Wildland Fire Dispatch Coordinator - Assistant Center Manager; PCN

Assistant Dispatch Center Manager

The Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry & Fire Protection, is recruiting for an Assistant Dispatch Center Manager in Palmer, Alaska.

What you will be doing:

The Alaska Coastal Dispatch Center (ACDC) Assistant Center Manager plays a critical role in wildfire response, providing technical direction, coordination, and leadership to dispatchers while ensuring seamless operations in resource mobilization and logistics.

In this role, you'll assist in managing daily dispatch functions, including coordinating personnel, crews, equipment, and supplies, as well as handling transportation, meals, lodging, and flight following. Depending on fire activity, you may directly or indirectly oversee 20+ seasonal employees, ensuring a well-coordinated and effective team.

As the ACDC Assistant Center Manager, you will play an active role in regional and statewide logistics operations, assisting with setting priorities and providing direction to staff to ensure the timely mobilization of critical resources in support of large incidents, Area Offices, and cooperating agencies.

Collaboration is essential — you'll work closely with Fire Management Officers (FMOs) to coordinate multiple simultaneous fire responses and allocate resources where they are needed most.

Mission and values/culture:

The Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection is dedicated to serving Alaskans through wildland fire suppression, management, and control. Our mission is to safely manage wildland fires that pose a threat to life, property, and critical infrastructure across 150 million acres of land throughout Alaska, providing cost-effective and efficient fire protection and aviation services on State, private, municipal, and contracted lands.

Protecting life, property, and the safety of both the public and firefighters remains our top priority.

Benefits of joining our team:

We offer extensive training, travel opportunities, and career advancement to help you grow as a dispatcher. At the Alaska Coastal Dispatch Center (ACDC), we strive to foster a supportive culture that promotes a strong dispatch organization, work-life balance, and clear career pathways for incoming dispatchers. Our consolidated dispatch center enhances training and mentorship opportunities, provides in-state and out-of-state assignments, and helps dispatchers develop leadership skills.

Teamwork and camaraderie are at the heart of ACDC, where dispatchers support one another and grow together.

The working environment you can expect:

Our Dispatch Center, located in Palmer, Alaska, fosters teamwork and camaraderie, creating a supportive environment that builds friendship and loyalty. Located in the Matanuska Valley, Palmer offers breathtaking mountain views, a small-town feel, and easy access to outdoor recreation like hiking, fishing, and skiing. This close-knit team, made up of individuals with diverse skills and strengths, motivates one another to work harder, collaborate, and grow together in a dynamic, scenic setting.

We are looking for a candidate who possesses the following position-specific competencies:

• Managing performance:
  Takes responsibility for employees' performance by setting and communicating expectations and goals that are specific and measurable, tracking progress against the goals, supporting employees' efforts to achieve job goals (by providing resources, removing obstacles, acting as a buffer, etc.), ensuring feedback, and addressing performance problems and issues promptly.
• Planning and evaluating:
  Organizes work, sets priorities, and determines resource requirements; determines short- or long-term goals and strategies to achieve them; coordinates with other organizations or parts of the organization to accomplish goals; monitors progress and evaluates outcomes.
• Vision:
  Takes a long-term view and builds a shared vision with others; acts as a catalyst for organizational change. Influences others to translate vision into action.
• Customer service:
  Anticipates and meets the needs of both internal and external customers. Delivers high-quality products and services; is committed to continuous improvement.
• Incident…