Seasonal Prescribed Burn Leader

Commonwealth of Massachusetts • Westborough, MA

12d • Onsite

About The Position

The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) is seeking a qualified individual to serve as a Seasonal Prescribed Fire Leader. This role's primary duty will be to lead prescribed burn operations on private NGO and municipal conservation properties in Southeastern Massachusetts. The position involves conducting prescribed fire trainings, providing technical reviews of partner prescribed fire plans, and implementing and overseeing prescribed fire operations on multiple sites within the Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens Region. This seasonal part-time position is funded through a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Grant to MassWildlife as part of the America the Beautiful Challenge (ATBC) to support private and public partnerships to improve ecosystem resilience and enhance wildlife habitat connectivity. The role is contingent upon grant funding and will be under the supervision of the MassWildlife Prescribed Fire Program Manager. The Seasonal Prescribed Fire Leader will boss prescribed burns on priority Municipal and NGO conservation lands, working closely with the MassWildlife Prescribed Fire Project Leader and the ATBC Prescribed Fire Partnership Coordinator. The focus will be on providing prescribed fire training for ATBC partners, completing prescribed fire plan technical reviews, and serving as the prescribed fire burn boss for targeted burns on ATBC partnership lands through March 2027. The ATBC Seasonal Prescribed Fire Leader is responsible for executing safe, efficient, and effective prescribed burn operations; maintaining project records, prescribed fire summaries; and contributing to the evaluation and reporting of prescribed fire management outcomes related to this project.

Requirements

• Prescribed Fire Burn Boss Type 2 (NWCG RxB2)
• Prior experience in bossing prescribed burns in New England fuel types including pine and oak forests/woodlands, sandplain grasslands, coastal shrublands, and acidic fens.
• Ability and experience in conducting basic training for prescribed burn crews, safety refreshers, and training field days.
• Demonstrated experience in writing prescribed fire plans and ability to provide technical review of low to moderate complexity prescribed fire plans.
• Experience in working with a variety of prescribed fire partners, local fire departments, regulatory agencies, and volunteer groups.
• Ability to travel to a variety of sites within Plymouth, Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket Counties, Massachusetts.
• Must be comfortable spending long periods of time outdoors.
• Must have a valid Class D or higher driver’s license
• Certification as Prescribed Burn Boss Type 2 (NWCG RXB2)
• Satisfactory performance as an Incident Commander Type 4 (ICT4)

Nice To Haves

• Strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Physical fitness level of moderate, ability to walk over uneven terrain at own work pace, stand for long periods of time, and carry up to 25 lbs of field equipment.
• Experience operating handheld radios, weather and fuels monitoring equipment, GPS units and mapping tools.
• Serve as NWCG Task Book evaluator as appropriate on prescribed burns for crew.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Burn Boss for ATBC partner prescribed burns of low to moderate complexity and provide strong leadership for prescribed fire crew at each event.
• Supervise prescribed fire activities before, during, and after a burn event. Provide strong burn boss leadership in assessing burn unit prep, conducting pre burn briefings, supervising prescribed burn crews, after action reviews, mop up and reporting.
• Document and summarize prescribed fire activities for every ATBC partner burn including on-site weather and fire behavior, summary of day’s event, and recommendations for future prescribed burns.
• Work closely with the ATBC Prescribed Fire Partnership Coordinator and respective partner agency/organization representatives to ensure site prep such as mechanical treatments of firebreaks are safely executed prior to prescribed fire implementation.
• Conduct basic wildland fire crew training(s) and appropriate field day(s) for ATBC partner agencies and organizations in coordination with Masswildlife, DCR, and other wildland fire partners.
• Assist the MassWildlife Prescribed Fire Manager and Prescribed Fire Project Leader with preparation of prescribed fire plans and technical review of priority partner prescribed fire plans.
• Communicate regularly with supervisor and ATBC prescribed fire partnership team to provide progress updates, report challenges, and recommend improvements to field operations.

Benefits

• Comprehensive Benefits
• outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package
• work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed