Fire Program Assistant - Direct Hire Authority Job in Tupelo, MS

Vacancy No. 25-NPSFire-12790417-DHA Department National Park Service
Salary $49,960.00 to $64,952.00 Grade 7 to 7
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 8/28/2025 Close Date 9/11/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Tupelo, MS


Summary

One position is being filled at Natchez Trace Parkway; duty location Tupelo, MS. For additional questions regarding the duties or location for this position, please contact Doug Sprouse at James_Sprouse@nps.gov.

The incumbent provides administrative assistance to the Mississippi River Zone Fire and Aviation Management park group units.

Please ensure you read the announcement fully prior to submitting application package.

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

  • Provides administrative, operational, and technical support functions in support of fire management activities.
  • Manages budget programming for multiple fund sources contributing to the fire program, understands and interprets interagency and agency policy as well as national and regional financial business rules for appropriate charging of funds.
  • Fluent in various automated financial systems, processes procurement functions for the branch.
  • Assists Fire Management Officer in preparation of annual fire budget requests using automated/electronic systems.
  • Serves as the subject matter expert in emergency incident administrative procedures, providing correct interpretation and application of incident time, travel, procurement, and cost tracking procedures.
  • Manages Incident Qualification and Certification System database for multiple National Park Service first responders.
  • Creates and updates qualification records, inputs annual training, instructor, and incident experience.
  • Manages and tracks current agency medical clearance determinations for qualified employees. Regularly works with local and state cooperators.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
  • Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
  • Must be 18 years of age at time of close date of announcement.
  • Willing to live/work in remote locations (volatile/unpredictable).
  • If you are a new employee in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
  • You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
  • You will be required to operate a government motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required.
  • Incumbent will be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
  • Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. Your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year - 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 listed to pro-rate the specialized experience. 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.

**NOTE -Please limit your resume to no more than 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. You can only submit one resume; Only the resume submitted under the "Resume" "Document Type" will be used to determine your qualifications and for rating purposes.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

For the GS-07 level: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-06 grade level in the Federal service or equivalent; Examples of specialized experience include: Assisting in the planning and formulating of a budget including preparing budget submissions, annual operating plans, and allocating and transferring funds in accordance with federal fire budget rules; preparing travel authorizations and vouchers for wildland fire incidents, etc., and assisting with making travel arrangements; preparing correspondence, presentations and reports utilizing software packages such as Microsoft Word; coordinating and entering time and attendance for staff following timekeeping procedures utilizing automated payroll systems; tracking and filing documents and correspondence; and ordering and maintaining supplies and equipment for the office; experience with tracking and inputting information in relation to Incident Qualifications and Certification System (IQCS); assisting with dispatching of emergency services resources.

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

There is no substitution of education for experience at the grade level(s) of this announcement.

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".

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

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.

Physical Demands: Most work is sedentary, standing and walking will be required for some duties. Assignments may require travel to NPS field areas and other agency coordination centers and offices.

Working Environment: Work is performed primarily in an office environment, with some visits to other agency coordination centers and training sessions, as a participant in various meetings, workshops, and training courses.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

Please limit your resume to no more than 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. You can only submit one resume; Only the resume submitted under the "Resume" "Document Type" will be used to determine your qualifications and for rating purposes. Only one resume will be used to evaluate your qualifications. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed.

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 09/11/2025:

  • Resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year to month/year), and 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 an applicant's resume is incomplete a rating of "ineligible" will be applied and no consideration for employment will be granted.
    • **NOTE -Please limit your resume to no more than 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. You can only submit one resume; Only the resume submitted under the "Resume" "Document Type" will be used to determine your qualifications and for rating purposes.
  • 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.
  • 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.

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 09/11/2025.

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.

Please limit your resume to no more than 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. You can only submit one resume; Only the resume submitted under the "Resume" "Document Type" will be used to determine your qualifications and for rating purposes.

We do not accept hard copy or emailed application packages.

  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

Lisa Salazar
Address
South East Fire and Aviation-SPARK
100 Alabama Street
Building 1924
Atlanta, GA 30303
US

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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