Wildfire Mitigation Specialist

About CORE

CORE Electric Cooperative is the largest member-owned electric distribution cooperative in Colorado dedicated to providing reliable, affordable, clean, and safe electric service to our communities. With a commitment to innovation and member satisfaction, we strive to meet the evolving needs of our members while maintaining the highest standards of service excellence.

Job Summary 

 The Wildfire Mitigation Specialist provides technical expertise to support the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of CORE’s Wildfire Mitigation Plan (WMP). This role partners closely with the Wildfire Mitigation Manager and cross-functional teams (Operations, Engineering, GIS, IT, Communications) to strengthen wildfire risk analysis, weather and fire behavior situational awareness, and data-driven mitigation strategies across CORE’s service territory. The Specialist contributes technical analysis and decision support related to wildfire science, meteorology, utility asset risk, and system operations, and serves as a backup to the Manager for daily wildfire monitoring and internal reporting. Additionally, this role contributes to public outreach, partner coordination, and educational efforts to ensure effective communication of CORE’s wildfire mitigation strategy to members, agencies, and collaborative groups.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain a working understanding of CORE’s Wildfire Mitigation Plan (WMP) to support analysis, execution, and communication across departments and partners.
• Support development, evaluation, and improvement of CORE’s wildfire risk assessment methods and modeling tools, incorporating weather, fuels, topography, historical ignitions, and utility system characteristics to support mitigation project prioritization.
• Assist with technical evaluation of engineering solutions, vegetation management strategies, and operational mitigations to determine efficacy in reducing ignition potential and improving system resilience.
• Serve as backup to the Wildfire Mitigation Manager in monitoring, analyzing, and synthesizing daily fire weather and wildfire indicators, including fuel conditions, environmental data, ignition reports, Pano AI camera alerts, Red Flag potential, and other risk signals.
• Disseminate critical internal updates during elevated risk periods or emerging wildfire events to support operational readiness and risk-informed decision-making.
• Support planning, facilitation, and technical scenario design for PSPS tabletop exercises in collaboration with internal teams and external agencies.
• Participate in collaborative partnerships with emergency managers, land agencies, watershed/forest health organizations, and NGOs to advance wildfire hazard mitigation, functioning as a technical resource.
• Contribute to educational and public outreach efforts with CORE’s Communications team by supplying accurate technical content for materials related to wildfire mitigation.
• Represent CORE at public events and professional forums, communicating technical wildfire mitigation concepts in a clear and accessible manner.
• Perform other duties as assigned to support CORE’s wildfire mitigation program and enhance community resilience and provide data on wildfire mitigation activities to other departments, agencies, and jurisdictions as appropriate.

Minimum Qualifications of Position

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in wildfire science, meteorology/atmospheric science, engineering, risk analysis, environmental science, forestry, or a related technical discipline; or equivalent experience.
• Experience: At least 2 years of experience in wildfire risk analysis, fire weather interpretation, utility wildfire mitigation, modeling/forecasting, GIS-based hazard analysis, or related technical domains.

Preferred Qualifications of Position

• Experience working in or with electric utilities, particularly in wildfire mitigation, vegetation management, inspections and maintenance or system hardening programs.
• Familiarity with Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) planning and execution processes.
• Knowledge of wildfire mitigation tactics, including defensible space, home hardening, and vegetation management.
• Experience using situational awareness tools (DTN, Technosylva, Pano AI) and interpreting wildfire risk outputs.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and communicate technical information to non-technical audiences in a clear and engaging manner.
• Prior involvement in collaborative projects with public safety agencies, land management organizations, or community resilience initiatives.
• Understanding of emergency management principles and incident response coordination, especially as they relate to wildfire risk reduction.

Knowledge and Skills

• Technical understanding of wildfire science, fire behavior, and fire‑weather concepts, including the ability to interpret environmental and meteorological data to support CORE’s wildfire mitigation activities.
• Working knowledge of utility operations, system hardening concepts, and maintenance practices as they relate to wildfire risk reduction.
• Understanding of collaborative relationship‑building and public engagement strategies to support outreach and partnerships as needed.
• Awareness of emergency management principles and situational awareness tools, relevant to wildfire risk monitoring and coordination.
• Strong analytical and technical evaluation skills, including the ability to interpret wildfire risk models, fire‑weather data, geospatial information, and operational risk indicators.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to explain complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Effective public speaking and presentation abilities for community meetings and stakeholder engagement when supporting outreach functions.
• Strong organizational and coordination skills for managing data, supporting technical projects, and assisting with events, meetings, and exercises.
• Ability to work collaboratively across departments (Engineering, Operations, GIS, IT, Communications) and with external partners, including public safety agencies, NGOs, and community groups.
• Strong interpersonal skills, enabling effective relationship‑building and positive representation of CORE in professional and public settings.
• Ability to synthesize and summarize complex information into clear risk briefings, outreach materials, and internal updates.
• Adaptability and sound judgment, with the ability to operate effectively in dynamic wildfire and weather‑driven operational environments.

Other Requirements

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and ability to learn new software tools and wildfire-related platforms.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to travel within CORE’s service territory as needed.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements

• Light work: Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally. If the use of arm and/or leg controls requires exertion of forces greater than that for Sedentary Work and the worker sits most of the time, the job is rated for Light Work.
• The worker is subject to inside environmental conditions: Protection from weather conditions but not necessarily from temperature changes.
• The worker is subject to outside environmental conditions: No effective protection from weather.
• The worker is subject to both environmental conditions: Activities occur inside and outside.
• The worker is subject to extreme cold: Temperatures typically below 32 degrees for periods of more than one hour. Consideration should be given to the effect of other environmental conditions such as wind and humidity.
• The worker is subject to extreme heat: Temperatures above 100 degrees for periods of more than one hour. Consideration should be given to the effect of other environmental conditions such as wind and humidity.
• The worker is subject to noise: There is sufficient noise to cause the worker to shout in order to be heard above the ambient noise level.
• The worker is subject to atmospheric conditions: One or more of the following conditions that affect the respiratory system of the skin: Fumes, odors, dusts, mists, gases, or poor ventilation.

Note: This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed and is not to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required. Other duties may be assigned.

CORE offers a comprehensive benefits package including the following...  

• 9/80 work schedule: every other Friday off!
• Nine paid holidays per year
• 160 Hours of accruable PTO per year
• Paid parental leave
  
• Education and training reimbursement
• Volunteer paid time off
• 100% Cooperative paid benefits, including:
• • Defined benefit pension plan
  • Medical insurance
  • Dental insurance
  • Vision insurance
  • Short term disability
  • Long term disability
  • Employee assistance program
  • Life insurance
  • HSA with employer contribution
• 401(k) with up to 4% match. Immediately 100% vested
• Length of service program
• Free Onsite EV charging stations (at certain locations)
• Onsite micro market (at certain locations)
• Onsite gym with golf simulator and massage chairs (at certain locations)

CORE is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

• EEO is The Law - click here for more information
• Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Women/Protected Veterans/Disabled
• We consider all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, handicap or disability, or status as a Vietnam-era or special disabled veteran in accordance with federal law. If you need assistance, please reach out to us at

  hr@core.coop

   

Application Timeline

The application deadline for this job is estimated to be 4/30/2026. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs, the availability of qualified candidates, and whether the role is filled or not. We encourage qualified candidates to submit their application(s) expediently so as not to miss out on opportunities.