Assistant Director, Wildland Fire Preparedness & Response (1)

← Back to search results Apply By: Wednesday, June 17, 2026 11:59 pm EDT Assistant Director, Wildland Fire Preparedness & Response Job ID: 243270 Posting status: Open Organization: Ministry of Natural Resources Division: Provincial Services Division/Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services City: Dryden, Peterborough, Sault Ste Marie, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Toronto Position(s) language: English Job term: 1 Permanent Job code: M1204F - Administrative Services54 Salary: $120,043.00 - $169,198.00 Per year
Apply now Accessibility support Public Service Leadership in Wildland Fire Preparedness and Response
Are you a collaborative leader who can work effectively across jurisdictions to support wildland fire management? Are you motivated by public service work that protects people, communities, and natural resources across Ontario?
The Ministry of Natural Resources is seeking a proven leader to join the Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services Branch as the Assistant Director, Wildland Fire Preparedness & Response. This role provides senior ­level leadership oversight of Ontario's province­wide wildfire preparedness and response operations within a highly complex, multi­jurisdictional emergency services environment. Previous experience and knowledge of wildland fire management principles is beneficial but not mandatory.
In this role, you will contribute to the safe, effective, and coordinated delivery of wildland fire preparedness and response services across Ontario. You will work closely with municipalities, First Nations, and provincial, territorial, federal, and mutual ­aid partners to support province­wide emergency response efforts.
If you are interested in shaping and supporting province­wide wildland fire preparedness and response efforts through strong leadership, collaboration, and sound judgment, this Assistant Director opportunity may be the right next step in your leadership career.
The Ontario Public Service: Strengthening Ontario, together.
A career in the Ontario Public Service (OPS) is driven by purpose. We're building a stronger Ontario by delivering programs and services that make a real difference in people's lives. If you share this ambition, you'll find a workplace that reflects the diversity of the people we serve and empowers you to lead with confidence.
Why Your Leadership Belongs Here

• Purpose that drives you: Lead work that matters. Your leadership will shape policies, programs, and services that improve lives across the province—every day.
• A culture that supports you: Thrive in a flexible, inclusive, and respectful workplace that values your well-being and empowers you to bring your whole self to work.
• A career that grows with you: Explore leadership opportunities across ministries and sectors. With access to mentorship, learning, and mobility, your career can evolve here.
• Recognition that reflects your impact: We value the difference you make. You'll receive competitive pay, a defined-benefit pension, and benefits that support your well-being—plus meaningful recognition for your contributions.

About the jobWe believe great leadership starts with high standards and strong support. In the OPS, that means showing up with authenticity, acting with integrity, and having the courage to do what's right, even when it's hard.
As a leader, you'll shape a team culture that sparks innovation, supports collaboration, and champions inclusion. You'll help build a workplace that is diverse, anti-racist, and accessible, where everyone feels safe, respected, and able to thrive.
You won't be doing it alone. We invest in our leaders through mentorship, learning opportunities, and cross-ministry networks that help you grow your impact and connect with peers across the organization.
Leadership is about impact, and in this role, you'll have the opportunity to make a meaningful one.
You will:

• Provide senior leadership oversight for province­wide wildland fire preparedness and response operations
• Support emergency response activities across diverse geographic regions and operational contexts
• Lead and support senior managers responsible for wildfire response programs and services
• Work closely with municipalities, First Nations, provincial, territorial, federal, and international partners to support mutual­aid and emergency response coordination
• Represent Ontario at provincial, national, and international wildfire and emergency­management tables
• Contribute to strategic planning, program modernization, and continuous improvement initiatives
• Provide calm, decisive leadership during high­pressure, high­stakes emergency situations
• Support organizational readiness, risk management, and change initiatives related to wildfire operations

Meet Your New Team
The Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services Branch (AFFES) is part of Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources and provides leadership and service delivery for the Ministry's wildland fire management, emergency management and aviation services.
AFFES leads the province's wildfire management program, including prevention, detection, and suppression of forest fires. It also operates Ontario's fleet of specialized aircraft for firefighting and emergency response, supports all-hazards emergency management (such as floods and natural disasters), and provides expertise, personnel, and coordination in complex, multi-agency emergency situations across the province.
The Wildland Fire Preparedness & Response team supports the safe, effective, and coordinated delivery of province­wide wildfire preparedness and response operations across Ontario. The team plays a critical role in strengthening readiness and response through operational oversight and close coordination with municipalities, First Nations, and provincial, territorial, federal, and mutual­aid partners. Operating in a dynamic, high­pressure environment, the team's work directly contributes to protecting communities, people, and Ontario's natural resources. What you bring to the team
Mandatory requirements• This role requires mandatory travel, which can be extensive at times depending on operational demands and emergency response requirements.
Leadership and People Management

• Leadership Experience: You bring established experience leading people and teams, with clear accountability for results, team development, and performance. You lead by setting direction, coaching others, and building a culture of trust, inclusion, and high performance.
• Setting Direction and Priorities: You provide clear priorities, performance expectations, and strategic focus in complex and evolving environments.
• Judgement and Accountability: You demonstrate strong judgment, integrity, and accountability in executive level decision ­making.
• Dispersed Operations Leadership: You support and lead teams and response systems operating across diverse, geographically dispersed regions.
• Change and Modernization Leadership: You lead organizational change, navigate ambiguity, and help teams adapt during periods of modernization.

