Description

Who We Are
The Tennessee Division of Forestry (TDF) celebrated its centennial anniversary in 2014. One
of the Division’s first missions was to plant trees on eroded and abandoned farmland in the
western part of the state. Over the decades, TDF has grown to protect, conserve, and
enhance Tennessee’s 14 million acres of forestland through forest health protection, rural
and urban forest management, wildfire and prescribed fire management, water quality
protection, forest business services, state forest management and conservation education.
Today, TDF employs over 400 personnel statewide and is well known as the wildland fire and
forest health experts. The Division resides within the Tennessee Department of Agriculture
whose mission is to promote wise uses of Tennessee’s agricultural and forest resources, to
develop economic opportunities, and to ensure safe and dependable food, fuel, and fiber for
all citizens.

What you will bring to this role
The Fire Management Unit Leader is responsible for managing programs and services that
minimize damage to Tennessee forest resources and risk to public/firefighter safety caused
by wildfire and coordinates assistance to and from other federal, interstate, intrastate
agencies and municipalities responding to wildfire and other all-hazard emergency
situations. This position develops and provides leadership to implement the Division’s
wildland fire prevention, mitigation, suppression, volunteer fire assistance, prescribed fire,
and public safety programs and ensures programs address current and future wildland fire
risks facing Tennessee’s citizens and forest resources. This position reports to the Assistant
State Forester for Forest Protection.

Key Responsibilities:

STRATEGIC, OPERATIONAL AND FISCAL OVERSIGHT

1. Identifies and implements protocols to achieve the best strategic deployment of
wildland fire management of personnel and equipment resources.
2. Manages the development of strategic, annual, project work plans and budgets
for wildland fire management programs.

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION
1. Provides leadership to keep wildland fire management programs relevant,
responsive, and evolving.
2. Identifies and implements new technologies and innovations that improve
effectiveness and efficiency of wildfire management capabilities to enhance
program effectiveness.
3. Ensures wildland fire management procedures are current, communicated and
consistently implemented in the field.
4. Ensures Assistant State Forester is apprised of significant incidents.
5. Develops partnerships and fosters close and responsive communication among
all relevant Division, Department, and interagency personnel particularly during
periods of high fire occurrence and increased risks to communities.
6. Manages the development, training, and deployment of Division personnel, equipment,
and Incident Management Teams.

ADMINISTRATIVE
1. Directly supervises 4 personnel with their associated staff.
2. Coordinates with local, state, interstate and federal government agencies involved in
wildland fire and all-hazard incidents.
3. Serves as a Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) Emergency Services
Coordinator.
4. Serves on committees, councils, or boards.
5. Recommends alterations and creation to law, policy, and procedures to the Assistant
State Forester.

Required Experience:

Minimum Qualifications:
Education and Experience: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a
bachelor’s degree in forestry and experience equivalent to five years of professional forestry work,
three of which must involve supervisory or program management experience.
Substitution of Education for Experience: Additional qualifying graduate course work in
forestry may substitute for the required experience, on a year for year basis, to a maximum of one
year (e.g., 36 graduate quarter hours in forestry may substitute for one year of the required
experience).

Substitution of Experience for Education: None.

Other Requirements: Necessary Special Qualifications: A valid vehicle operator’s license
may be required for employment in