Chipping and Grazing Program Coordinator

NO APPLICATIONS THROUGH CONSERVATION JOB BOARD WILL BE ACCEPTED

Overview: The Santa Barbara County Fire Safe Council (SBCFSC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to unify public and private organizations in Santa Barbara County to educate, motivate, and coordinate to minimize negative impacts associated with future wildfires. Members of the Board include current and past firefighting professionals, representatives of local government, and citizen representatives from various local communities.  The Board holds monthly meetings with the goal to provide relevant information to local citizens and offer a platform for community members to become active participants in the solutions to the challenges fire poses to our wildland urban areas. 

The SBCFSC is funded through donations and grants, using these funds to increase wildfire preparedness through education, planning, and mitigation projects. Recent projects include the Lompoc Valley Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP), Firewise USA®, Community Chipping, prescribed grazing, educational videos, and Wildfire Preparedness Expositions. 

Position Overview: The SBCFSC is seeking a temporary, part-time Chipping and Grazing Program Coordinator for 10-35 hours per week from mid/late March through August to support the implementation of Chipping and Grazing Programs. These programs have been established and running for 3 years. Schedules, timelines, and crews have been established. The Coordinator will oversee and manage the implementation of both programs by taking on the below duties. Other FSC staff will oversee grant reporting and budgeting. 

Work load is expected to be approximately 15 hours per week in March and increase to 30-35 hours per week as the program picks up in April through July and reduce to 10-20 hours per week as the programs come to an end in August. The Coordinator will report to and be supervised by the FSC Program Manager. 

Chipping Program field work including, but is not limited to:

• Implement the chipping program in accordance with the timeline established by the FSC Program Manager, while remaining adaptable and exercising sound judgment.  Communicate proactively with the supervisor and chipping crews to adjust schedules and crew assignments as needed due to weather, workload availability, or other changing conditions.
• Take initiative to identify and secure additional work to ensure crews remain productive if a community is completed earlier than anticipated.
• Schedule sending out mailers to communities notifying them of their chipping program dates according to timeline established by the FSC Program Manager
• Provide instruction, direction, and oversight for crews performing tag and trim work
• Meeting with contractors onsite to provide instruction for project implementation including but not limited to overseeing crews while working and providing boots on the ground instruction 
• Meeting with community members and engaging in education about the work being performed and FSC program offerings
• Identify hazardous trees/areas of concern for emergency vehicle ingress/egress
• Staging signage/banners in participating communities
• Meeting with vendors to stage roll off dumpsters
• Mapping piles to be chipped in participating communities
• Available for early morning/ occasional weekend work in preparation for crew arrival 

Chipping Program clerical work:

• Document and provide data to Project Manager including but not limited to:
• Number of homes participating in Chipping program 
• Location and unit of measurement (i.e. miles/number of hazard trees trimmed) where tag and trim work is performed
• Tons of chipped material broadcast onsite (if applicable) 
• Number of tag and trim vs chipping days per participating community 

Herbivory Program field work including, but not limited to:

• Coordinate with grazers on site location and duration according to timeline established by the FSC Program Manager, while remaining adaptable and exercising sound judgment. Communicate proactively with the supervisor and grazers to adjust schedules and crew assignments as needed due to weather, workload availability, or other changing conditions.
• Staging signage and banners at treatment areas
• Walk grazing paddocks to map treatment areas using Avenza
• Assess treatment sites to ensure grazers are meeting pre-established fuel reduction goals
• Regularly visit project sites and obtain before and after photos of treatment areas

Herbivory Program clerical work:

• Provide Project Manager with field data i.e. treatment photos,acres completed,paddock maps 
• Provide shapefiles of treated areas 

Desired Skills and Experience:

• Previous experience with chipping, grazing, and/or fuel mitigation work. 
• Familiarity with Avenza
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a positive and respectful attitude 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel
• Ability to communicate factors influencing wildland fire behavior and how vegetation treatments impact fire behavior
• Working knowledge of chainsaws and chippers
• Fluent or spoken proficiency in Spanish is desired, but not required

Qualifications:

• Current driver license with functioning vehicle that is able to drive on dirt roads. The selected candidate will be required to drive their own vehicle. Fuel for program related responsibilities will be reimbursed at the rate established by the IRS. Car rental for select steep grazing sites can be provided upon approval by the Program Manager. 

Location: The project location is southern Santa Barbara County, California. The selected candidate will need to be within reasonable commuting distance to the project area.

Application Deadline: Applications will be continuously reviewed until a suitable candidate is identified. But for full consideration please apply by February 5. 

Terms of Employment: Part-time hourly position with an end date in August. 

Salary and Benefits: Salary range is $25-$35/hour dependent on experience. The employee will be eligible to participate in a company sponsored matching retirement plan. 

Applications: Applicants are invited to send a resume and two references. All correspondence should be emailed and addressed to the Santa Barbara County Fire Safe Council, sbfiresafecouncil@gmail.com. Please include your name and “Chipping/Grazing Coordinator” in the subject line. NO APPLICATIONS THROUGH INDEED WILL BE ACCEPTED. 

The Santa Barbara Fire Safe Council is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, or other status are encouraged to apply.