Project Manager - Community Wildfire Defense Grant

• Location 14409 Tuolumne Road Sonora, Sonora, CA, 95370, United States
• Base Pay $90,000.00 - $ / Year
• Employee Type Exempt (FT)

Burn Bot provides systematic fuels treatment services to prevent destructive wildfires. We're firefighters, scientists, engineers, prescribed fire practitioners, ecologists, and community members who are answering the call to scale fuel treatment capacity. Our modern fuel treatment system recognizes and supports conservation efforts with a clean, smoke-free process. We need technology to amplify our work forces with targeted use of synthetic fire to treat fuel loads 10x faster than previously possible.

Burn Bot is seeking an experienced, highly organized Project Manager to lead a complex, place-based project in Tuolumne County and program portfolios within our rapidly growing Operations team. This position will include contract administration, liaising with local government organizations, extensive project planning, and outreach/coordination with landowners in the communities of Columbia/Yankee Hill and Cedar Ridge.

This role focuses on the planning, execution, and delivery of forestry, fuels reduction, and prescribed fire projects across diverse landscapes and is responsible for managing projects from award through closeout, ensuring work is completed safely, on schedule, within budget, and in compliance with all regulatory, environmental, and fire management requirements.

The Project Manager serves as the primary point of coordination between field operations, agency partners, subcontractors, and internal leadership — and is the primary ground-level point of contact between Burn Bot, subcontractors, and agency partners on assigned projects. This position requires a strong understanding of forestry operations, mechanical and hand fuels treatment, prescribed fire planning, and interagency coordination.

This is a hands-on, field-forward role. The Project Manager is expected to maintain regular site presence — typically 70-80% of the role is spent on project sites, at regional hubs, or traveling. The remaining 20-30% may be completed via remote or office-based project management, depending on project phase and operational conditions. Assignments may be place-based (dedicated to a specific project) or support regional growth including demos, small strategic projects, and out-of-region surge coverage as needed.

This position is an exempt role with an annual salary range of $90,000 - $115,000. Placement within the range depends on experience, certifications, and skills.

• Manage Burn Bot's CWDG Project in the communities of Columbia/Yankee Hill and Cedar Ridge, coordinating between multiple stakeholders, tight governance requirements (such as ANSI A300), and active change-control activity
• Review parcel prescriptions provided by the County of Tuolumne Project Management Contractor. Provide preliminary vetting of feasibility and contract compliance
• Develop detailed project plans and ensure all tasks are completed on time and within budget
• Create and manage project schedules, resources, and budgets from award through closeout
• Support job walks and field verification as part of proposal building and project scoping
• Track quality control and contract compliance for internal Burn Bot operations and all subcontractor operations on assigned projects
• Implement, monitor and document quality assurance processes throughout the project lifecycle
• Serve as the day-to-day point of contact with agency partners, clients, and subcontractors at the site and project level
• Attend public meetings and represent Burn Bot and/or the client as needed
• Maintain regular field presence to support crews, verify work quality, and adapt plans to changing conditions
• Identify and…