Program Assistant (Wildland Fire Academy) - Staff

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Wildland Fire Academy Roving Program Assistant

Reports To: Wildland Fire Academy Sr. Program Manager

Status: Full-Time Exempt, Temporary

Salary: $45k Annually

Dates: February - November 2026 (10-month Season)

Location: Sacramento, CA (or surrounding area)

Position Summary 

The Roving Program Assistant (RPA) will work as part of a team to assist in the operational and logistical aspects of all fielded teams. The RPA will provide support for Program Staff by ensuring that cache management, leader support during training and field season, and member outcomes are achieved in a safe and responsible manner.  We will be looking for two (2) RPA’s running from February to November, where February, March, and November will be aligned with Staff as a Program Assistant (more administration and logistics), and April to October will be aligned as Operational Field Support as a Roving PA (more operational). During the Roving PA Function, you may be required to provide long-term or short-term leadership for a team in the field should a leader be unable to continue their position.

Living Accommodations:
This position is primarily remote and will require daily connection to the internet. Meals, transportation, and housing will be provided while traveling to perform the duties of this position, but are not provided when working remotely from home. Selected candidates will need to secure their own housing within 75 miles of Sacramento prior to their start date, and have reliable transportation to and from Sacramento for the full duration of this position. While conducting business in Sacramento, possibility of utilizing work truck is possible, if available and coordinated with Program Management.

Roles and Responsibilities 

• Supports in-person training events, located in California, that will take place in April-May 2026
• Maintains personal field readiness throughout fuels crew season (April-October) to provide for leader support when needed.
• Obtain and maintain IQCS Red Card each year.
• Obtain National Saw Program Level Saw Card and passion to personally develop own skill set.
• Maintains Wildland Fire Academy Equipment Cache and Inventories.
• Completes general administrative tasks as assigned.
• Provide logistical support to leaders in the field
• Repair and/or replace broken/damaged gear, equipment and tools.
• Prepare vehicles for programs to use, cleaning and ensuring inventories and tracking
• Supports the monitoring of field readiness for all crew member positions
• Monitors and responds to crew member inquiries.
• Responds to help requests as needed.
• Continuously gathers field insight and program improvements from field sites.
• Travel to support crew operations throughout the season, travel in Western United States may be up to 50% of the time, during peak fielding months. This can include performing hands-on project work, delivering and maintaining tools and equipment, supporting community living responsibilities, capturing photos and stories from the field, meeting with USFS partners, and providing positive mentorship and professional development opportunities to members and leaders.
• Temporarily provide leadership for a team in the field should a leader be unable to continue their position
• Work in collaboration with team members to create and support a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, team work, empowerment, and positive crew dynamics and incident management.
• Other duties as assigned, including mentorship and possibility of filling in as leader when needed.

Accountabilities:

• Complete administrative tasks accurately and in a timely fashion
• Provide excellent inventory accountability Fire Cache Management.
• Foster an environment that promotes teamwork between SCA leaders, staff and site partners
• Represent a positive and professional image of SCA
• Understand and follow all policies and procedures as outlined in the SCA Employee Handbook and the SCA Field Guide
• Understanding that during the months of February, March and November, the RPA will be expected to assist in cache management, program administration, onboarding, and training preparation.
• Understanding that during the months of April to October, the RPA will be expected to maintain high level of readiness to be able to support team leaders in the field within a 48-hour call back window. High probability of multiple 2-week site visits to support the team throughout the fielded season.
• Understand that participating in prescribed burns and wildfire suppression opportunities is possible but not guaranteed as part of this role.
• Expectation to be a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in program functions and administration, supporting in Incident Response and Reporting, Team leader support, cache and equipment maintenance, and fuels and fire management.

Qualifications

• High school degree or equivalent
• Must be at least 21 years old by start date
• Must have Wilderness First Responder/CPR certification, Firefighter Type II (FFT2) Red Card, and current B-Feller chainsaw certification
• Must maintain IQCS Red Card, and complete required annual refresher and arduous work capacity test (pack test)
• Demonstrated experience leading crews of young adults, performing administrative tasks, and participating in fuels reduction operations.
• Must have a valid driver’s license for 3 years and MVR that meets SCA standards
• Must be able to meet SCA’s criminal background check standards 
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills (both written and verbal)
• Ability to work independently and as part of a highly mobile, fast-paced team
• Prior Wildland Fire Academy or SCA Leader preferred
• SalesForce experience a plus
• Experience with conservation programming a plus
• Passion for the outdoors

While performing this job, it will require: 40 hours/week. Work on nights and weekends. Will require travel during the high fire season. The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the duties of this position. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is occasionally required to: stand, walk, sit, carry, use hands, stoop, kneel, speak, listen, push, etc

Benefits of this position include: Meals, transportation, and housing will be provided while traveling to perform the duties of this position. Health, Dental, Vision, and additional benefits options. PTO, Holiday, Education, and Community Service Hours. 

Other Duties 

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. 

Equal Opportunity Statement 

The Student Conservation Association, Inc., is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The SCA strives to cultivate a work environment that encourages fairness, teamwork, and respect among all staff members and is committed to maintaining a work atmosphere where lifestyles may grow personally and professionally.

Salary : $45,000