Think Beyond The Label Jobs

Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation's mission is to help ensure that Montana's land and water resources provide benefits for present and future generations. The DNRC believes employees are their most important asset. The DNRC empowers employees to exercise professional judgment in carrying out their duties. Employees are provided with the training and tools necessary to achieve the mission. Both team effort and individual employee expertise are supported and sustained. Core Values: The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation’s Forestry and Trust Land Division recognizes that building a collaborative, professional, and inclusive work environment is critical to fulfilling our mission of managing, protecting, and promoting stewardship of Montana’s forests and lands for the benefit of current and future generations and our trust beneficiaries. We hold ourselves to these high standards as we are accountable to the people of Montana. * We value and respect each other. * We create collaborative work environments. * We build and maintain strong relationships. * We practice accountability. * We celebrate our successes and take pride in our work. Work Unit Overview: * The Forestry Division Office oversees, manages and develops Forestry Division budget, accounting, contracting, grant and fiscal activities to ensure that management practices are consistent with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and state accounting policies; sets and administers policy concerning fire suppression financial operating and contracting procedures and fire incident business management procedures; administers division human resource matters, provides timely and accurate financial and human resource information to department headquarters, the Governor's office, the Legislature and federal agencies; implements policy and provides guidance to Division personnel regarding human resources, financial matters, contracting and grant procedures; sets policy, planning measures, and operating procedures for statewide long-range building project implementation; oversees and manages the Montana Conservation and Seedling Nursery and provides timely and efficient administrative support and facility maintenance services. *Job Overview: This position serves as the Fire Finance & Incident Business Supervisor for the Forestry Division Office. The position is responsible for coordinating the collection, analysis, reporting and recovery of fire costs; analyzing and auditing fire billings and expenditures; managing the financial element of FEMA Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) packages; and serving as a technical expert and liaison on fire finance issues to agency staff and cooperators. The position coordinates financial systems and processes associated with emerging and active fire incidents. This position also supervises the Westside and Eastside Incident Business Specialists who manage a comprehensive statewide incident business program to provide professional business management, effective interagency policies and resource coordination for incident business management activities for the state in support of the statewide fire protection plan; and performs a variety of other duties as assigned. Essential Functions (Major Duties or Responsibilities): These job functions are the essential duties of the position and are not all-inclusive of all the duties that may be assigned to the incumbent. A. Financial Analysis and Coordination (60% of time) 1. Plans and coordinates the development of the Department’s legislative fire supplemental budget requests. This involves research and analyses of complex fire financial records requiring daily interaction with Federal and State Agencies on a national scale in addition to other State agencies in Montana and local government. 2. Coordinates management and analysis of statewide fire costs, including field data collection, analysis, and reporting; compiling and analyzing individual fire costs from SABHRS and cooperating agencies; ensuring the accuracy of fire data reported by subordinate staff; notifying dispatch centers or land offices of discrepancies and correcting errors as necessary. Prepares FYE fire suppression accounts payable and receivables accruals to accurately capture liabilities to federal and other state agencies and expected reimbursements that will affect the State Fire Suppression Fund and the FY Fire Suppression Estimated cost; reconcile fire A/P and A/R; ensure fire financial information and processes are consistently and accurately reported and documented in conjunction with the Financial Services Office for audit reference. 3. Manages the Department’s private party fire billing process to recover fire suppression costs incurred by the State and its interagency partners from liable parties responsible for the ignition of wildland fires through litigated and non-litigated processes. Coordinate with and seek guidance from DNRC Attorneys in litigated cost recovery situations and on non-litigated cost recovery efforts by providing recommendations to field personnel on billing responsibilities and agreements for fire suppression costs; coordinating and overseeing billing statements to liable landowners/parties; recovering unpaid billings; and overseeing the maintenance and required retention of fire billing records and reports. 