The Burned Area Coordinator will serve as the New Mexico Forestry Division’s technical expert for post wildfire recovery to work across all lands, ecosystems, and jurisdictions in coordination with private landowners and federal, state, tribal, and local agencies.

Role Description

This is a full-time on-site role as a Burned Area Coordinator located in Santa Fe or Alburquerque, NM.

Key responsibilities include:

• Plan and implement post-fire recovery processes tailored to specific disasters and communities in coordination with the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), USDA Forest Service, other state and federal agencies, local governments, tribes, community-based organizations, and landowners.
• Work with Resource Management and field office staff to plan and implement recovery projects in post-fire landscapes, including erosion control, seeding, riparian restoration, reforestation, forest health, and hazard tree projects.
• Support implementation of federal disaster relief programs for which Technical Assistance from the state is requested and approved, including but not limited to the Farm Service Agency Emergency Forest Restoration Program and contractual and project management support for Good Neighbor Authority projects, Challenge Cost Share projects, and other state and/or federally funded projects on both public and private lands.
• Work with Division staff, federal partners, local governments, tribes, public universities, and other partners to promote BMPs for land management pre- and post-fire in the wildland-urban interface. This includes training on erosion control and soil stabilization techniques, flood mitigation practices, riparian restoration, Firewise training, and supporting the development of Community Wildfire Protection Plans.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have experience in the following:

• Education in forest or natural resource management or science, planning, or public administration.
• Grant writing experience and experience administering grants and writing reports.
• Project management experience including partnership development and cross-boundary planning and implementation.
• Knowledge of wildfire effects on the built and natural environment.
• Ability to work with diverse people and to coordinate a program across agency mandates and missions.
• Ability to participate in basic wildland fire courses and Incident Command System certification courses.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree and three (3) years of experience program administration or project management in areas related to the purpose of the position. Any combination of education in a related field and/or direct experience in this occupation totaling seven (7) years may substitute for the required education and experience.