Communication & Relationship Management

• Clear and Executive ­Level Communication: You communicate complex information clearly and confidently to staff, executives, and stakeholders.
• Trust and Credibility Building: You are known for building trust and credibility quickly through transparent and respectful communication.
• Stakeholder and Partner Engagement: You maintain strong, constructive relationships across internal teams, external partners, and intergovernmental stakeholders.
• Representation at Senior Tables: You represent the organization effectively at executive, intergovernmental, and external forums.
• Communication Under Pressure: You exercise sound judgment and composure when communicating in high pressure, sensitive, or time ­critical situations.

Strategic Thinking & Decision ­Making

• Enterprise­ Level Thinking: You bring strong strategic thinking skills and the ability to operate effectively at an enterprise level.
• Complex Issue Analysis: You assess complex issues, risks, and trade­offs to support well­ reasoned, defensible decisions.
• Balancing Short­ and Long­ Term Objectives: You balance immediate operational needs with long­ term strategic goals and public service outcomes.
• Judgment in Ambiguity: You make timely, thoughtful decisions in ambiguous, rapidly evolving, or high­ stakes environments.
• Turning Strategy into Action: You translate strategic priorities into clear plans, actions, and measurable results.

Technical Skills & KnowledgeThe following would be considered an asset:

• Province ­Wide Wildland fire Operations Oversight: You bring experience supporting or overseeing large­scale wildfire or emergency response operations across broad geographic areas.
• Emergency Response Coordination: You understand the coordination required to support safe and effective emergency operations in fast­moving, high ­stakes environments.
• Intergovernmental and Partner Engagement: You work effectively with municipalities, First Nations, and provincial, territorial, federal, and mutual­ aid partners to support coordinated response efforts.
• Operational Readiness and Support: You contribute to planning, preparedness, and operational readiness activities that enable effective wildfire response.
• Leadership in High­ Pressure Situations: You provide calm, steady leadership and sound operational judgment during time­ sensitive and high ­pressure situations.
• Risk and Safety Awareness: You apply sound judgment when assessing operational risks and supporting safe response decisions.

Don't meet every qualification?If you are excited about this position and meet most, but not all, of the listed qualifications, please still consider applying. We recognize that no one person might have every qualification in this job ad, and you just might be the right candidate!
Think this role could be right for you?
We're here to support you every step of the way. These short videos can help you feel confident and prepared:

• Navigating Our Hiring Process(2 min) – Get a clear overview of each stage in our structured hiring process so you know what to expect and how to prepare.
• Application Preparation Tips(4 min) – Learn how to showcase your leadership experience in ways that align with how we evaluate applications during the screening stage, increasing your chances of being shortlisted.

Take a few minutes to explore these resources. They're designed to set you up for success. How we support diversity, inclusion and accessibilityWe are building an inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We encourage everyone interested in working with us to apply, including people with disabilities, Indigenous, Black and racialized individuals, as well as people from all ethnicities, cultures, sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions.
Our hiring process is accessible, consistent with Ontario's Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. We are working to prevent and remove barriers in our hiring processes and can offer accommodation to address specific needs related to Code-protected grounds such as disability, family status and religion. For more information about accommodation during the hiring process please contact us.
Learn more about the work the OPS is doing to create an inclusive, anti-racist, accessible and diverse workplace:

• diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives
• accessibility
• Anti-Racism Policy

Additional information: Apply by: Wednesday, June 17, 2026 11:59 pm EDT Position details:

• 1 English Permanent, 70 Foster Drive, Suite 500, Sault Ste Marie, North Region or 300 Water St, Peterborough, East Region or 850 Ghost Lake Rd, Dryden, North Region or 1580 West Arthur St, Thunder Bay, North Region or 6150 Skyline Dr, Sudbury, North Region or 777 Bay St, Toronto, Toronto Region

Compensation group: Management Compensation Plan Work hours: Schedule 6 Category: Management and General Posted on: Wednesday, June 3, 2026

Note:

• N-NR-243270/26

How to apply:

1. You must apply online.
2. Your cover letter and resume combined should not exceed five (5) pages. For tips and tools on how to write a concise cover letter and resume, review the Writing a Cover Letter and Resume: Tips, Tools and Resources.
3. Customize your cover letter and resume to the qualifications listed on the job ad. Using concrete examples, you must show how you demonstrated the requirements for this job. We rely on the information you provide to us.
4. Read the job description to make sure you understand this job.
5. OPS employees are required to quote their WIN EMPLOYEE ID number when applying.
6. If you require a disability related accommodation in order to participate in the recruitment process, please Contact Us to provide your contact information. Recruitment services team will contact you within 48 hours.

Language requirements and assessment:
All external Ontario Public Service (OPS) job ads are posted in English and French. Check the "position(s) language" section at the top of each job ad for the language requirements. For all roles, candidates are assessed in English, the business language of the OPS. If the position is bilingual (English/French), you'll also need to pass a French-language proficiency test.

Exigences en matière de langue et évaluation:
Toutes les offres d'emploi externes de la fonction publique de l'Ontario (FPO) sont affichées en français et en anglais. Consultez la section « Langue du ou des postes » en haut de chaque offre d'emploi pour connaître les exigences linguistiques. Pour tous les postes, les candidats sont évalués en anglais, la langue d'affaires de la FPO. Si le poste est bilingue (anglais/français), vous devrez également passer un test de compétences linguistiques en français.

Strengthening Ontario, together

Apply now