4. Provides oversight and guidance to the Fire Financial Specialists who manage the Department’s fire accounts payable and accounts receivable processes The Fire and Requests, coordinates, and audits fire suppression and support billings from Montana National Guard, University of Montana, Montana State Prison, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indians Affairs, National Park Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Northwest Compact agencies, multiple western states and other cooperating agencies to verify the accuracy and completeness of financial data; identify and reconcile discrepancies; and ensure accurate, timely, and efficient suppression and support bill processing. 5. Analyzes and evaluates Area and Unit lease agreements, contract justifications, expenditures, and other financial activities to ensure the integrity of systems and processes, identify budget efficiencies, and forecasts fire costs for short and long-term budgeting. Audits individual accounts to verify the accuracy and completeness of all financial records, identify discrepancies, and reconcile accounts. 6. Manages the administration of the Fire Financial Code Generator (FCG); coordinates with DNRC IT to solve SABHRS code generation issues as they arise and communicate system changes to the field and dispatch centers. 7. Manages the RFP process to hire a contractor to create a Fire Financial Information System, that will allow the DNRC to implement robust automated financial tracking including fire suppression cost estimation, fire accounts payable and receivables with interagency external partners, and incident reporting features to be able to provide near real time data about these resources to different stakeholders (internal fire operations personnel, internal leadership, external partners, contractors, public, etc.). Will serve as the system administrator of the Fire Business System and will work with the contractor on beta testing and fire data validation; train the FDO Fire Financial Specialists; Land Office/Unit Office Managers; field personnel; and local government cooperators on new Fire Business System processes. Will be responsible for collaboration with DNRC IT, SITSD partners and system designers to ensure optimal functionality and accuracy of information; and spearheading development of new system features as necessary. 8. Coordinates with Area Managers, Unit Managers, Incident Line Officers and interagency Incident Business Advisors regarding cost share negotiations, financial aspects of Wildfire Situation Analysis preparation, and fire cost accounting and billing procedures. 9. Provides oversight and guidance in the management, compilation of and auditing of FEMA FMAG packages; functions as the primary financial contact for the Division’s fire management grants to analyze, interpret, and advise on FMAG Declarations made in accordance with Section 420 of Public Law 93-288. Provides consultation and technical expertise on financial aspects of FEMA and Disaster and Emergency Service mitigation plans to agency staff and cooperators. Serves as one of the State of Montana Alternate Governor’s Authorized Representatives (AGAR) in FMAG program with Project Worksheet signing authority. Directs FEMA FMAG reimbursement draws from the MT DES FEMA Smartlink portal. 10. Manages the reporting of the statewide Fire Fund Balance to ensure accurate fund balances are calculated and communicated to the Legislative Fiscal Division, DNRC Director, Forestry Division Administrators and the DNRC Financial Services Office on a weekly basis during active fire season and monthly basis following the close of fire season. 11. Acts as the primary financial contact for Federal and State auditors in researching and pulling requested backup for fire suppression expenditures; provide state auditors with detailed explanations of the fire financial model database used in estimating total statewide fire suppression costs by calendar and fiscal year. B. Incident Finance Support (20% of time) 1. Represents the DNRC as the DNRC fire finance subject matter expert with interagency, local, state and federal agencies and organizations (e.g., the NRCG Business Committee, Western States Business Managers (WSBM), DNRC Fire Advisory Council (FAC), etc.), to ensure the state’s financial interests are represented in the development of broader initiatives; evaluates and responds to policies, rules and standards proposed by the organizations; works in coordination with the Fire Protection Bureau (FPB) to identify and develop necessary changes to FPB goals, objectives and policies related to fire finance and incident business 2. Works with fire program staff to assesses emerging incidents for potential to qualify for FEMA Fire Suppression funding assistance through the FMAG program. Prepares and manages the FEMA Fire Suppression Cost and Assistance program for DNRC. Represents DNRC with FEMA, USFS, and DES personnel. 3. Performs duties of the Finance Comptroller, identifying incident types and agencies involved to determine application of authorities (emergency pay plan, FEMA, cost share negotiations, etc.) and the impact to the State of Montana Fire Suppression Fund. 4. Meets with the lead incident agency support unit personnel to identify and discuss fire cost and accounting issues and share information and ensure incident financial processes will allow for 5. Maintains accurate databases for fire accounting data issued by interagency zones and initial attack dispatch centers to provide accurate intelligence information, statistical reports, and assistance in billing and payroll coding. 