South Arkansas Fire District Operations & Finance Coordinator Salida

Job:
South Arkansas Fire District Operations & Finance Coordinator

The South Arkansas Fire Protection District is seeking to fill a full-time District Operations & Finance Coordinator position. This role reports directly to the Fire Chief and offers a salary range of $60,000-$70,000, depending on qualifications. The preferred location for candidates is the Chaffee County, CO area.

The South Arkansas Fire Protection District is a professional wildland fire and emergency services organization serving Chaffee County, Colorado. SAFPD operates a 60-person wildland cooperators program in coordination with the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC), the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and other state and federal partners, providing wildland fire suppression, prescribed fire support, and community risk reduction services across a large and varied service area.

The District is investing in administrative capacity to match its operational growth. This position is central to that effort.

The District Operations & Finance Coordinator is SAFPD's primary administrative position, responsible for the financial, personnel, and operational support functions that keep the District running. This is a hands‑on role requiring accuracy, sound judgment, and the ability to manage multiple active responsibilities without losing follow‑through on any of them.

The position reports directly to the Fire Chief and works closely with the Assistant Chief, Division Chief of Wildfire, and the Wildland Coordinator. It also coordinates with the existing SAFPD administrator during a structured transition period as financial and administrative functions are brought fully in‑house.

Finance, billing, and payroll are the priority functions of this role. All other duties support those core responsibilities.

• Experience with the Colorado DFPC Fire Billing System or comparable state agency billing platforms.
• Familiarity with Colorado Special District Association (SDA) rules, compliance requirements, and governance obligations.
• Grant writing, administration, or compliance experience.
• Prior work supporting emergency services, seasonal operations, or multi‑agency programs.
• Experience with website management, social media, or community outreach for a public agency or nonprofit organization.

Disclaimer: The duties and responsibilities described above are not a comprehensive list and additional tasks may be assigned to the employee, from time to time; the scope of the job may change as necessitated by business demands.