position reports to the Fire Networks Co-Director and works closely with place-based leaders, partner organizations, consultants, and funding partners.
The ideal candidate is both an educator and a practitioner—someone who understands the realities of wildfire resilience work and is passionate about helping others learn and succeed. They are skilled at turning ideas into engaging trainings, technical concepts into practical resources, and individual expertise into shared community knowledge. They thrive in collaborative environments, enjoy working with diverse partners, and are motivated by building the capacity of people and organizations working to create fire-adapted communities. They are equally comfortable discussing wildfire resilience strategies with practitioners, facilitating a webinar for hundreds of participants, designing a learning cohort, and helping translate emerging knowledge into actionable tools and resources. They enjoy designing meaningful learning experiences, facilitating peer exchange, and helping build the capacity of a growing network of fire resilience leaders. Success in this position requires curiosity, collaboration, humility, strong facilitation skills, and a commitment to supporting communities working to live with wildfire.
Position Scope, Responsibilities, and Core Duties:
Learning and Professional Development Program Design (20%)
Co-design and implement learning strategies that support the needs of Fire Networks members and partner organizations.
Develop and manage virtual and in-person learning opportunities including webinars, workshops, peer exchanges, learning cohorts, communities of practice, and training series.
Identify emerging topics, challenges, and opportunities relevant to wildfire resilience and adaptation.
Work with network members and partners to assess learning needs and prioritize future offerings.
Integrate adult learning principles and evidence-based training practices into all learning opportunities.
Facilitation, Instruction, and Training Delivery (25%)
Serve as a facilitator, instructor, moderator, or presenter for virtual and in-person learning events.
Coordinate and support guest instructors, speakers, and subject matter experts.
Create engaging learning environments that encourage participation, peer exchange, and practical application.
Facilitate discussions among diverse audiences including practitioners, nonprofit leaders, agency personnel, elected officials, tribal representatives, and community-based organizations.
Support regional workshops, conferences, and peer-learning events as needed.
Toolkit, Resource, and Curriculum Development (25%)
Lead development of practical curricula, toolkits, guides, templates, facilitation materials, and other educational resources that support wildfire resilience practitioners.
Translate practitioner knowledge, research, technical information, and field experience into accessible, actionable learning products.
Maintain and continuously improve curricula, resource libraries, and digital learning materials to reflect emerging practices.
Collaborate with practitioners, staff, and subject matter experts to identify resource gaps and develop solutions.
Translate practitioner knowledge, case studies, research findings, technical information, and field experience into accessible and actionable learning resources.
Support creation of online learning resources and self-directed educational content.
Contribute to the development of online learning content, digital resource collections, and self-guided educational materials.
Work with communications and program staff to package and disseminate learning resources to Fire Networks members and partners.
Relationship Building and Peer Learning (10%)
Build and maintain relationships with Fire Networks members, practitioners, partners, and subject matter experts.
Foster peer exchange, collaboration, and cross-network learning.
Connect practitioners with resources, expertise, funding opportunities, and one another.
Serve as a "network weaver" by helping ideas, people, and lessons move across organizational, geographic, and disciplinary boundaries.
Program and Fire Networks Team Coordination (10%)
Maintain relationships with the Fire Networks team, funders and other program partners.
Assist with administrative coordination of network initiatives, subawards, and partner requests as assigned.
Participate in project planning, budgeting, reporting, and packaging grant deliverables.
Support development of communications and storytelling products that highlight practitioner experiences and network impacts in collaboration with the Fire Networks communications team.
Evaluation and Continuous Improvement (10%)
Develop and implement participant feedback and evaluation processes.
Analyze learning outcomes and participant needs.
Use evaluation findings to improve future training and learning opportunities.
Contribute to program reporting and impact measurement.
Minimum Qualifications, Skills, and Competencies:
Bachelor's degree in natural resources, environmental studies, communications, community development, organizational development, education/adult learning, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Three to seven years of professional experience in wildfire resilience, community adaptation, natural resource management, community engagement, technical assistance, workforce development, or a related field.
Demonstrated experience designing, coordinating, and delivering professional development, training, workshops, educational programs, or capacity-building initiatives for adult audiences.
Experience facilitating virtual and/or in-person learning events, meetings, workshops, or peer-learning exchanges.
Experience developing educational resources, curricula, training materials, toolkits, guides, or other learning products.
Strong written communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex information into practical and accessible resources.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, deadlines, and stakeholder relationships simultaneously.
Ability to work independently while contributing effectively within a collaborative and geographically distributed team.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a remote, geographically distributed team environment and proficiency with common virtual collaboration and meeting platforms.
Desired Qualifications, Skills, and Competencies:
Seven+ years of relevant professional experience.
Professional experience supporting wildfire resilience, community wildfire adaptation, Fire Adapted Communities, prescribed fire organizations, collaborative conservation initiatives, or related networks.
Experience in land management, prescribed fire implementation, project management, or related field operations is highly desirable.
Formal training or certification in adult education, instructional design, facilitation, organizational development, coaching, curriculum development, or related disciplines.
Experience designing and delivering virtual learning programs using webinar platforms, online learning systems, or cohort-based learning models.
Experience developing practitioner-focused toolkits, guidance documents, frameworks, templates, or technical assistance resources.
Experience facilitating peer-learning networks, communities of practice, collaborative partnerships, or multi-stakeholder groups.
Experience conducting learning evaluations and using participant feedback to improve educational offerings.
Experience working with community-based organizations, Tribes or Tribal organizations, rural communities or underserved populations.
Experience managing grant-funded projects and associated reporting requirements.
Familiarity with wildfire systems, practices, and community adaptation strategies across the United States.
Experience working across sectors, organizations, disciplines, or geographic regions to advance collaborative initiatives.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Subject Matter Expertise:
Strong understanding of wildfire resilience, adaptation, and community-based approaches to improving fire outcomes and living with fire.
Knowledge of current issues, trends, and challenges facing wildfire resilience practitioners and communities.
Ability to translate technical information into practical and accessible learning experiences.
Learning and Facilitation Skills:
Knowledge of adult learning theory and instructional design principles.
Ability to design engaging virtual and in-person learning experiences.
Strong facilitation and group process skills.
Ability to create inclusive environments that encourage participation and peer learning.
Skilled at presenting information to diverse audiences.
Professional Skills:
Excellent project management and organizational abilities.
Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
Ability to manage ambiguity and adapt to changing priorities.
Strong writing, editing, and communication skills.
Ability to work effectively in distributed and remote team environments.
Demonstrated ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, manage assigned work and collaborate effectively within a team environment.
Work Environment and Additional Requirements:
Primarily home-office, and virtual work environment. Some travel to member sites or in-person learning events required (~2-5 trips per year)
Ability to work extended periods at a computer.
Flexible schedule to accommodate network participants across the US (Hawaii to the East Coast).
Ability to travel approximately 5-10% of the time for conferences, workshops, trainings, and partner meetings.
Ability to lift and transport training materials and equipment up to 25 pounds
