Deputy Fire Chief (Two Vacancies)

City of Kirkland • Kirkland, WA

9d • Hybrid

About The Position

The City of Kirkland is seeking to hire two Deputy Fire Chiefs: a Deputy Chief of Operations and a Deputy Chief of Support Services. Submitting an application places candidates into a pool for both openings, with an opportunity to specify preference during supplemental questions. Kirkland is described as a livable city with a community feel, focused on innovation and employee investment through competitive wages and excellent benefits. The ideal candidates will be forward-thinking leaders who support organizational stability, advance departmental culture, and reinforce accountability aligned with the City's vision for public safety. They should exemplify high integrity, credibility, and emotional maturity, remaining calm under pressure, being politically aware, transparent communicators, and loyal to the mission and values. Both leaders are expected to model disciplined accountability, make data-driven decisions, and foster strong trust. Skilled collaborators who are confident decision-makers, respected by personnel, and committed to a healthy, high-performing culture are sought. They should demonstrate a leadership philosophy aligning with department values and City expectations for professionalism, alignment, and transparency, acting as creative problem solvers who optimize resource use. Across both roles, candidates must understand the importance of alignment, stability, diversity, accountability, operational excellence, and a healthy culture, demonstrating executive-level professionalism and commitment to a data-driven mission.

The Deputy Chief of Operations will be a highly respected operational leader with strong incident command presence and tactical competency, making sound, timely decisions under pressure. This role requires understanding deployment models, staffing, effective response forces, training systems, and regional mutual aid coordination. The ideal candidate brings operational credibility, mentors officers and Battalion Chiefs, builds disciplined and consistent accountability without being punitive, and drives operational consistency across shifts, while navigating conflict professionally and publicly supporting the department’s vision.

The Deputy Chief of Support Services will be an organized, systems-oriented leader capable of managing complex programs, city processes, and long-range planning. This role requires adeptness in project management, purchasing, accreditation, WSRB, and strategic planning. They must be data-driven, strong in policy development, skilled at metrics and compliance reporting, and able to build structures supporting long-term organizational success. This leader must also form strong partnerships with Finance, Fleet, Facilities, Public Works, Police, the City Attorney’s Office, and the City Manager’s Office, translating fire service needs into city government language.

Requirements

• Comprehensive knowledge of federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
• Knowledge of public disclosure laws, records management, project management, and grant writing.
• Knowledge of various forms of Fire/EMS related technologies.
• Skilled in public relations, negotiations, labor relations, and supervision.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrates the knowledge of and adherence to a high standard of personal and professional ethics.
• Innovative and flexible in approach to duties and possesses the ability to readily adapt to a changing community and Department needs.
• Ability to work confidentially with discretion.
• Ability to make informative and persuasive presentations to individuals and groups, conduct public meetings and participate in public forums.
• Advanced working knowledge of budget preparation and monitoring.
• Advanced analytical skills to comprehend, interpret, and explain rules, regulations, legal requirements, and policies.
• Possesses tact, diplomacy, and the ability to deal effectively with individuals, groups, and organizations representing a wide variety of ethnicities, cultures, opinions, and beliefs.
• Basic PC proficiency and knowledge of technology applications pertinent to the Department’s operations and management systems requirements.
• Extensive knowledge of management principles and practices.
• Extensive knowledge of employee and public relations.
• Extensive knowledge of organizational and planning concepts.
• Extensive knowledge of Civil Service regulations, labor agreements, and RCW and WAC rules that have direct application to administration of the Fire Department.
• If overseeing Fire Prevention: Knowledge of fire investigations, development regulations and permitting, and fire prevention best practices.
• 7 years of increasingly responsible experience in a Fire department or similar environment.
• 5 years of progressive supervisory/managerial experience, with advanced leadership knowledge.
• A minimum of 2 years as a Fire Battalion Chief is required to oversee Operations.
• At least 4 years of experience working at a senior level (Battalion Chief and above) in an equivalently sized City Fire Department together with a thorough knowledge of management principles.
• Applicants must pass a background investigation prior to employment.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• In place of the above requirements, the incumbent may possess any combination of relevant education and experience which would demonstrate the individual’s knowledge, skill, and ability to proficiently perform the essential duties and responsibilities listed above.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the Fire Chief in their absence.
• Attend meetings, training sessions, and other functions to stay abreast of modern fire service methods, techniques, and administrative procedures.
• Maintain availability to respond to large-scale incidents to support field command at extended operations.
• Perform functions as assigned in the City’s emergency response plan in the event of an emergency.
• Develop measurable implementation plans that achieve the City’s initiatives in the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Roadmap.
• Manage complex programs, city processes, and long-range planning (Deputy Chief of Support Services).
• Oversee project management, purchasing, accreditation, WSRB, and strategic planning (Deputy Chief of Support Services).
• Build structures that support long-term organizational success (Deputy Chief of Support Services).
• Form strong partnerships with various city departments and offices (Deputy Chief of Support Services).
• Translate fire service needs into city government language (Deputy Chief of Support Services).
• Provide strong incident command presence and tactical competency (Deputy Chief of Operations).
• Make sound, timely decisions under pressure (Deputy Chief of Operations).
• Understand deployment models, staffing, effective response forces, training systems, and regional mutual aid coordination (Deputy Chief of Operations).
• Mentor officers and Battalion Chiefs (Deputy Chief of Operations).
• Build disciplined and consistent accountability without being punitive (Deputy Chief of Operations).
• Drive operational consistency across shifts (Deputy Chief of Operations).
• Navigate conflict professionally (Deputy Chief of Operations).

Benefits

• Competitive Wages
• Awesome benefits
• Childcare Programs: agreements with two local childcare providers that offer discounted rates for our employees at 10 locations within 20 miles of Kirkland.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager