Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT)

Outreach Technician / Environmental Technician II

Salary Range: $18.00 – 27.92 per hour

Term: Part-time, seasonal position. This position works full-time (30-40 hours each week), but only on a seasonal basis approximately July – December depending on project need and funding (not to exceed 999 hours).

Background: The Tahoe Resource Conservation District (Tahoe RCD) is seeking an Outreach Technician to support the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team (TFFT). Tahoe RCD works with diverse partners, including land managers, government agencies, fire districts, tribes, and communities to protect and restore Lake Tahoe’s natural Resources.

About the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team: TFFT is a partnership of 21 federal, tribal, state, and local organizations focused on wildfire preparedness and forest management in the Lake Tahoe Basin. The team’s work includes fuel reduction, forest management, defensible space, home hardening, and public outreach. The Fire Public Information Team (Fire PIT) is TFFT’s communications arm and leads public awareness and information-sharing efforts.

The selected candidate will be a Tahoe RCD employee and serve as a key support role for the Fire PIT and broader TFFT collaboration.

Position Overview

The Outreach Technician will coordinate internal and external communications, enhance public engagement, and support collaborative initiatives across the TFFT network. The role focuses heavily on supporting Fire PIT’s operations, messaging strategies, and outreach efforts.

This position involves content creation, social media management, public event coordination, and interagency collaboration. Occasional support for grant writing and program administration is expected. This is a seasonal, non-exempt role that includes both office and field work. Some evening or weekend hours may be required.

We welcome applicants with non-traditional experience. If you're passionate about Lake Tahoe, community engagement, wildfire resilience, and public communication, we encourage you to apply.

Personal Characteristics:

• Self-motivated and dependable, with strong follow-through and attention to detail.
• Results-oriented and proactive in solving problems.
• Skilled at building trust and constructive working relationships with a wide range of people.
• Comfortable working independently and as part of a team.
• Professional, ethical, and respectful in all interactions.
• Passionate about conservation, public service, and community engagement.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement internal and external communications strategies to support Fire PIT and TFFT-wide messaging.
• Coordinate public awareness campaigns related to wildfire mitigation, defensible space, and preparedness.
• Support a diverse communications team from partner organizations to ensure consistent outreach across mediums.
• Create, manage, and monitor content across social media platforms, websites, newsletters, and printed materials.
• Organize and promote public events, webinars, community meetings, and partner forums.
• Draft press releases, talking points, briefing materials, and other communications products for both internal and public use.
• Track communications effectiveness using engagement metrics and feedback and recommend adjustments to improve impact.
• Increase awareness of TFFT’s mission, accomplishments, and priorities through storytelling, strategic outreach, and visual communication.
• Support internal coordination across TFFT workgroups to maintain shared understanding of goals, timelines, and key messages.
• Identify and implement innovative outreach tools and digital strategies to enhance engagement.
• Assist with collaborative initiatives and grant-related tasks as needed.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, environmental science, journalism, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 1-3 years of recent experience in public outreach, media, communications, or public relations/public affairs fields to include:
  • Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and persuasively in a variety of platforms, including press releases, newsletters, social media, and website content.
  • Experience writing and editing copy and managing social media channels for public outreach and engagement.
  • Experience with video production and other audio-visual disciplines.
  • Experience collaborating with multiple organizations to execute public communication strategies.
• Excellent listening and interpersonal skills, and the ability to facilitate agreements while working with a wide range of people with differing and sometimes conflicting opinions.
• The ability to take initiative, solve problems, and work independently as well as part of a team.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to move quickly from one task to another and be adaptable to changing priorities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, as well as digital and visual communication tools (e.g. Canva, Adobe Creative Suite, email marketing, and website platforms) and social media tools.

• Valid California or Nevada Class “C” driver’s license and ability to pass a background check.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with wildfire mitigation programs, community fire resilience efforts, or natural resource management.
• Knowledge of the Lake Tahoe Basin and its public agency and nonprofit landscape.
• Experience facilitating meetings, guiding collaborative groups, or building consensus among stakeholders.
• Experience in program evaluation, data tracking, and evaluating communications impact reporting.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish or demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with Spanish-speaking community members.

Supervisory Duties:

This position may supervise interns and volunteers.

Working Conditions: Tahoe RCD offers a hybrid work format; work may be performed partially from home when appropriate. The Executive Director must approve hybrid work schedules and employees must attest that their home workplace is compliant with Tahoe RCD workers’ compensation requirements. Work is performed at a desk (70%) and in the field (30%), though this will depend on the time of year as the summer field season will have more field time. The office environment has natural and artificial lighting. This position may require flexible work hours when needed (occasional evenings and weekends). Incumbent may be required to use their personal vehicle for work duties. The District will reimburse mileage at the federal rate. Physical Requirements

The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. This work may include climbing steep terrain, moving in and out of streams, lifting carrying supplies and equipment, etc. during all seasons. The noise level in the work environment can range from very quiet to very noisy. The ability to sit, use a keyboard, stand, use hands and feet, talk, walk, stoop, and reach are required very often in this position.

Must comply with Federal, State, and local regulations and practices related to Equal Opportunity, sexual harassment, and a drug-free workplace.

Benefits:

Paid sick leave accrued at a rate of 3.08 hours for every 80 regular hours worked. Benefits include State of California sick pay, Worker’s Compensation Insurance for California, State Unemployment Insurance, California State Disability Insurance, and Social Security. If you are currently enrolled in the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS), membership will be continued.

To Apply:

Send email with “TFFT Outreach Technician – [Your Name]” in the subject line and attach a cover letter, resume, and three references to: Annabelle Monti, TFFT Program Manager – jobs@tahoercd.org.

Applicants that do not follow these instructions will not be considered.

The position will remain open until filled, and the first round of applications are due July 25, 2025, with interviews taking place the week of August 4, 2025.

TAHOE RCD IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO ALL REGARDLESS OF RACE, COLOR, CREED, NATIONAL ORIGIN, ANCESTRY, SEX, MARITAL STATUS, DISABILITY, RELIGIOUS OR POLITICAL AFFILIATION, AGE OR SEXUAL ORIENTATION. IT IS THE OBJECTIVE OF THE TAHOE RCD TO ACHIEVE A DRUG FREE WORKPLACE. ANY APPLICANT WILL BE EXPECTED TO BEHAVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS OBJECTIVE BECAUSE THE USE OF ILLEGAL DRUGS IS INCONSISTENT WITH THE LAW OF THE STATE, CIVIL SERVICE RULES, AND A SPECIAL TRUST PLACED IN PUBLIC SERVANTS.