The Ember Alliance is a national organization of wildland fire practitioners, researchers, analysts, and instructors dedicated to increasing the pace and scale of prescribed fire and planning. The Ember Alliance is dedicated to supporting fire as a natural process in fire-adapted ecosystems on a landscape scale to improve ecosystem function and health and increase wildfire resilience. 

The Ember Alliance is a new nonprofit based in Colorado. The position will be part of the Resilient Communities and Forests Colorado program and will provide secondary support to the Ember Alliance’s Fire Management program.    

The Ember Alliance provides an open, transparent, and just organization and workplace. We strive for clear, open, and kind communication and are committed to centering, recruiting, hiring, mentoring, and supporting fire practitioners from traditionally underserved and underrepresented communities. We are dedicated to building a better way to do fire management, that recognizes the inherent value of our employees, that supports work / life balance, and provides an environment that supports growth.  

The Ember Alliance will actively support your professional development. You will have an Individual Development Plan (IDP) and access to paid training on an annual basis. Additionally, the Fire Operations Program will actively support suppression fire assignment opportunities for you, via our partner network. Additionally, you will have a ‘position review’ every six months. The review will be an opportunity for both you and your supervisor to evaluate if your actual job duties meet your position description and adjust accordingly. 

The successful candidate will have strong organizational skills, planning document generation experience, entrepreneurial attitude and aptitude, and a desire to support ecological forestry and fire practices in the Intermountain West. This position is not a primary fire position. Previous wildland fire operational experience is not required, but a desire to participate in prescribed fire is supported. They will: 

• Support and/or lead planning document generation, including community wildfire protection plans, research products, other similar projects.  
• Manage work assignments with minimal direction from supervisors. 
• Provide planning support for other Ember Alliance projects, including Ember Alliance Fire Operations activities. 
• Coordinate with project partners to ensure planning and personnel needs are met. 
• As needed and desired, may support Ember Alliance prescribed fire and wildfire operations. 
• May represent the Colorado program at local and regional meetings. 
• May work in variable weather conditions, in remote locations, and on difficult or hazardous terrain and / or in other physically demanding environments. 

Minimum Qualifications: 

• Clear verbal and written communication skills. 
• Solid technical writing skills 
• Self-direction 
• GIS experience 
• Fire and forest ecology and management knowledge. 
• Bachelor’s or Masters in fire ecology, forestry, or other natural resources. 
• Effective knowledge of common software applications. 

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Previous experience authoring fire management documents such as community wildfire protection plans, fire management plans, and forest management plans. 
• NEPA experience 
• Grant writing experience 
• Project management experience 
• Prescribed fire and/or wildfire suppression experience 

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

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Fitness and Red Card Requirements: 

You must pass the arduous pack test annually to maintain a Red Card with currency as a qualified wildland firefighter.

Projects may require remote work outdoors in adverse conditions on steep and rugged terrain and/or in inclement and variable weather conditions. Employees must abide by The Ember Alliance’s current Covid policies.  

Work Details and Benefits: Most work will be conducted in the home office until COVID-19 restrictions allow for returning to in-person office work. 

Field operations work schedule: The average work week is 40 hours, but the schedule may vary and will be weather dependent. 10-12 hour days may be required. Projects may require working during weekends and/or up to 14 days continuously. Travel for extended periods of time, stay overnight near project locations, and work outside of normal business hours with little to no notice. 

Duty Location: Loveland, CO. Project work will require travel to other locations. 

Hourly wage: $19 per hour. Some overtime is expected during prescribed fire events and will be based on operational needs.  

Equipment: The Ember Alliance will provide full PPE (nomex shirts-2, pants-2, line gear and shelter, helmet, ear/eye protection, leather gloves), and first aid kit. These items must be returned to the Ember Alliance upon completion of your employment.  

Health Insurance Benefits: A health insurance benefits guide will be shared prior to employment so that new employees can select between three plans, with additional dental options. Employer matches 80% for individual health plans. $50,000 life insurance is paid by the employer with options to expand coverage. 

Accrued personal leave: Hours of accrued leave are dependent upon hours worked in a month. Ten hours are accrued at the end of each month if working full time (at 87.5% or more capacity), 7.5 hours are accrued if working 62.5 – 87.4%, and so forth as detailed in the Employee Handbook. 

Sick Days: Each employee gets six paid sick days per year. 

Family Leave: Employees are eligible for five weeks of paid family leave. 

Holidays: 10 paid holidays per year, following the Federal holiday model. 

How to Apply: Interested applicants should submit a one-page cover letter, a writing sample, three professional references and resume as attachments. Please attach any IQS or IQCS master records, copies of red cards or other evidence of your wildland fire qualifiications. Application is rolling until filled. Please specify your earliest available start date.