Wildfire Mitigation Specialist

Douglas County, CO • Castle Rock, CO

41d • $62,092 - $93,138 • Onsite

About The Position

The Wildfire Mitigation Specialist conducts defensible space and Home Ignition Zone inspections, ensuring compliance with County regulations, building codes, and mitigation standards. The position reviews development proposals, coordinates with internal departments, fire districts, developers, and community partners to support wildfire-planning efforts, public outreach, and hazard assessments. Responsibilities also include wildfire mitigation grants and Cost-Share programs support, interdepartmental coordination for wildfire risk reduction, and supporting related natural-resource projects.
Generally, the hiring range is $62,092-$77,615 annually.
Qualifications, education and experience as it relates to the position will be taken into consideration when determining hiring salary.
Your future is important to us.
Douglas County offers a comprehensive benefits package — including medical, dental, vision, and retirement plans — plus a wide range of additional resources to support your health, growth, and overall well-being.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree in forestry, forest management, natural resource management or other environmental science or closely related field is required.
• Must have four years of forestry, forest management, wildfire mitigation, or land management experience.
• A combination of experience and education may be considered.
• Must possess a valid Colorado Driver’s License upon hire, with complying insurance. Review of motor vehicle record is required at time of hire and periodically throughout employment.

Nice To Haves

• A background in construction, inspection, and/or, prevention or suppression is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Conduct on-site Home Ignition Zone (HIZ) assessments and inspections; verify that mitigation work meets county or agency standards, communicate corrections, approve completed work, and document results in the relevant database or permitting system.
• Coordinate and collaborate with county departments, fire protection districts, planning/zoning, community groups, and other agencies to integrate wildfire mitigation into planning, land use, and outreach programs.
• Support wildfire planning efforts, including community wildfire protection plans (CWPPs), public meetings, wildfire hazard rating systems, and integration of wildfire mitigation into land use and building code development.
• Assist in grant development and administration, including writing grant proposals, tracking budgets, and reporting, to secure additional funding for wildfire mitigation and forest restoration.
• Assist in the facilitation of County grant programs, including reviewing applicant proposals, awarding funding, coordinating with contractors and property owners to implement treatments, verifying project completion, and signing off on final deliverables.
• Perform preliminary and final defensible space and wildfire-mitigation inspections for all proposed residential projects in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI); verify compliance with County building regulations related to fuel loading and home-ignition-zone treatments.
• Develop and deliver public education and outreach—including workshops, Firewise trainings, and community meetings—and coordinate with homeowners, HOAs, builders, developers, and fire districts to increase awareness of wildfire hazards, mitigation practices, and forest health.
• Coordinates with the Planning Department and Engineering Division for new development in wildfire hazard areas.
• Works and coordinates with GIS staff on wildfire-related projects.
• Assist communities with hazard assessments, works with local representatives to prioritize treatment areas and identify mitigation projects, and supports community grant applications as needed.
• Assists other County departments with special natural resource-related projects.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• In the event of an emergency/disaster in or near the County, all County employees are expected to make every effort to be available to assist the County Manager, Elected/Appointed Officials and Department Directors to ensure the continued operation of any and all necessary County functions. This may mean being available to perform additional duties and hours beyond what is normally required. In the event that an exempt employee does work more than 40 hours a week in support of County operations during an emergency, such employee may receive overtime or other appropriate wage compensation in accordance with existing County policies or at the discretion of the County.

Benefits

• Douglas County offers a comprehensive benefits package — including medical, dental, vision, and retirement plans — plus a wide range of additional resources to support your health, growth, and overall well-being.

What This Job Offers

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