Head of Wildfire Affairs

Job description

HELP US TACKLE THE GROWING WILDFIRE CRISIS WITH THE LATEST ADVANCEMENTS IN AI AND IOT WHO WE ARE The challenge: Every minute matters in wildfire response. As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of wildfires—with longer fire seasons, drier fuels, and more extreme weather—new ignitions can spread rapidly, putting communities, critical infrastructure, and ecosystems at risk. Today, many wildfires are first reported by members of the public, meaning it can take valuable time to detect a fire, confirm its location and size, and mobilize responders. Fire agencies need faster, more reliable ways to detect, verify, and pinpoint new ignitions so they can respond quickly and prevent small fires from becoming catastrophic events. About Pano AI: Pano AI is the leader in AI-powered wildfire detection and intelligence, helping fire professionals detect, respond to, and contain wildfires faster and more safely. Our platform combines advanced hardware, software, artificial intelligence, satellite imagery, and other data sources to provide real-time situational awareness and actionable intelligence. Using a network of ultra-high-definition, 360-degree cameras positioned across high vantage points, Pano AI delivers a real-time view of wildfire activity, enabling faster, more informed decision-making when every second counts. We are a team of more than 175 people working in a hybrid-remote environment across North America and Australia, with headquarters in San Francisco. Our customers include government agencies, utilities, insurers, and private landowners who rely on Pano AI to help protect people, property, and natural landscapes. Pano AI currently serves customers across the United States, Australia, and Canada, monitoring more than 50 million acres worldwide. Our values are part of everything we do at Pano AI. They guide how we work together, how we serve our customers, and how we approach our mission. Impact: As we scale our business, we grow our impact—enabling emergency managers to protect people, infrastructure, and the environment from devastating wildfires. Service: We serve those who serve, and the teammates beside us. Trust: We earn trust through integrity, accountability, and an obsession with quality so that our partners can rely on us. Excellence and Speed: We produce exceptional work quickly because our mission demands both precision and urgency. Innovation: We apply cutting-edge technology to what we build and how we work. Our work has been recognized by Fast Company as one of the Top 10 Most Innovative AI Companies in 2023 https://www.fastcompany.com/90846670/most-innovative-companies-artificial-intelligence-2023 and one of the World's Most Innovative Companies in 2026 https://www.fastcompany.com/91502951/pano-ai-most-innovative-companies-2026, ranking #1 in Sustainability. We have also been named to TIME's https://www.linkedin.com/company/time/ list of the 100 Most Influential Companies of 2025 https://time.com/collections/time100-companies-2025/7289577/pano-ai/ and recognized by MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/10/01/1104375/2024-climate-tech-companies-pano-ai-fire-detecting-ai/as one of the top climate technology companies to watch. Backed by $89 million in funding https://techcrunch-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/techcrunch.com/2023/07/10/pano-series-a-extension/amp/ from leading investors including Giant Ventures, Liberty Mutual Ventures, Tokio Marine Future Fund, Congruent Ventures, Initialized Capital, Salesforce Ventures, and T-Mobile Ventures, we're building technology that helps communities around the world become more resilient to wildfire. Learn more at www.pano.ai http://www.pano.ai. THE ROLE We’re looking for a highly respected wildfire professional to serve as a senior leader on wildfire community engagement and provide cross-functional company guidance. This is a unique opportunity for someone who’s built a career in wildfire, has a deep passion for innovation, and is eager to help accelerate the adoption of advanced technology in wildfire management. As a representative of Pano AI in the wildfire community, you will serve as a trusted ambassador, thought leader, and connector. You’ll engage with agencies, influence policy discussions, speak publicly on behalf of Pano, and foster strategic relationships that advance our mission. Within Pano, you’ll champion the perspectives of fire agencies and frontline personnel, ensuring their needs and operational realities inform our strategy and product direction. You’ll also lead the development of a vibrant stakeholder network, bringing together agency leaders and practitioners to drive collaboration, share knowledge, and accelerate the adoption of innovative technologies that improve wildfire detection and response. What you’ll do - Wildfire Community Representation & Advocacy - Serve as Pano AI’s senior voice to the wildfire and emergency management community - Build and deepen relationships with fire agency leaders, chiefs, and decision-makers across the U.S. - Champion Pano’s mission within the fire community and bring new voices into our network - Represent Pano at national conferences, panels, agency events, and industry forums - Partnerships & Coalition Building - Build and lead a public engagement program consisting of Pano users interested in helping accelerate technology adoption across the wildfire ecosystem - Develop and maintain strategic partnerships with fire agencies - including state and federal wildland firefighters, wildfire safety organizations, utilities, and NGOs - Build coalitions that advance wildfire detection policy, funding, and technology adoption - Identify and engage hard-to-reach agencies and organizations - Government Affairs & Policy - Support lobbying efforts, legislative testimony, and engagement with policymakers - Leverage networks to build alliances and create support for wildfire detection initiatives - Contribute to advocacy strategy and help shape Pano’s positioning with government stakeholders - Deliver key perspectives from Pano customers and fire agency stakeholders to policy-makers - Senior Advisory & Product Insight - Serve as an internal authority on fire agency operations, culture, and decision-making - Provide ongoing input on product development and direction based on field needs, real-word applications, and agency feedback - Offer insights and advice on product integrations, partnerships with other firetech companies, and contribute to Pano’s commitment to continuous improvements - Support sales and business development as a credibility validator and subject matter expert What you’ll bring - 15+ years of senior experience in fire service, wildfire response, or emergency management - fire chief, battalion chief, deputy chief, or equivalent leadership background strongly preferred - A national or strong regional reputation and an active network of relationships across the fire and emergency management community - Demonstrated ability to build partnerships, coalitions, and advocacy initiatives - A natural communicator and public speaker, comfortable representing an organization at the highest levels - Ability to operate effectively in a fast-moving startup environment, working across technical, policy, and operational teams - Willingness to travel frequently across the U.S. Final compensation for regular full-time employees is determined by a variety of factors, including job-related qualifications, education, experience, skills, knowledge, and geographic location. In addition to base salary, regular full-time roles are eligible for equity. Benefits are tailored to local market standards and statutory requirements in the employee's country of employment, and may include health coverage, retirement or pension contributions, and paid time off. Specific benefit details will be shared during the interview process.