The Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry & Fire Protection, is recruiting for the Project Assistant (Firewise Program)/Wildfire Information Specialist position in Anchorage.
What you will be doing:
The Division's Fire & Aviation program is looking for a motivated, high-energy professional to join our team as a Wildfire Information Specialist, a key role connecting active wildland fire response with long-term community resilience across Alaska.
In this position, you will work alongside the Statewide Public Information Coordinator to deliver timely, accurate public information during wildfire incidents, ensuring Alaskans and our interagency partners receive critical updates that support public safety and infrastructure protection.
But the work doesn't stop when theflames are out. This role also helps bridge fire management and Stewardship Forestry initiatives, strengthening collaboration that supports healthy forests, fire prevention, and resilient communities statewide.
As a Wildfire Information Specialist, you'll also help expand the Firewise program across Alaska, working with communities, partners, and stakeholders to spark interest in Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) and assist communities in securing the funding, resources, and tools needed for proactive wildfire planning.
This is a unique opportunity to combine forestry knowledge, emergency management, and public outreach to help build fire-resilient landscapes and prepared communities throughout Alaska.
If you thrive in a fast-paced environment, enjoy meaningful work that impacts communities, and want to be part of a team shaping Alaska's wildfire future, we encourage you to apply.
Mission and values/culture:
The Division of Forestry & Fire Protection fosters a mission-driven culture and is responsible for protecting Alaska's values, including life and property, from wildland fire. The Division works closely with federal, state, and local emergency response agencies and private industry vendors to provide wildland fire management and protection for the State of Alaska. The position will contribute to the overall success of the DFFP mission by providing the public, media, and stakeholders with information and emergency notifications for emerging wildland fire events. The project assistant will build relationships with communities and stakeholders to proactively coordinate critical community planning before a wildfire threatens life, property, or other values.
Benefits of joining our team:
The successful applicant will work with a variety of dynamic, public service-oriented people and agencies from across Alaska and at the national level. The very core of our mission is public safety. Being prepared and providing critical information in a timely manner is critical to protecting lives, property, and natural resources. This position will involve some in-state travel and may involve site visits to Alaskan communities to coordinate proactive wildfire planning. This position offers training and a flexible work schedule and location contingent on assigned tasks and priorities.
The working environment you can expect:
This position is offered in Anchorage or Palmer. It will work collaboratively with Area Foresters, Area Fire Management Officers, and various Statewide Program Coordinators, both in person and remotely. The position has Statewide responsibilities and assists with coverage to the Alaska Interagency Coordinating Center located in Ft Wainwright during the fire season (April – September). The environment is mission-oriented and involves collaborative interaction with colleagues in the division, other state agencies, local government, and our federal counterparts in wildland fire management.
We are looking for a candidate who possesses the following position-specific competencies:
Minimum qualifications:
Any combination of education and/or experience that provides the applicant with competencies in:
Equivalent to those typically gained by:
Training from an accredited college or university in any field and/or experience such as performing research; interpreting data; applying, interpreting, and disseminating technical, statutory, and/or regulatory requirements; and/or experience in community development, research, social services, economics, public administration, planning, or a closely related field.
Special note:
"Competencies" means a combination of interrelated knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors that enable a person to act effectively in a job or situation.
"Typically gained by" means the prevalent, usual method of gaining the competencies expected for entry into the job.
"Training" and "education" are synonyms for the process of acquiring knowledge and skills through instruction. It includes instruction through formal and informal methods (such as classroom, on-line, self-study, and on-the-job), from accredited and unaccredited sources, and long-duration (such as a post-secondary degree) and short-duration (such as a seminar) programs.
Additional required information:
** Please read the information below carefully. **
At the time of the interview, please ensure that you provide the following materials. Failure to do so may result in loss of consideration. Required documents include:
Special notices:
Application notice:
You can ONLY apply for this position through the Workplace Alaska website or by submitting a paper application. Instructions for applying are available on the Workplace Alaska How to Apply webpage. Your application must be received by 5:00 p.m. Alaska Standard Time on the closing date.
Supplemental questions:
For your application to be evaluated, you must answer the supplemental questions. The State of Alaska (SOA) uses four proficiency levels to measure and describe an applicant's competence in applying specific behaviors, knowledge, skills, and abilities to accomplish a specific task. The four proficiency levels are Mastery, Fluency, Literacy, and Discovery. You must rate your proficiency level for each competency listed in the supplemental questions.
Education:
If post-secondary education is required to meet the minimum qualifications, you must fill out the Education section of the application. If you have not yet obtained a degree, please indicate the units you have completed. Copies of transcripts are required to verify educational credentials if used to meet the minimum qualifications for a position.
Special instructions for foreign education:
Education completed at foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the minimum qualifications listed above. If using this education to meet minimum qualification requirements, you must demonstrate that the credentials have been submitted to a private organization specializing in interpreting foreign educational credentials and that such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in standard U.S. education programs. Alternatively, an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution must report that the other institution's transcript is given full value or that full value is recognized in relevant subject areas aligned with the post-secondary institution's curricula. It is your responsibility to provide this evidence when applying.
Work experience:
If using work experience not already documented in your application, also provide the employer's name, job title, employment dates, and whether full or part-time. Applications will be reviewed to determine whether the responses are supported and whether the minimum qualifications are met. If they are not, the applicant may not advance to the recruitment interview and selection phase.