Restoration and Rehabilitation Portal

The NC Coastal Burn Crew Manager participates in preserve operations, restoration, maintenance, and management. This may include the following functions:

• Participates in prescribed fire and wildfire activities, which may include: burn unit prep, fire operations, managing staff and volunteers, maintenance of equipment and supplies, mop up, and monitoring.
• Participates in and manages restoration projects including thinning, planting, and other projects
• Maintains preserves and buildings, which may include: maintaining tools and equipment, repairing fences and gates, posting boundaries, and maintaining grounds and structures at historical sites.

The NC Coastal Burn Crew Manager may assist on wildland fire operations in other parts of the Coastal Plain with federal, state, or private partners, or travel to other areas of the state or out-of-state to assist other TNC programs or partners on prescribed or wildland fires. Housing is provided to fire crew staff.

The Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellow for the Warner College of Natural Resources (WCNR) was initiated in recognition that managing and conserving natural resources requires collaboration among diverse sets of stakeholders, including individuals from underrepresented groups and cultures. The purpose of this program is to help train individuals to meet the unique challenges of managing and conserving these valuable resources. The Provost Postdoctoral Fellow, WCNR will be supported to conduct research aligned with their interests (50%) and will teach two classes per year that align with their interests (40%). In addition to the annual salary provided for this position, the successful applicant will receive a start-up package to develop their research and enhance their training to become a leader in collaborating and training students to work across a diverse set of stakeholders.

The successful candidate will be expected to pursue research to enable productivity allowing the postdoc to be competitive for a tenure-track faculty position at a research university at the end of the two-year position. The successful candidate will be required to pursue a research program at the intersection of natural resources and minority, underserved, or underrepresented populations or cultures in the United States. Strong preference will be given to individuals working at the interface of Native American issues and natural resources.

The successful candidate will also help teach a fundamental course in the college and develop and teach an additional (new) course. For Fall semester 2019 the postdoc will be assigned co-teaching responsibility for NR120, Introduction to Environmental Conservation. Fall semester 2020 the postdoc will either co-teach the course again or teach the course independently, depending on the success of the co-teaching arrangement in year 1 and the goals and desires of the lead instructor and of the Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellow. In the Spring semester, the Fellow will teach a new class aligned with their scholarly expertise and interests. Potential courses of interest include topics such as “Native American Culture and Nature,” “Ecological Management on Tribal Lands,” “Environmental Justice and Underserved Populations,” “People, Place, and Natural Resources – Multicultural Perspectives,” “Impacts of Climate Change on Underserved Communities,” “Inclusion and Retention Underserved Populations in STEM and Natural Resources,” and others. The Fellow will be charged with building the framework for the course early Fall semester 2019 so that it can be presented as a special topics course in the Spring 2019 and 2020 semesters.

The Postdoctoral Fellow will not have formal service responsibilities but will be given the opportunity to engage in high impact service efforts if beneficial for them. If interested, the postdoc will have the opportunity to engage with the development of a new minor in Multicultural Perspectives of Natural Resources, targeted recruitment of Native American students or those of other underrepresented groups, participation on the College’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, or other service opportunities.

The position will be housed in one of the five academic departments in Warner College, with final departmental assignment based on disciplinary interests and background of the candidate.

The position has funding for two years.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The Seasonal Preserve Assistants are responsible for invasive species control, native wetland species plantings, tree plantation maintenance, and monitoring of native plants and animals.  Work will require the use and maintenance of chainsaws, brush cutters, sprayers, herbicides, and other equipment.  This position requires strenuous field work in a variety of environmental conditions, including routinely lifting and hiking/walking carrying 25+ pounds of equipment.  A significant amount of time will focus on identifying and treating invasive species.  Participation in controlled burning is possible if the applicant is professionally qualified and there will be opportunities to travel to other regions of the state to work on a variety of projects with other teams.

Position Overview: Serves as the agency’s lead expert on prescribed fire – use, application and implementation. The primary purpose of the position will be to provide leadership in the use and applicability of prescribed fire in Washington, develop a prescribed fire program within the agency and develop a prescribed burn certification program for those who practice prescribed burning in the State of Washington (see RCW 76.04.183). This position serves as a mid-level manager providing oversight and program advocacy for the appropriate use of prescribed fire as well as long-term growth and viability of the program.

The position will provide support for the successful operational use of prescribed fire in helping to achieve the goals of the agency’s 20-year Forest Health Strategic Plan for Eastern Washington (https://www.dnr.wa.gov/ForestHealthPlan). Additionally, the position will be expected to collaborate with other prescribed fire experts within the region and regularly report on the use, application, implementation and effects of prescribed fire in Washington with an emphasis in forested ecosystems.

Required Education & Experience:
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in fire science, fire ecology, forestry, other applicable field.
• Minimum 10 years of experience as a wildland firefighter with experience in PNW or similar fuel types and use of prescribed fire.

Required Qualifications:
• Knowledge of forest & fire ecology in the PNW or similar ecosystems and successful management strategies to address those issues.
• Demonstrated successful experience with fuels & vegetation management, fire management, and prescribed fire plans.
• Proven skills in the development and/or implementation of a similar program at the local, state or federal level.
• Prescribed fire and fuels management - experience in activities such as:
    o Professional forest or range inventory methods and procedures (e.g., Brown's planar intercept for dead and down fuels; fuel loading assessments)
    o Analysis of fuel loadings and determination of appropriate fuel treatment methods
    o Evaluation of prescribed burn plans or fire management plans
    o Conducting surveys before and after prescribed fires to determine attainment of resource objectives
• One year of experience in successfully administering contracts, interagency agreements, grants, or other partnership agreements.

Preferred Education/Certification:
• Currently qualified as NWCG RXB2 or higher OR RXM2 or higher.

Working Conditions & Special Position Requirements:
• Travel is required including overnight travel – lodging/meals covered.
• Must have valid Washington driver’s license; this position requires driving as an essential function. Employees who drive for state business, whether in a state or privately owned vehicle, are required to possess a valid driver’s license as defined in agency policy
• Use/application of prescribed fire which will require ability to navigate on foot varying & diverse terrain; ability to work in smoke filled environment.