OPERATIONS TRAINING AND PROMOTIONS BATTALION CHIEF

This is an open staff Battalion Chief position announcement.

The Operations Training and Promotions (OTP) Section is currently accepting letters of interest (memo format) and resumés for the OTP Battalion Chief staff position. ONLY letters of interest and resumés from current, qualified, non-probationary, Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) Battalion Chief personnel will be considered for this staff position.

ASSIGNMENT:
The OTP Battalion Chief position requires a two-year minimum commitment on administrative assignment working a 4/10 or 9/80 schedule.

The OTP Battalion Chief will be responsible for overseeing and coordinating all aspects of OTP, including the development of promotion processes for Fire Apparatus Engineer, Fire Captain, and Fire Battalion Chief.  This position serves as the subject matter expert and agency representative for OCFA OTP resources.  This role demands a strategic leader with a proven leadership track record and a commitment to excellence in service delivery. 

ADDITIONAL PAY:

Battalion Chief's assigned to a designated staff position, 4/10 or 9/80 work schedule, are eligible for ten percent (10%) staff assignment pay. Please refer to page 74 of the Chief Officer's Association Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for additional information.

APPLICATION PROCESS:  

Last day to submit Letter of Interest and Resume:  Monday, April 14, 2025 at 11:59 pm.

• Letter of Interest (memo format) shall be emailed to Duke Steppe, Human Resources Manager at dukesteppe@ocfa.org and addressed to Assistant Chief Rob Capobianco.
• Resumé detailing your education and work experience shall be emailed to Duke Steppe, Human Resources Manager at dukesteppe@ocfa.org
• Battalion Chief personnel currently in the Battalion Chief OTP Matrix will be contacted with further instructions

Tentative Schedule of Events:

• Last day to submit Letter of Interest and Resume:  Monday, April 14, 2025 at 11:59 pm
• Selection interview:  Week of April 28, 2025
• Notification of selected candidate(s):  Week of May 5, 2025 
• Tentative Start date:  TBD

Role and Responsibilities

OCFA Response:  The OTP Battalion Chief serves as lead to the Recruitment and Promotions Joint Labor Management (JLM) committee. This position will serve as a subject matter expert for verification of qualifying certifications required for promotion. 

The OTP Battalion Chief will also provide direct support to the Orange County Fire Authority in the following ways:

• Plans, develops, coordinates, schedules, and implements the promotional processes with assistance and guidance from the recruitment and promotions JLM and human resources staff for the positions of:
  • Fire Apparatus Engineer
  • Fire Captain
  • Fire Battalion Chief
• Serves as subject matter expert regarding qualifying license and certification requirements for promotion.
• Supervises, assigns, and monitors work assignments of assigned OTP staff.
• Chair the Recruitment and Promotions JLM Committee.
• Oversees purchasing, and acquisition of all OTP supplies and equipment.
• Documents the accomplishments, deficiencies, and corrective actions of the section.
• Provides program status reports to the Assistant Chief of EMS, Training, Fire Academy, and Promotion Recruitment.
• Approve, plan, and coordinate travel for training and other required meetings.
• Oversees the submission of qualifying Company Officer Certification Documents.
• Maintain and revise OCFA OTP SOP’s.
• Maintain and revise OCFA policies and procedures related to OTP.
• Maintains and revises operations promotional study guide material.
• Foster and support on-going working relationships with safety and non-safety personnel.
• May provide candidate feedback.
• Serve as the point of contact for all internal operations promotional processes.
• Other duties as assigned.

EXPERIENCE:

• Currently employed with the OCFA as a non-probationary Fire Battalion Chief

HIGHLY DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:

• Excellent leadership, communication, and organizational skills.

LICENSE:

• Possession of a valid Class "C" Driver License.

PREFERRED KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Understanding of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) promotional processes.
• Program development experience including test questions creation and validation, interview questions, and assessment questions and scenarios.
• Ability to develop and maintain professional working relationships.

• Ability to prioritize, assign, and monitor work.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS & WORKING CONDITIONS:

These requirements are detailed in the Fire Battalion Chief classification specification, which is available for review at www.ocfa.org. 

QUESTIONS:
 All questions regarding this position should be directed to Assistant Chief Rob Capobianco.

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES WITH NEOGOV

Please contact the assigned recruiter, Duke Steppe, Human Resources Manager at (714) 573-6807 or via email at dukesteppe@ocfa.org.  

CHANGE IN SCHEDULING:

If there is a change in the selection process, Human Resources will notify all affected candidates.

AMERICAN WITH DISABILITY ACT (ADA) ACCOMMODATION:

In accordance with the American's With Disabilities Act, anyone who needs an ADA accommodation for the purposes of employment testing should contact the assigned recruiter, Duke Steppe, Human Resources Manager at (714) 573-6807 or via email at dukesteppe@ocfa.org  no later than 72 hours prior to any portion of the examination process.

NOTE: