The County of Santa Barbara is one of the most desirable places in the world to live and work. The County is a mix of urban, suburban and rural landscapes located on a 122 mile stretch of California’s central coastline with a strong economic base in agriculture/tourism/wine, healthcare, technology and a variety of other industries. The County of Santa Barbara is known for its phenomenal quality of life that includes beautiful residential communities, a thriving business sector, renowned architecture, world class beaches, mild climate, scenic mountains and open spaces, and numerous parks that provide plentiful cultural and recreational activities. The County has a diverse base of 455,000 residents, including 140,000 residents in unincorporated areas and eight incorporated cities. 

The County is seeking a new Fire Chief to oversee its Fire Department that operates 24/7 with 321 personnel, 16 fire stations and $128 million operating budget along with working collaboratively with County stakeholders and local/regional/state agencies.  The ideal candidate is collaborative, responsive, and communicative for leading the County in 21st century training, preparation, and emergency response and recovery.  The successful applicant will have business acumen; effective supervision skills; operational acuteness; ease addressing the public and media; and lead in difficult, complex, adversarial, and challenging situations.

The Fire Chief is an at-will position appointed by the County Executive Officer with confirmation by the Board of Supervisors. The successful candidate will have at least five years of increasingly responsible senior level experience within a comparable California fire department, including staff supervision, and the equivalent to a Bachelor's degree with major coursework in fire science, fire administration, emergency management, leadership, management, public administration, or a closely related field.  Experience in a mid-to-large size department that provides ALS/EMS service, large and diverse geographic service areas, and experience or familiarity with the wildland/ urban interface is necessary.  The County offers a competitive starting salary in the range of $234,936 to $305,427 that is negotiable based on the candidate’s qualifications and provides an excellent benefit package. 

Filing deadline: September 22, 2025
Resumes are acknowledged within 2 business days.

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