Project Assistant (Firewise Program)/Wildfire Information Specialist

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 the flames 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.

• Fire Management: Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and theories of fire management, including the characteristics, behavior, and ecology of fire; methodologies, strategies, and equipment used in prescribed fires; fire detection, prevention, and suppression strategies; and integration of fire with natural resource management.
• Oral and Written Communication: Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral and written presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
• Teamwork: Encourages and facilitates cooperation, pride, trust, and group identity; fosters commitment and team spirit; works with others to achieve goals.

Click here to learn more about working for the Division of Forestry & Fire Protection.

Minimum Qualifications

Competency-Based Minimum Qualifications Instructions
This job class uses competency-based minimum qualifications. Please ensure your application (through work history, volunteer experience (duties summary), training, education, licenses, certifications, etc.) supports how you have gained the knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors (competencies) and that you possess the minimum required competencies for the job class.



Competency Description
The competency description(s) listed below have been designed to promote a common understanding of the essential elements of the job class. They highlight the more general and customary knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), tasks, and behaviors used to describe the competency. They typically list expectations rather than specific tasks and are used only as parameters and guidelines. A competency’s description is not intended to exclusively define every KSA, task, and behavior needed to meet the competency successfully, but rather to provide the manager/agency with a broad reference of options for how an applicant can meet the job expectation.



Minimum Qualifications

Any combination of education and/or experience that provides the applicant with competencies in

• Adaptability: adjusts planned work by gathering relevant information and applying critical thinking to address multiple demands and competing priorities in a changing environment.

• Analytical Thinking/Problem Solving: uses a logical, systematic, sequential approach to address problems or opportunities or manage a situation by drawing on one’s knowledge and experience base and calling on other references and resources as necessary.

• Reading Comprehension: Understands and interprets written material, including technical material, rules, regulations, instructions, reports, charts, graphs, or tables; applies what is learned from written material to specific situations

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:

• A list of two professional references with current contact information, with at least one being a current or former supervisor.
• A copy of your two most recent performance evaluations, or a letter of reference if evaluations are not available.
• A copy of any forestry and/or fire-related training certificates.

SPECIAL NOTICES

• This position may require frequent travel within and out of Alaska.
• This position requires working shifts that vary between 8-16 hours a day, up to 21 consecutive days, during weekends and on holidays, with little notice, depending on fire activity.

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.

Note: Attaching a resume does not substitute for completing the application in full. Noting, "see resume" or any similar response on any portion of your application may lead to a determination that your application is incomplete and removal from consideration for this job posting.

Bargaining Unit

If you are a current state employee , please indicate the union to which you belong at the time of application. Do not complete this question if you are not a current state employee.

Driver’s License Requirement

Applicants must possess a valid driver's license. Proof of licensure will be required prior to reporting to duty.

Please ensure your application (through work history, training, education, licenses, certifications, etc.) supports/demonstrates that you possess the minimum required competencies for the job class.

EEO STATEMENT
The State of Alaska complies with Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Individuals with disabilities who require accommodation, auxiliary aids or services, or alternative communication formats should call View phone number on jobs.institutedata.com or View phone number on jobs.institutedata.com in Juneau or TTY: Alaska Relay 711 or View phone number on jobs.institutedata.com or correspond with the Division of Personnel & Labor Relations at P.O. Box 110201, Juneau, AK 99811-0201. The State of Alaska is an equal opportunity employer.

Contact Information

If you choose to be contacted by email, please ensure that your email address is correct on your application and that your spam filter will permit emails from the governmentjobs.com domain.

Workplace Alaska Application Questions & Assistance

Questions regarding application submission or system operation errors should be directed to the Workplace Alaska hotline at View phone number on jobs.institutedata.com (toll-free) or View phone number on jobs.institutedata.com if you are in the Juneau area. Requests for information may also be emailed to View email address on jobs.institutedata.com.

For assistance with your password, please visit the password reset page.

For specific information about this position, please get in touch with the hiring manager at the following:

Sarah Saarloos

Fire Staff Officer

Phone: View phone number on jobs.institutedata.com

Email: View email address on jobs.institutedata.com

Careers with the State of Alaska offer MANY benefits

The following information describes typical benefits available to employees of the State of Alaska. Actual benefits received may differ by bargaining unit or branch of government, position type, or be prorated for other than full time work.


For a quick breakdown of the insurance, health, and retirement benefits available for State Employees you can view an orientation video from Division of Retirement and Benefits. (Please note this video is specifically designed for new State Employees.)



Insurance Benefits

• Health insurance, which includes employer contributions toward medical/vision/dental
  • The following employee groups are under AlaskaCare Benefits administered by the State: See for additional information.
    • AVTEC
    • Confidential
    • Correctional Officers
    • Marine Engineers
    • Mt. Edgecumbe Teachers
    • Supervisory
    • Unlicensed Vessel Personnel/Inland Boatman's Union
    • Exempt employees (not covered by collective bargaining)
  • The following employee groups are covered by Union health trusts. Contact the appropriate Union for additional information.
    • General Government
    • Labor, Trades and Crafts
    • Public Safety Employees Association
    • Masters, Mates & Pilots
• Employer paid Basic Life insurance with additional coverage available (amount depends on Bargaining Unit)

Optional Insurance Benefits

• Group-based insurance premiums for
  • Term life (employee, spouse or qualified same sex partner, and dependents)
  • Long-term and short-term disability
  • Accidental Death and Dismemberment
  • Long-term care (self and eligible family members)
  • Supplemental Survivor Benefits
• Employee-funded flexible spending accounts for tax savings on eligible health care or dependent care expenses

Retirement Benefits

• Membership in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS)/Teachers' Retirement System (TRS)
• Matching employer contribution into a defined contribution program (new employees)
• Employer contribution into a defined benefit or defined contribution program (current employees)
• Contributions to the Alaska Supplemental Annuity Plan in lieu of contributions to Social Security
• Option to enroll in the Alaska Deferred Compensation Program
• Note: The Defined Contribution Plan, Supplemental Annuity Plan and Deferred Compensation Program offer a variety of investment options

See for additional information

Paid Leave & Other Benefits

• Personal leave with an accrual rate increase based on time served
• Twelve (12) paid holidays a year