Engineering Equipment Operator (Fire) Job

Vacancy No. R4-25-12552519-WA-FDHA Department U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Salary $30.12 to $35.14 Grade 9 to 9
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 10/4/2024 Close Date 10/17/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Columbia, NCManteo, NC


Job Description (Please follow all instructions carefully)

Summary

These positions are located in the East Fire Zone which will be filled under the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority and is open to all United States citizens and U.S. nationals. Veteran's preference and traditional rating and ranking of applications do not apply. All qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration for this position. To learn more about Direct-Hire authority, go to: OPM.GOV HTiring Information Direct Hire Fact Sheet

Duties

As a Engineering Equipment Operator (Fire) your duties will include but are not limited to the following:

  • Uses a variety of gasoline or diesel-powered fireequipment with wheel or crawler traction, attachments, pumps and saws.
  • Operates crawler tractors with fire plow attachments during fire suppression and prescribed and burningoperations.
  • Performs daily preventative maintenance and makes repairs and adjustments to equipment andattachments.
  • Participates in fire management using prescribed fire and or the control of wildfires on the refuge as amember of team approach.
  • Operates a variety of gasoline or diesel-powered engineering and construction equipment with wheeled orcrawler-type traction and attachments

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • Resume (See "Required Documents"). Failure to provide ALL required information on your resume will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all information is provided on resume.
  • Eligibility and Supporting documents - You will ONLY be considered for the eligibilities that you select "yes" to AND submit the required supporting documentation, as listed in the Required Documents section.
  • Suitability for employment, as determined by background investigation.
  • Drug Testing Position: Selectees tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment.
  • Medical Requirements: Selectees must pass a pre-employment medical examination and may be subject to post-employment medical examinations to determine if they are maintaining the fitness standards for this position.
  • Driver’s License: Selectees may be required to possess and maintain a valid State driver's license at all times during their tenure.
  • Uniform: Official U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service uniform MAY be required.
  • Probationary Period: Selectees may be required to successfully complete a probationary period.
  • Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill these positions.
  • Must obtain and maintain Class A CDL within 6 months of EOD; may be required to work a schedule that includes hours on evenings/weekends.
  • Individuals assigned male at birth after 12-31-59 must be registered for the Selective Service. To verify registration visit SSS.gov.
  • The duties of this position are so rigorous that employment is limited to young and physically vigorous individuals who must meet established age and physical qualification requirements.

Qualifications

This key fire management position is a categorized under the Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) Standard as an Engineering Equipment Operator (Fire), Non-Sensitive: Low-Risk. Minimum IFPM qualification standards must be met prior to being placed into the position. Detailed information regarding IFPM positions can be found at https://www.ifpm.nifc.gov/.

Prior experience in wild land firefighting is required in order to carry out the duties of this position. You will not be considered for this position if you do not have prior wild land firefighting experience.

By the closing date of this announcement, you must meet the requirements of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Handbook X118C, Job Qualification System for Trades and Labor Occupation.

http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/x-118c/

Although no specific amount of experience, education or training is required, applicants must meet a minimum level of ability in relation to the position and the Assessment Questionnaire in order to be rated qualified for consideration. To be qualified candidates must meet any screen out element(s) listed at an "acceptable" level, and must achieve an average rating of at least "acceptable" on all of the elements. Only education, training, or experience acquired before the closing date of this announcement will be considered.

SCREEN-OUT ELEMENT: Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element, which usually appears as question 1 in the on-line questionnaire. Those applicants who appear to possess at least the minimal acceptable qualification requirement are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated. The potential eligibles are then rated against the remainder of the Job Elements.

The screen out element for this position is:Ability To Do The Work Of The Position Without More Than Normal Supervision
  1. Ability To Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc. (related to mobile equipment operation)
  2. Ability to Drive Safely (Motor Vehicles)
  3. Ability To Operate Safely (Non-Motor Vehicle)
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

There is no substitution of education for experience for Wage Grade (WG) positions.

Additional information

PCS INFORMATION:
No PCS entitlements authorized

Telework:
This position is not suitable for telework.

Additional Vacancies:One or more positions may be filled from applications received under this announcement in the advertised office or other U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service offices in the local commuting area.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP):CTAP or ICTAP applicants must be determined to be well-qualified for this position in order to receive special selection priority. To be well-qualified, a CTAP or ICTAP applicant must meet the following: OPM qualification requirements for the position, all selective factors, where applicable; special OPM approved qualifying conditions for the position; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate, to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and receives a rating of at least 85 on the questionnaire. . For more information visit: OPM's Employee Guide to Career Transition

Reasonable Accommodation: The USFWS provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. Please visit USAJOBS Help Center | Reasonable accommodation policy if you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process.