6. Performs related duties as assigned to provide additional support to other department and/or division programs during periods of overload and emergency fire suppression duties as necessary to fulfill the goals and objectives of the department. C. Staff Supervision (15% of time) 1. Directly supervises two staff positions involved with fire finance, cost recovery, and fire contracting by reviewing and revising overall work plans, priorities, and procedures and monitoring progress through meetings and consultations. Also supervises two FTE staff positions involved in statewide incident business providing guidance to staff and ensuring DNRC Incident Business operates effectively and provides sound policy guidance to internal fire program staff throughout the state and to interagency partners. 2. Conducts staff meetings, disseminates data, and promotes information exchange for support and advancement of Division goals. 3. Establishes and approves overall responsibilities and allocation of positions. Recommends and justifies requests for additional personnel as necessary. 4. Determines training needs of staff through analysis of program effectiveness, new technology and policies, and staff performance. Prepares, presents, or coordinates training through personnel specialists, training offices, or outside consultants. 5. Identifies staffing needs and participates in recruitment and selection of employees. This involves ensuring compliance with State and federal employment and civil rights laws throughout the hiring process, coordinating personnel screening and selection committees, reviewing results and making recommendations for hiring, and ensuring proper training and orientation of new employees. 6. Evaluates the performance of all positions directly supervised and completes performance evaluations. Implements and monitors corrective actions including discipline and termination. Enforces disciplinary policies to ensure consistency in the application of disciplinary actions. 7. Ensures that staff complies with State and DNRC personnel rules, regulations, and policies. Resolves grievances at the lowest level whenever possible. 8. This position supervises 4.0 FTE. Benefits: * Health Insurance * Retirement * Paid Vacation, Sick Leave and Holidays * Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) – Employment with the State of Montana may qualify you to receive student loan forgiveness under the PSLF.  Application Materials Required for this Position Are: * State of Montana Application * Resume * Cover Letter Special Information: Candidates must be eligible to work in the United States. A valid driver's license is required with less than 12 conviction points in the most recent completed 36 months. Minimum Qualifications (Education and Experience): The required combination of knowledge, skills, and abilities are typically acquired through a combination of education and experience equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, business management, or related field plus three (3) years of relevant experience. Experience with specialized fire finance and budgeting systems is preferred. Required knowledge, skills, and abilities: * The position requires excellent knowledge of the concepts and theories of financial management, budgeting, accounting, and grants administration. The position also requires knowledge of federal funding requirements, auditing procedures, and standard procurement practices. Specialized knowledge of fire finance and fire business practices is preferred. The position requires skills and abilities in analyzing financial and technical data; interpreting and applying relevant laws, rules, and policies; evaluating business processes and budgeting practices to identify efficiencies; developing and maintaining effective working relationships with agency staff and cooperators; negotiating consensus among varying points of view; and excellent written and verbal communication skills. This position requires knowledge in fire business management practices, business administration, contract administration, procurement, recordkeeping, and technical writing. The position also requires knowledge of the State automated accounting and resource management systems (e.g., SABHRS and IROC). The position requires skills in leadership, delivering presentations, problem solving, in researching, interpreting, and analyzing information, providing clear and concise explanations of issues and procedures to cooperators and other staff, and in operating personal computers and business software applications including databases, word processing, spreadsheet and email/Internet applications. The position also requires the ability to build and maintain strong collaborative teams, anticipate and resolve issues, conduct research and analyze resulting facts; communicate effectively verbally and in writing; establish and maintain effective and positive working relationships; work independently within program goals and objectives; and organize materials for efficient work output. Title: *Budget Analyst Supervisor - Fire Financial Specialist Location: Missoula Requisition ID: 24141341