Battalion Chief - Administration & Support

Thank you for considering a career at Port Houston. We appreciate your interest in joining our team. By applying, you are taking an important step toward advancing your career with an organization committed to excellence. Port Houston offers competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and a diverse, inclusive work environment. Joining our team means embarking on a fulfilling career path with opportunities for growth and impact. Before submitting your application, please ensure your resume is ready for upload in either .doc or .pdf format. Application must be completed in full. Position Summary: The Battalion Chief - Administration & Support is a senior command officer responsible for leading Port Houston's fire training programs, fire prevention operations, and apparatus/equipment maintenance functions. This role ensures firefighter readiness, regulatory compliance, and emergency response capabilities meet the unique risks of a maritime/industrial port environment. Manages day-to-day administrative operations of the Port Houston Fire Department Fire Inspectors, Training Officers, and Fireboat Technicians, and other duties as assigned by the Fire Chief. Ensures adequate preventative measures are being taken to minimize threat of harm to Port Houston, its users, tenants and visitors by supervising department training, inspections, and maintenance Key Responsibilities/Duties: Training & Workforce Readiness Develop and administers the annual Fire & Emergency Services training plan. Oversees drills, certifications, and skills assessments. Ensures compliance with NFPA, OSHA, USCG, and state requirements. Coordinates joint training with mutual-aid partners. Tracks training records and readiness metrics Fire Prevention & Risk Reduction Supervises fire inspectors and supports Fire Marshal activities. Enforces fire codes, life-safety standards, and hazardous-material rules. Conducts high-hazard inspections. Oversees pre-incident planning and risk surveys. Reviews construction plans and tenant operations for compliance. Apparatus, Equipment & Facility Maintenance Oversees maintenance and readiness of apparatus, marine vessels, SCBA, PPE, and communications. Manages maintenance schedules and documentation. Ensures readiness of fire stations and facilities. Coordinates procurement and asset lifecycle planning. Leadership, Command & Administration Serves as Incident Commander or Operations Section Chief. Provides leadership, coaching, and performance management. Supports hurricane and disaster readiness planning. Helps develop budgets, capital needs, and staffing plans. Answer emergency response calls for Houston Ship Channel and tributaries within Harris County which include marine firefighting and rescue, hazardous materials mitigation, structural firefighting, vehicle extrication, emergency medical treatment, and confined space rescue for large scale incidents requiring an expanded incident command system. May respond to emergency calls for technical rescue/medical assistance. Manage day-to-day operations of Port Houston Fire Department Fire Inspectors, Training Officers, and Fireboat Technicians. Implement strategic direction of the Fire Inspectors, Training Officers, and Fireboat Technicians, including providing proper leadership to ensure success of the department. Plan, organize, direct, and review operation, personnel, and activities of fire training, prevention, inspection, and fireboat maintenance. Review Training Officers, Fire Inspectors, and Fireboat Technician performance and effectiveness; formulates corrective actions to alleviate deficiencies Work as a part of a team with the other Battalion Chiefs and the Fire Chief in the recruitment, employment, and evaluation of personnel within the department Ensure all apparatus annual testing, (hose, pump and ladders) meet state requirements are completed on time, fireboats are taken to shipyard for annual inspections, maintenance and/or repair. Strategically direct the training and prevention personnel in any logistical matters that involve the acquisition of equipment and materials needed for accomplishing the fire department mission. Conduct or may delegate station joint inspections with Houston Fire department, United States Coast Guard, United States Department of Agriculture, United States Customs and Border Protection and other organizations as deemed necessary, to ensure all areas of the Port of Houston under their authority are maintained and operated within the limits of the authority of the Fire Department, in a safe and orderly manner. Understand and interpret policy, rules, regulations, guidelines, and the accurate dissemination of information, and any other communications of a departmental nature; attend Port Houston Operations and Safety meetings, CIMA meetings, Strategic Planning Meeting, Monthly Staff Meetings, Review of departmental SOG's, Written Directives, New Hire/Promotion meetings, Pre-Bid, CSP committees, outside fire departments, EMS coordination, vendors, LEPC Ensure personnel meet all qualifications and skills required for their position as mandated by TCFP and NFPA. Maintain PPE for fire and HAZMAT response Assist Fire Chief in development of annual budget and 5- and 10-year plan Act in accordance with Port Houston core values (respect, excellence, accountability, diligence, and you. Perform other duties as assigned. Education and Experience Associate's degree in Fire Science, Emergency Management, or related major in a public or accredited private academic institution required. Bachelor's degree preferred 10+ years of related firefighting experience required Previous supervisory experience required, which shall consist of at least 8 years as a Fire Department officer at the rank of Captain or higher. License/Certification A current, valid Texas driver's license is required Fire Officer II certification required Fire Officer III certification required within 1 year of role acceptance Fire Officer IV certification required within 2 years of role acceptance TCFP Structural Firefighter basic, intermediate, and advanced certifications require TCFP Hazardous Materials Technician certification required TCFP Marine Firefighter basic, intermediate, and advanced certifications required Fire Service Instructor III certification required TCFP Diver/Operator certification required Emergency Medical Technician basic required NIMS 100, 200, 300, 400, 700, and 800 required TCFP Structural Firefighter Master certification preferred TCFP Marine Firefighter Master, Texas State certification preferred A Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) must be obtained within 30 days of appointment and be maintained for the duration of employment. Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Behaviors: Knowledge of firefighting methods and modern fire prevention methods Knowledge of emergency medical methods and procedures / Knowledge of supervisory skills Knowledge of departmental and Port Houston procedures, rules and regulations Knowledge of hazardous materials spills and mitigation Knowledge of maritime operations and seamanship Knowledge of Incident Management System Knowledge of Hazardous Materials and their reaction in their various states Knowledge of Personal Protective Equipment Knowledge of Port Houston FD directives Knowledge of local, state, and national response plans Knowledge of technical rescue techniques in both structural and marine based rescues Decision making and judgment skills Critical thinking and problem-solving skills Organization and time management skills Ability to size up a scene based on information at hand and make decisions Ability to work with outside agencies Ability lead at an incident Ability to ensure response efforts are conducted safely Negotiation skills Effective verbal, written, and listening communication skills Ability to deal effectively with people in difficult situations, Effective public relations and public speaking skills Research and program development skills Flexibility/adaptability/managing multiple priorities Interpersonal abilities Intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook Promote confidence and lead by example Considered essential employees and may be required to work on holidays, evenings, nights, and be immediately recalled for emergencies at any time. They must remain available and "on call" 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, dependent on emergencies. Key Competencies Required: Composure Under Stress Ethics and Values Leadership Presence Technical Professional Knowledge Effective Communication Safety Awareness This work site location of this job is: Port Coordination Center Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate, but due to open office environment noise level may occasionally be high. To apply, please go to porthouston.com/careers. Only applications submitted through the Port Houston Careers website will be acknowledged. Port Houston is an equal opportunity employer and participates in the E-Verify program supervised by the U.S. Government. Disclaimer: The above information on this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this job. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job. We appreciate your interest in Port Houston. Port Houston is an equal employment opportunity employer. Port Houston's policy is not to discriminate against any applicant or employee based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, age (40 and over), disability, military status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. Port Houston also prohibits harassment of applicants or employees based on any of these protected categories. Application must be completed in full.

Created: 2026-03-04