The Forest Stewards Guild, a national organization of foresters and allied natural resource professionals, is dedicated to practicing and promoting values-based forestry. The Guild has 700 members, over half of whom are professionals who manage some of the best forests in the United States and Canada. The Guild maintains regional offices in New Mexico, Maine, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oregon, and Wisconsin. 

Job title: Southwest Fire and Fuels Project Manager  
Location: Santa Fe, NM  
Status: Regular, full-time  
Supervisor: Sam Berry, Manager 
Compensation: $27.13/hour plus benefits  
Application deadline: Rolling deadline until filled. 

Position Description  

The Fire and Fuels Project Manager will manage and coordinate projects within the Guild’s fire and fuels program in New Mexico, which seeks to find innovative ways to solve the challenging problems related to wildfire through increasing implementation of prescribed fire on private and public land, creating training and education opportunities, increasing collaboration, and creatively filling gaps and broadening the definition of fire management. Projects within this program include the All Hands All Lands Burn Team (AHAL) and the Forest Stewards Youth Corps Fire and Fuels Crews, in addition to other existing and upcoming projects across the region.  

The position will work across jurisdictions with diverse partners on projects that lead to resilient forests, watersheds, and communities. This position includes both field and office responsibilities including planning, coordinating, and implementing prescribed burns led by the Guild, supporting partner burn efforts, and supervising field-based prescribed fire crews. This position will also support wildland and prescribed fire training including NWCG classes and youth crew development, and support outreach and education efforts related to wildland and prescribed fire. Developing and strengthening relationships and collaborations and contributing to the development of the Guild’s Fire and Fuels program will also be a key piece of this position. 

Among other duties as assigned, the successful individual will: 

• Support prescribed fire operations in the Southwest, including supporting partner burning and leading burns, while responding quickly to variable weather windows.  

• Provide fireline leadership and training roles as qualified. 

• Hire and supervise field-going staff including seasonal and call-when-needed employees 

• Actively participate in creating a safe and healthy work environment that encourages the diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice of all people. 

• Provide leadership in safety and instill risk management principles in all activities. 

• Support planning as needed, including burn planning, Community Wildfire Protection Plans, or other strategic wildfire planning.  

• Lead and facilitate education and outreach activities, including NWCG trainings as qualified.  

• Maintain and grow partnerships and relationships with a diversity of project partners and funders in the Southwestern United States. 

• Manage and maintain the Guild’s cache of fire equipment. 

• Manage project workflow and budgets and collaborate with a team using software such as Asana, Slack, and Microsoft Teams.  

• Perform grant administration, reporting, and proposal writing to a variety of different funders, including private foundations and government grants and agreements.  

Minimum Qualifications: 

• Passion for the Guild’s principals of ecological, economical, and socially responsible forestry and fire management 

• Strong logistical skills to coordinate and support burn operations 

• NWCG Qualifications at FFT1  

• Proven leadership and experience leading crews and operating equipment including chainsaws in prescribed fire or wildfire operations 

• Ability to work in difficult weather conditions and within flexible schedules to accommodate burn windows 

• Strong organizational and project management skills 

• Clear verbal and written communication skills 

• Strong leadership skills and self-direction as well as ability to work closely with a team 

• Experience managing organizational risk  

• Effective knowledge of common software applications 

• Valid driver’s license 

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Single Resource NWCG Qualification (FIRB, CRWB, ENGB), Preferred ENGB  

• Chainsaw experience including FAL 2 

• RXB3 qualified or the ability to become a New Mexico certified pile burner soon after hire 

• Understanding of risk management with a strong commitment to safety.  

• Experience in Southwest forest ecosystems 

• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills, clear verbal communication skills and attention to detail.  

• M-410 certification  

• Burn planning experience  

• Proficiency in project budget tracking  

• Experience writing grant proposals 

• Experience with ArcGIS for map production and basic analyses 

We strongly encourage any individual that meets 75% or more of requirements to apply. 

Compensation and Benefits Package  

• $27.13 per hour.   

• Paid leave is accrued hourly from the first day of employment   

• Paid Sick leave is accrued hourly from the first day of employment 

• 12 paid holidays per year   

• Employer-sponsored comprehensive health and dental care coverage is available after 30 days of continuous employment with the employee contribution at 20%    

• Short and long-term disability policies paid by The Guild after 60 days of employment   

• Accidental death/dismemberment and life insurance policies paid by The Guild after 60 days    

• Flexible compensation plan available after 60 days    

• Participation in a retirement plan with an employer match is available after 90 days 

• Family Leave after 12 months, including up to six weeks paid leave and additional unpaid leave to total 12 weeks.  

• Compassionate leave after first day of employment, 3 paid days for a qualifying event 

The Guild is dedicated to providing an open, transparent, and just organization and workplace. We strive for clear, open, and kind communication and are committed to recruiting, hiring, mentoring, and supporting staff from underrepresented communities. We are dedicated to building a work culture that recognizes the inherent value of our employees, supports a healthy work-life balance, and provides an environment that supports personal and job growth.  

Location  

This position is located at the Forest Stewards Guild’s office in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This position requires travel throughout the state, including overnight stays. All travel costs from the Guild office in Santa Fe are covered, including the use of a Guild vehicle. The opportunity to work from a home office on administrative tasks will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.  

Fitness and Red Card Requirements:  

You must pass the arduous pack test. Projects will require remote work outdoors in adverse conditions on steep and rugged terrain and/or in inclement and variable weather conditions.  

Must be vaccinated against COVID-19  or have an approved exemption request following the Guild’s COVID-19 Policy  

Schedule Requirements:  

The average work week is 40 hours, but the schedule may vary depending on operational needs. Projects may occasionally require working 10-16 hour days and/or outside of normal business hours, working during weekends and/or up to 14 days continuously, and travel for extended periods of time. Flexible work schedules will be considered to accommodate family or other commitments.  

Potential candidate must be able to work from duty station when required. Preferred location would be the greater Santa Fe, NM area; remote work will be considered on a case by case basis.  

How to apply  

Interested applicants should visit the Smart Recruiters posting and click “I’m Interested” and follow the prompts. For a complete application, please submit a one-page cover letter, resume, one-page writing sample, and three professional references COMBINED INTO ONE PDF. Note: After clicking “Next” on the initial application page, you will have an opportunity to upload the cover letter and reference documents. The cover letter should indicate your earliest available start date. 

Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you are having trouble submitting materials on Smart Recruiters, contact sam at forestguild.org. 

DEADLINE: Position will be considered on a rolling basis until filled.  Please specify your earliest start date.  

Contact us  

Questions about this position can be directed to Sam at sam at forestguild.org or 541 816 6371.  

We believe that a diverse workforce reflects the strengths of all members of our community. The Forest Stewards Guild strives to create a collaborative, supportive, and respectful setting for all employees and partners. To meet this goal, we recognize and celebrate the wide range of differences that characterize our members, employees, partners, and collaborators. Indeed, it is those differences that enhance our organization and help us to meet our mission and vision. The Guild values diverse forests because they are more productive, more resilient, more adaptable, and better able to recover from disturbances. Similarly, our community is healthier when we are inclusive of a diversity of people and perspectives.