Wildfire Meteorologist

American Electric Power•San Benito, TX

1d•Remote

About The Position

The Wildfire Meteorologist at American Electric Power (AEP) provides expert analysis and operational support related to fire weather forecasting and wildfire risk. This role plays a critical part in AEP’s wildfire mitigation strategy by delivering timely and accurate meteorological insights that inform risk modeling, Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) decisions, operational readiness, and field response activities. The Wildfire Meteorologist reports directly to the Director of Wildfire Mitigation and works in close coordination with Transmission, Distribution, Emergency Preparedness, and Enterprise Risk teams.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Meteorology, Fire Science, or Emergency Management and at least 4 years of professional meteorological experience, with a focus on fire weather or emergency operations; OR, Bachelor’s degree in Meteorology, Atmospheric Sciences, or a related discipline and 6 years of experience.
In-depth knowledge of fire weather indices (e.g., Haines Index, ERC, Fosberg Index), fuels, and topographic influences on fire behavior.
Experience using tools such as the National Fire Danger Rating System (NFDRS), WIMS, or other fire modeling platforms.
Strong verbal and written communication skills, especially for technical audiences and executive leadership.
Ability to work under pressure during high-impact weather and wildfire events.
Proficiency in interpreting numerical weather prediction models and remote sensing data.

Nice To Haves

AMS or NWA certification.
Prior experience supporting electric utility operations or wildfire mitigation programs.
Familiarity with PSPS programs, wildfire risk modeling, and regulatory wildfire compliance frameworks.
GIS and data visualization experience (ArcGIS, QGIS, Power BI, etc.).

Responsibilities

Monitor and interpret fire weather models, forecast data, and satellite imagery to identify emerging wildfire risks across AEP’s service territory.
Deliver daily and event-driven fire weather briefings to internal stakeholders, including Fire Potential Index (FPI), fire behavior assessments, and meteorological summaries.
Support PSPS decision-making with weather forecasts, threshold evaluations, and real-time fire weather analysis.
Contribute to seasonal wildfire outlooks and long-term planning, collaborating with risk modelers and GIS teams to align weather forecasts with wildfire potential.
Coordinate with federal and state agencies (e.g., National Weather Service, NOAA, USFS) to ensure consistency and accuracy in fire weather messaging.
Develop and refine fire weather decision support tools and visualization platforms to enhance situational awareness.
Participate in tabletop exercises, after-action reviews, and incident debriefs to improve forecasting effectiveness and emergency response.
Provide subject matter expertise for wildfire mitigation plans, operational procedures, and enterprise resilience strategies.
Educate internal teams on fire weather dynamics, including training sessions and guidance documents.