Types of Equipment: Is proficient in operating the following equipment: crawler tractors with fire plow attachments; dozers (above the D-6 size) with implements; loader (front end); loader/backhoe; dump truck; straight truck (hauling small equipment); truck/tractor (hauling large equipment outside the local commuting area); farm tractors with implements; excavator; and road graders.

Work Specifications: Conducts grading of slope, spreading materials, disking, chopping, mowing, rotovating, digging, loading and leveling to a medium, and/or grade for the purpose or shaping of roads and parking lots, and setting of culverts where levels are essential to accommodate rain runoff and water level functions.

Maintenance and Repair: Services equipment by checking fluids, lubricating, and performing safety checks; performs regular scheduled service that includes changing fluids and filters, and replacing of components that require dismantling of the equipment such as radiators, hydraulic tanks, alternator, tracks, etc. and replaces worn items such as excavator bucket teeth

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

This vacancy will be filled through a Direct Hire Authority. Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do not apply to positions filled under this Authority. All qualified applicants, as determined by the SHRO, will be referred for consideration. While managers and supervisors are not required to conduct interviews, it is highly recommended that they do so in order to assess the competencies of each applicant.

If an applicant's resume is incomplete or does not support the requirements for minimum qualifications or specialized experience a rating of "ineligible" or "not qualified" will be applied and no consideration for employment will be granted.

If a determination is made that an applicant has inflated qualifications or experience on the resume, the applicant will receive no consideration for the position, as per OPM regulations.

All applications that are verified to meet the basic qualifications will be referred to the selecting official.

Required Documents

You must submit a complete application package. We will not make assumptions about your experience and/or education.

Required Documents:

1. Resume: You are highly encouraged to use USAJOBS Resume Builder to ensure all required information is included in your Resume. If you use your own resume, curriculum vitae, or any other written form you choose then you must describe your job-related qualifications that includes beginning and ending dates for paid and non-paid work experience, hours worked per week, month and year of employment for each job title listed, and description of job duties. Note: Current and former Federal employees should include the grade level of their federal positions. Include name and address of employer, supervisor name and telephone number. Additional information on what to include can be found here. Your experience needs to address every required qualification. Note: Failure to provide ALL required information on your resume will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package.

Additional Documentation, if applicable:

1. Cover Letter

2. Veterans' Preference Documentation:
If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming 5-point veterans' preference, you must attach a copy of your DD-214 Member Copy 2 or 4 showing you were honorably discharged. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, you must attach an SF-15, Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference in addition to the proof required by that form (i.e. VA letter). You may not be awarded preference if you do not attach the correct Veteran Documentation as specified above.

3. CTAP/ICTAP Documentation: If you are applying under CTAP or ICTAP, you MUST submit proof of eligibility under 5 CFR 330.602(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, and a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible

4. Current and former federal employees - It is recommended that you submit a copy of your SF-50(s) (Notification of Personnel Action) to support your experience. Examples of appropriate SF-50s include appointments/separations, promotions, within-grade increases.


Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

Review the appointment eligibility criteria in the application preview linked below: The eligibility section of the application allows you to choose how you wish to be considered for this vacancy announcement. You will ONLY be considered for the eligibilities that you select "yes" to and submit the required supporting documentation, as listed in the Required Documents section or the application text.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package. See required documents section.

Click 'Apply' to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account.

  1. Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire and upload required documents. To preview the assessment questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12554519.
  2. Please ensure you check the acknowledgement checkbox then click the Submit Application button to submit your application.
  3. Applications must be received by 10/17/2024, 11:59pm ET to receive consideration.
  4. Check application status by logging into your USAJOBS account, in Applications tab, click the position title you applied to for the status. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact the Human Resources Office via email at fwshiring@fws.gov.

Agency contact information

Human Resources Staffing Division
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once you submit all the required documents and the online application in USAJOBS, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After the evaluation process is complete, you will be notified of your status and/or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted by the hiring official.
You will be notified if this job is filled or canceled. Timelines for this process vary widely.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging in to your USAJOBS account as we will not be responding to inquiries about the status of applications as long as the system has been updated.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.