Company Description

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. The mission of The Ember Alliance is to restore the relationship between communities and fire on the landscape.

The Ember Alliance is a just and transparent workplace that strives for clear and kind communication. Our team is committed to centering fire practitioners from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, including those who have not worked in fire before. We are dedicated to a workplace that recognizes the inherent value of our employees, that supports work / life balance, and that supports growth.

Job Description

The Ember Alliance is hiring a permanent, full-time position in Colorado and/or Montana! The Wildfire Analyst position will provide integral project guidance and support to The Ember Alliance’s Resilient Communities and Ecosystems (RCE) Team. The primary focus of this position will be wildfire modeling and mapping in support of Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) development, wildfire mitigation plans, burn plans, and other projects. The position is office-based but has a minimal field component including but not limited to performing field assessments across a multi-state region and presentation at relevant in-person community and partner meetings. Candidates should have a passion for collaborative and equitable planning to prepare communities for wildfire.

A successful candidate will have experience with mapping and modeling (ArcPro, QGIS, Python, R), spatial data quality assurance and quality control, development of effective public-facing maps, both hardcopy and interactive online maps, logistical and organizational skills, and team collaboration. Wildfire and planning experience is a plus. The Wildfire Analyst is responsible for contributing to 2-4 projects simultaneously, depending on project complexity. They will have a passion for supporting our Wildfire Preparedness for all Communities initiative through the development of CWPPs. This candidate should be willing to learn and accept feedback from peers/supervisors.

Part of this position requires travel and field time in support of CWPPs and from time to time, other needed wildfire analysis and research projects. May occasionally work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain, and under physically demanding circumstances.

If you think you are a good fit for the job and for The Ember Alliance, we encourage you to apply even if you are unsure that you meet every qualification.

Qualifications

What You’ll Do

The Wildfire Analyst duties focus on supporting the data and modeling needs of RCE projects, particularly Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs), in close coordination with project managers. Tasks include but are not limited to:

• Use Arc, QGIS, Python, R and specialized programs/packages like FireFamilyPlus and FlamMap to produce spatial analysis of wildfire behavior and potential impacts to support planning.
• Acquire and document data from various sources and conduct QAQC.
• Interpret model outputs and produce accurate, easy to understand reports that include maps and written interpretations and recommendations.
• Interface with other organizations conducting wildfire mapping and analysis, including the Colorado Forest Restoration Institute.
• Support document generation, including CWPPs, research products, other similar projects, adhering to contract timelines, deadlines, and budgets.
• Represent The Ember Alliance to clients, partners, and community as an engaged and responsive member of the project team to maintain and build partner relationships; may also represent The Ember Alliance at local and regional meetings.
• Provide subject matter expertise on CWPP projects, including wildfire risk assessment, social vulnerability assessment, community engagement, project prioritization, recommendation development, postfire preplanning, and document generation/design.
• Manage work assignments with minimal direction from supervisors.
• Demonstrate a strong work ethic, including a commitment to principles of Duty, Integrity and Respect.
• Actively participate in creating a kind, safe and healthy work environment which encourages the diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice of all people.
• As needed and desired, may support Ember Alliance prescribed fire and wildfire operations

Breakdown of duties: 85-95% planning and project work, 5-15% travel and field time.

What Makes A Great Candidate

• Passion for TEA’s ecological and social missions.
• Clear written, verbal, and visual communications skills.
• Experience with GIS, wildfire modeling tools, and related software for QA/QC modeling and mapping. Ability to edit vector data and conduct basic geoprocessing of vector and raster data.
• Experience adhering to project budgets and timelines and working with a team, ability to problem solve and manage work on multiple projects.
• Demonstrated ability to learn new processes effectively.
• Effective knowledge of common software applications (e.g. Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite).
• Master’s degree in environmental data science, natural resource management, forestry, fire ecology, or other related field OR Bachelor’s degree natural resource management, forestry, fire ecology, or other related field and 3 years relevant experience OR 5 years relevant experience.

What Makes You Stand Out

• Extensive knowledge of GIS and wildfire modeling tools, including the ability to conduct advanced geoprocessing of vector and raster data.
• Experience coding geospatial processes and data analysis / visualization in Python and R.
• On-the-ground experience or observation of wildfire behavior and an understanding of complex interactions among topography, fuels, and weather.
• Demonstrated commitment to collaboration and innovation.
• Background in wildfire and/or community planning.

Additional Information

Schedule Requirements

This is an at-will position. The average work week is 40 hours, but the schedule may vary depending on project needs.

Pay and Benefits

Salary: $26.50 per hour salary annualized as $53,000 to $55,120. The Ember Alliance uses an hourly wage for all employees.

The Ember Alliance is proud to offer a competitive benefits package for permanent-full-time employees which includes health and dental insurance coverage with an employer match of 80% for the employee only, an employer sponsored $50,000 life insurance policy, paid time off, paid holidays, bereavement leave, paid sick leave, long-term disability, and benefits coverage for up to two weeks of leave-with-out-pay per year. Additionally, full time employees with 3 months of employment are entitled to participate in an immediately vested 401k tax-advantaged retirement savings plan with 4% employer match.

Location

Office + Remote (Preferred 1st Fort Collins, 2nd Colorado, 3rd Montana, 4th anywhere)

The Ember Alliance is headquartered in Fort Collins, CO. Our team works nationally on planning projects.

Potential candidate must be able to work from office when required. Preferred location is the greater Fort Collins, CO or Missoula, MT areas; remote work may be a consideration.

The possibility of working from a home office on administrative projects will be assessed on a case-by-case basis for candidates with proven independent remote work records.

How to Apply

Interested applicants should submit a one-page cover letter, a technical writing sample, a mapping or data analysis project report sample, three professional references, and a resume. Application is rolling until filled. Please specify your earliest available start date and preferred work location.

The Ember Alliance is an equal opportunity employer.

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