Fire Communication and Education Specialist - Direct Hiring Authority Job in Sequoia National Park, CA

Vacancy No. NPSFAM-25-12656320-DHA Department National Park Service
Salary $74,311.00 to $96,600.00 Grade 11 to 11
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 1/13/2025 Close Date 1/31/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Sequoia National Park, CA


Summary

This position is located at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park in the Resource and Visitor Protection Division, Branch of Wildland Fire and Aviation. One position is available. This is a full-time, permanent position.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. Citizen. DIRECT HIRING AUTHORITY will be used to fill this position.

Duties

  • Communicates with and educates internal and external audiences about fire management, and NPS fire policy and its relationship to the NPS mission. Develops local, cluster, and incident outreach strategies to communicate complex and controversial issues to the public and media. Presents educational outreach for diverse audiences such as public meetings, interviews, briefings, workshops and conferences including smoke management and other complex and controversial fire management issues.
  • Collaborates with park, community stakeholders, homeowners, elected officials, tribal, state, and federal agencies to educate and inform the public about complex and controversial issues including planned local fire management activities, the risk and benefits associated with fire, and how to mitigate the threat of fire to communities. Develops and implements fire prevention and preparedness campaigns designed to educate the park or local area audience to take action.
  • Collaborates with local, regional, and national offices on the development, coordination, and dissemination of fire management activities at the local level, such as key messages, fire stories, interpretive products, training, curricula, individual courses, exhibits and presentations.
  • Develops, coordinates, and reviews plans and programs to ensure that fire communication and education programs are incorporated into other programs in the park/cluster. Provides park-level support to other NPS program areas to enhance the interdisciplinary aspects of fire management. Coordinates fire-focused education and interpretation outreach efforts by collaborating with park staff in other work groups.
  • Writes, edits, designs, and produces well-researched, thorough, written material such as official correspondence, press releases, success stories, newsletters, articles, reports, brochures, posters, displays and exhibits.
  • Prepares park-level fire focused materials such as strategic plans, operational plans, briefing papers, talking points, and training materials. Provides concise written materials such as reports, studies, policies, and other correspondence to management, often involving complex, controversial issues and the need to obtain support.
  • Assists in developing digital materials related to fire for National Park Service website presences and social media sites. Develops and implements effective processes for soliciting, collecting, and analyzing website and social media user input, to enhance content.
  • Provides leadership and support for the public information officer (PIO) role in NPS and interagency incident response. Recruits, mentors, and facilitates developmental opportunities for NPS, National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG), and all-hazard management public information officers and trainees.
  • As qualified, serves as a public information officer on inter- and intra-agency incident assignments, responding to planned and unplanned/unscheduled critical requests and incident response needs, such as fires and fuels projects. Provides limited support as available for all-hazard incidents such as special events, hurricanes, floods, and other natural and civil emergencies.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
  • Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • You will be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record. You must also submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that disclose all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you.
  • You may be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel drive vehicle.
  • Work may require travel by fixed-wing or rotorwing aircraft.
  • You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
  • You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work
  • If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
  • May be subject to travel up to 14 or more nights per month at any given time of the year, and you must obtain a government charge card for travel.
  • You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement 01/31/2025 unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount qualified specialized experience.

For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.

To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level, you must meet the following specialized experience by close of the announcement:
EXPERIENCE: At least one full year (12 months) of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Qualifying specialized experience is: assisting with the development, coordination, and dissemination of internal and external communication of organization activities. Facilitate communications with local homeowners and various local, state and federal agencies and organization employees in an effort to educate about a natural resource or cultural program. Coordinate the integration of the organization communications and education program with other organization program areas. You must include hours worked per week on your resume.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of 3 years (54 semester hours/8 quarter hours) of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral in communication, ecology, biology, or related field of science underlying ecological research. You must provide transcripts.
-OR-
COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: equivalent combination of graduate level education and professional experience, which includes successful completion of over 36 semester hours/54 quarter hours of graduate level education AND specialized experience that equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.

