Job Type: On-site, full-time
Location: Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
Salary: $6,747.50-$9,701.42 CAD/month
Application Due Date: September 7, 2025
Description:
The purpose of this position is to lead the management and support the delivery of the first Canadian Prescribed Fire Training Program (the Program).
Housed at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus (UBCO), the Canadian Prescribed Fire Training Program will be the first of its kind in Canada and will develop the foundational framework required for a nationally recognized program to facilitate the safe and effective application of prescribed fire contributing to measurable improvements in biodiversity, ecological resilience, and community safety. The Program will involve the development of curriculum and regional hubs across Canada which will provide region-specific and hands-on prescribed fire training.
This position will be responsible for helping lead the development and implementation of the core infrastructure of the Program in coordination with the Director, Dr. Mathieu Bourbonnais and the Operations Manager. The Prescribed Fire Manager will develop a comprehensive set of policies, procedures, and support systems for the in-person field component of the Program and work with the Operations Manager to align these with university policies and procedures for the success of the Program. With support from the Operations Manager, they will be responsible for the hiring and supervision of three Regional Managers and six Research and Extension Coordinators to build and deliver the field components of the Program. This position will advise senior leadership on a national communication and engagement strategy, and provide oversight on the communications plan. They will be responsible for the successful delivery of the prescribed fire field Program including logistics for all prescribed fire operations and field training, and leadership for the Research and Extension Team outreach activities. They will liaise with the Operations Manager and Regional Leads to coordinate field instructors, training, and support with writing financial, progress, and activity reports.
This position will work collaboratively with the Operations Manager to oversee the Research and Extension Team and the integration of the Program in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (EESC), which will be the academic home of the Program at UBCO.
Responsibilities:
Leads the development and implementation of the prescribed fire field operations and training program.
Establishes and manages relationships with national partners to enhance Program outreach and success.
Oversee and manages budgets of approved funding, which includes preparing financial reports and communications with multiple agencies
Makes decisions related to the development and implementation of prescribed fire training policies, procedures, and systems across the Program.
Builds and implements workplans, timelines, and evaluation tasks for key Program objectives.
Coordinates with field instructors, Research and Extension team, and other local and provincial agencies to ensure the successful implementation of Program training and prescribed fire activities.
Tracks and reports on progress against key milestones, and recommend changes to mitigate risks as needed
Manage, develop, and identify new relationships to support Program objectives, track engagement activities to ensure timely and consistent communications
Aids the Director in strategic planning, and activity reporting
Maintains communication with all program collaborators including internal UBC teams, and external partners including provincial and national government bodies, NGOs, First Nations, community-based organizations and others.
Collaborates with the Operations Manager to support communications planning with the Communications Coordinator
Leads and provides direction to the Research and Extension team to build a national partnership engagement strategy and develop regional prescribed fire training hubs to reflect the ecological and logistic differences in these regions.
Support the Director with recruiting, selecting, evaluating, supervising, and if necessary, terminating staff and contractors.
Perform other duties as required.
Minimum Qualifications:
Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of three years of related experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own
Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion
Preferred Qualifications:
An undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline (fire ecology, landscape ecology, biology, forestry, or a related field);
Five years of demonstrated experience in prescribed and operational wildfire management;
Experience in coordinating field work and event planning;
Operational experience planning, implementing, coordinating, and reporting for prescribed fire activities;
Occupational First Aid Level 1, or CPR Level A;
Experience managing diverse teams in a hybrid and/or remote environments;
Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills;
Strong organizational and problem-solving skills;
Ability to work with minimal direction and exercise sound judgement and decision-making;
Effective oral and written communication skills including presentations, grant applications, reports, etc.;
Computer and data analysis skills (e.g. Word processing, Excel, citation/reference management software)
