Apply on Kit Job: kitjob.ca/job/2ecl12

Cochrane is located in the breathtaking Bow Valley corridor in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in southern Alberta. With a population of over 37,000 people, and growing steadily every year, Cochrane is a thriving town, surrounded by world-famous ranch country. Our western heritage is reflected in the Town’s architecture and our friendly people. The Town of Cochrane welcomes innovative and skilled individuals to join our team of over 250 employees.

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Who are we looking for?

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Cochrane is seeking a strategic, credible, and trusted Fire Chief to lead Cochrane Fire Services through a period of cultural rebuilding, leadership renewal, and continued operational excellence.

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Reporting to the Director, Community Safety, the Fire Chief provides strategic, operational, cultural, and executive leadership for Fire Services. This role is ideal for an experienced municipal fire service leader who brings proven success operating in IAFF environments, rebuilding trust and engagement, supporting leadership development, and communicating openly and honestly — especially during difficult or change-heavy periods.

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If you are a visible, calm, values-driven leader who believes in empowering supervisors, strengthening relationships, leading with integrity, and delivering safe, effective, modern fire service operations, this is an opportunity to shape the future of Cochrane Fire Services.

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Why build your career with Cochrane?

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Cochrane is at an important and exciting point in its organizational journey.

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As Fire

nChief, you will:n

- Lead a deliberate cultural reset that strengthens trust, morale, leadership credibility, and psychological safety
- Provide steady, accountable leadership in a complex IAFF environment




- Build and empower strong Lieutenant and Captain leadership, reinforcing the supervisory chain of command
- Communicate early, openly, and plainly — including when decisions are difficult or unpopular
- Operate with political awareness while remaining non-political, professional, and governance-focused
- Support strategic growth, emergency readiness, and long-term service sustainability
- Work collaboratively with Council, ELT, union leadership, partner agencies, and the community

nCochrane fosters a positive, high-performing culture built on transparency, curiosity, accountability, innovation, and teamwork.n

What are some of the duties of the Fire Chief?

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- Lead Fire Services operations, culture, people leadership, governance, and service excellence
- Lead a measurable cultural reset and rebuild confidence, trust, and engagement
- Provide seasoned leadership in an IAFF setting, including grievances, discipline, conflict management, and collective agreement interpretation
- Communicate early, openly, and plainly, ensuring the “why” behind decisions is understood
- Develop, empower, and hold Lieutenants and Captains accountable while avoiding bypassing supervisory leadership
- Navigate municipal political environments without becoming political, maintaining credibility and integrity




- Provide leadership in emergency response and emergency management
- Develop and manage long-term strategic plans, risk strategies, and budgets
- Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external partners
- Ensure compliance with legislation, NFPA standards, Town policies, and best practice service models

nQualifications, Skills and Abilitiesn

Education and Experience:*Required:

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- Minimum 10 years’ municipal firefighting experience with increasingly senior leadership responsibilities
- Extensive proven experience in an IAFF unionized fire service, including discipline, grievances, bargaining contexts, and collaborative labour-management leadership
- Experience working effectively within municipal governance settings
- Post-secondary education in Fire Service Leadership, Public/Business Administration, Emergency Management, or related field
- Proven, documented experience in leading cultural transformation or trust-repair initiatives that resulted in documented improvements in engagement, morale, leadership confidence, or organizational stability
- Demonstrated experience implementing structured leadership development programs for supervisory officers (Lieutenants/Captains), beyond day-to-day supervision or informal mentorship

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Preferred:

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- Proven leadership within politically sensitive or high-profile municipal environments, including navigating Council scrutiny, public accountability, and media engagement
- Demonstrated success working within complex labour environments such as multi-issue grievance climates, post-arbitration stabilization, or modernization impacts affecting union culture
- A track record of

Apply on Kit Job: kitjob.ca/job/2ecl12

📌 Fire Chief (Cochrane)
🏢 Town of Cochrane
📍 Cochrane