Director of Prevention and Mitigation
Remote Opportunity: Open to Candidates Across Canada (Head Office in Winnipeg)
Term (Ending March 2028)
About CIFFC
The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) supports wildfire management agencies across Canada by coordinating resource sharing, strengthening national collaboration, and advancing programs and standards that improve Canada’s collective wildfire response and resilience. FireSmart Canada, a program under CIFFC, empowers communities and individuals to take proactive steps to reduce wildfire risk through education, resources, and best practices for prevention and mitigation.
The Opportunity
Reporting to the Executive Director, the Director of Prevention and Mitigation is responsible for leading the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre’s (CIFFC) Prevention and Mitigation Division. This Division is responsible for developing and delivering programs under the FireSmart Canada brand and advancing prevention and mitigation initiatives in support of the CIFFC member agencies. Travel will be required. The Director will be expected to accept and assume responsibility, interpret, and make decisions in accordance with the best practices and established procedures/policies of the organization.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide overall leadership and direction to the Prevention and Mitigation Division, ensuring that its initiatives and priorities are aligned with CIFFC’s strategic plan.
- As required by the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers, lead CIFFC’s assigned role in the implementation of the Canadian Wildland Fire Prevention and Mitigation Strategy.
- Liaise with the Executive Director and the Director of Corporate Services regarding the development of annual work plans and budgets for the Division. Implement the approved work plans and budgets and provide support to Corporate Services in monitoring and managing the budgets.
- Identify staffing needs for the Division and provide recommendations to the Executive Director regarding potential new hires. Lead the recruitment activities and provide hiring recommendations to the Executive Director.
- Ensure that annual work plans are developed and implemented for all Division staff. Provide leadership, direction, and coaching to staff members and conduct annual performance evaluations.
- Lead the CIFFC FireSmart Canada Committee, participate and/or guide the FireSmart Canada Advisory Committee, and provide leadership to the appropriate committees and working groups to build capacity and collaboration between agencies and external partners.
- Monitor trends in research, education, training, and applied practices related to wildfire resiliency in Canada. Lead the development of new and innovative programs that support risk reduction and address the expressed needs of member agencies.
- Coordinate CIFFC’s license, sponsorship, and limited use agreements as they relate to prevention and mitigation and ensure protection of the FireSmart Canada brand, trademark, and intellectual property.
- Identify key strategic partners and funding sources to build and support sustainable program activities. Develop and maintain formal partnerships with external stakeholders.
- Represent CIFFC by preparing and presenting information and advice to various internal and external legislative and regulatory bodies, including working with relevant committees, agencies, and interactive forums.
- Develop and recommend initiatives to further develop relationships with Indigenous organizations.
- Perform other duties as may be assigned by the Executive Director from time-to-time.
Qualifications
- Graduation from a recognized university or college with a degree or diploma in risk management, emergency management, business administration, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Minimum seven (7) years of progressive leadership experience in client/partner relationship development and management. Both government and business-related experience preferred.
- Minimum three (3) years of experience in business management and entrepreneurship preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
- Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate (verbally and written) in Canada’s two official languages (English and French) preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to resolve conflict, problem-solve, achieve consensus through collaboration, manage change, and achieve results.
- Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
- Demonstrated proficiency in all areas of presentation design and delivery.
- Demonstrated ability to effectively manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
- Demonstrated ability in taking initiative and working well under limited supervision.
- Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality when dealing with private/sensitive information.
Key Competencies
- Integrity & Trust - Honest, reliable, follows through.
- Client Focus - Understands and meets client needs, listens actively, builds trust and respect, and treats colleagues as internal clients.
- Problem Solving - Analyzes complex issues, separates facts from opinions, evaluates risks, identifies root causes, and generates practical solutions.
- Quality of Work - Pays attention to detail, ensures accuracy, delivers high-quality outcomes, and takes ownership of errors.
- Adaptability - Adapts readily to change, remains open to differing perspectives, and adjusts behaviours and approaches as needed.
- Drive for Results - Committed to achieving objectives, overcomes obstacles, sets challenging goals, and follows through on commitments.
- Planning & Organizing - Establishes priorities, sets clear goals, coordinates work effectively, and ensures alignment with organizational objectives.
- Emotional Intelligence - Maintains composure under pressure, demonstrates empathy, inspires optimism, and responds effectively to others.
Work Arrangement
- Remote candidates across Canada are welcome.
- Willingness to travel.
Salary Range
The base salary range for this position is between $127,304 - $166,925 annually.
(The starting salary will be determined based on relevant experience, skills, and internal equity. New hires generally begin within the lower to first quarter of the range, with room to progress as they develop in the role.)
This represents base salary only and does not represent other compensation components of the total compensation (i.e. annual vacation allotments, pension contributions, etc.). The actual base salary will vary depending on relevant job-related factors such as knowledge, skills, qualifications, experience, and education/training. If you are selected to move forward in our recruitment process, our recruitment team will be able to provide additional details of the total compensation package for this role.
How to Apply:
To apply, combine your cover letter and resume into a single PDF. Submit your application at: www.peoplefirsthr.com/jobs/
For further information about this career opportunity, please feel free to contact Janelle Robin at 204.396.4752.
We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected will be contacted for an interview.
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