You must include months, years and hours per week worked to receive credit for your work and/or volunteer experience. One year of specialized experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week. Part-time hours are prorated. You will not receive any credit for experience that does not indicate exact hours per week or is listed as "varies".

Volunteer Experience: 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

To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

Additional information

This notice is being issued to recruit personnel to occupations for which a critical hiring need has been identified. To assist in filling these positions, OPM has granted the Department of the Interior "Direct Hire Authority".

A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.

A Recruitment Incentive May Be Authorized for a newly selected employee when appointed to a permanent, temporary, or term position. A Federal employee who is transferring to the National Park Service from another component, bureau or Federal agency and who does not meet the conditions under 5 CFR §575.102 is not eligible for a recruitment incentive.

A Relocation Incentive May Be Authorized for a Federal employee when the employee must move, as directed by the National Park Service (NPS) either through a management directed reassignment or selection for employment, to a different location at least 50 miles away from the one where his/her position of record held at time of selection is currently located, due to a need of the NPS. A relocation incentive is not the same as a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move and, as such, may be granted in conjunction with one another.

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Physical Demands: The work is primarily sedentary, although a level of physical fitness is required which will allow for work periods of extended stress and in the field when unusual fire situations arise. Some duties will require periodic outdoor work and/or incident assignments. Both indoor and outdoor duties may necessitate long hours of duty, extended periods of intense concentration and the ability to work effectively in a highly stressful environment with tight deadlines.

Working Conditions: Most of the work will be performed in an office setting with occasional travel to attend meetings, workshops and conferences. Field assignments will involve dust, smoke, heat, cold, moisture, and extreme dryness.

The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster or under certain circumstances and will require supervisor approval.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) OR Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): CTAP/ICTAP provides placement assistance to permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF50 noting position, grade level, duty location with their application. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, applicants must be qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. For Information on CTAP and ICTAP visit: Career Transition (opm.gov)

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.

Applicants will be evaluated based on how well they meet the qualification requirements.

Upon receipt of the completed application package, a review of the application will be made to ensure basic qualification requirements are met.

This vacancy will be filled through DOI's 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 employee will receive no consideration for the position, as per OPM regulations.

Required Documents

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 01/31/2025:

  1. Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, dates specified in month and year format, and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount qualified specialized experience. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade.
  2. Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) OR Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) - If you are applying under CTAP and 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.
  3. Most current Incident Qualification and Certification System (IQCS) Master Record or other equivalent documentation which reflects completion of the required NWCG qualifications for this position.
  4. Documentation that you meet the Selective Factors.
  5. You must submit a legible copy of your transcripts, if qualifying on education.
Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.

Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.

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

To apply for this position: You must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 01/31/2025. You must provide documentation to support your claim for each eligibility selected. Please review the required documentation listed in the eligibilities language to ensure you submit the appropriate information. Note: You will only be marked eligible for those eligibilities that you selected and provided the appropriate supporting documentation.

  1. Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account.
  2. Start the Application Process by selecting "Start Application."
  3. Select or add the resume you want to use for this application. Click here on how to build a resume in USAJOBS.
  4. Select documents you want included in this application.
  5. Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed.
  6. Select if you want to include your demographic information.
  7. After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site."
  8. Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application.
  9. Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown.
    • Upload any missing required documents or optional documents.
  10. Review and Submit Application.
  11. While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position.
  12. You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement.
    • To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select "+" next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job.
    • Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. It is important that you select all documents you want to use in the re-application.

Agency contact information

NPS Fire-SPARK Office
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once the Occupational Questionnaire is received you will receive acknowledgement that your submission was successful. If you are among the most qualified candidates and your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly for a possible interview. You will be notified of the status of your Application Package at the time candidates are referred for consideration, and when the selection process is complete.


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


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