Wildfire Operations Subject Matter Expert

ICF • Reston, VA

3d • $119,323 - $202,850 • Remote

About The Position

ICF is seeking an experienced Wildfire Subject Matter Expert to provide mission expertise supporting systems used by Federal land management agencies, including USFS, USDA, DOI, and BLM. This role ensures that technology solutions accurately reflect real-world wildfire operations, supporting incident planning, resource coordination, situational awareness, and reporting across the wildfire lifecycle. The ideal candidate brings deep operational knowledge of wildfire management and fire ecology and can translate field realities into actionable requirements that improve decision-making and operational effectiveness. Job Location: This position requires that the job be performed in the United States. If you accept this position, you should note that ICF does monitor employee work locations and blocks access from foreign locations/foreign IP addresses, and also prohibits personal VPN connections. You may be asked to travel once a quarter to an office. Our core work hours are 10am - 4pm Eastern Time with the option to start earlier or work later depending on your time zone.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Forestry, Fire Science, Natural Resources, Environmental Science, or related field.
• 12+ years of experience in wildfire operations, wildfire analytics, land management, or related mission areas, including experience working in interagency wildfire coordination environments.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance; must reside in and be authorized to work in the United States.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree in Forestry, Fire Science, Natural Resources, Environmental Science, or related discipline.
• Experience supporting Federal land management agencies or interagency wildfire programs.
• Experience translating wildfire science, fire behavior modeling, or operational practices into decision-support tools, policy guidance, or technology solutions.
• Experience supporting operational planning, risk assessment, and emergency response activities related to wildfire management.
• Familiarity with wildfire incident management systems, operational reporting tools, or geospatial decision-support systems.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate wildfire science and operational insights to technical teams, leadership, and operational users.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities with the ability to translate complex wildfire operations into clear operational requirements.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain wildfire concepts and operational considerations to technical and program teams.
• Proven ability to collaborate across multidisciplinary teams and support alignment between operational users, technical teams, and leadership.
• Ability to balance operational realities, policy considerations, and system capabilities in fast-paced mission environments.

Responsibilities

• Provide subject matter expertise on wildfire operations, fire ecology, and land management practices to ensure systems align with real-world operational needs.
• Translate wildfire operational processes, terminology, and workflows into clear system requirements and product improvements.
• Validate system workflows, data elements, and reporting capabilities to ensure alignment with wildfire incident management practices.
• Support development of operational scenarios, user stories, and acceptance criteria that reflect wildfire planning and response activities.
• Review product increments and provide feedback to ensure solutions support incident planning, resource tracking, and situational awareness.
• Advise technical and product teams on policy, operational standards, and interagency coordination considerations.
• Support training and change management efforts to ensure successful adoption of new capabilities across operational users.
• Provide guidance on wildfire risk assessment, mitigation strategies, and decision-support approaches used in wildfire management.

What This Job Offers

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