Summary
Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our most precious resource.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is looking for employees to work as career seasonal Smokejumpers (Forestry Technicians) in Boise, Idaho and/or Fairbanks, Alaska.
For information on Boise Smokejumpers, visit their website, or view this video.
For information on Alaska Smokejumpers, visit their website.
Please See **Alaska Pay Differential** in "Additional Information" Section.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
All U.S. Citizens - No previous federal service is required.
This position is being advertised under an OPM government-wide Direct Hire authority.
CTAP and ICTAP candidates in the local commuting area.
Duties
- Parachutes into rugged terrain and performs fire suppression and related duties.
- Utilizes fire behavior knowledge and firefighting experience to perform wildland fire suppression and prescribed fire operations safely and effectively in accordance with identified appropriate management response.
- May direct fire line activities and tactics for firefighters, equipment, aircraft and other resources.
- Maintains smokejumper and firefighting equipment, tools and supplies.
- Repairs, packs and maintains parachutes and related equipment.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- U.S. Citizenship is required.
- Be sure to read the How to Apply and Required Documents Sections.
- You cannot hold an active real estate license: nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.
- Direct Deposit Required.
- Appointment will be subject to a favorably adjudicated background/suitability investigation/determination.
- You must be 18 years of age or older to be assigned to a hazardous position.
- Passage of a pre-employment physical is required. You must also pass the work capacity test for arduous positions.
- An applicant appointed to this position must possess (or obtain within 30 days of entrance on duty) and maintain a valid state driver's license while employed in this position.
- May require a one year probationary period.
- Applicant(s) tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use and to pass the test prior to appointment. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use.
- Your resume must contain enough information to show that you meet the qualification requirements as defined in the announcement. In addition, your responses to the questions must adequately reflect in your resume.
Qualifications
Selective Placement Factors:
This position requires special qualifications that have been determined to be essential to perform the duties and will be used as screen out elements. Those who do not provide evidence they possess the following selective factors will be rated not qualified:
- This position is a Primary Firefighter position and is subject to a maximum entry age (MEA). The MEA is the date immediately preceding your 37th birthday. Applicants must not have reached age 37 at the time of appointment, unless proof is provided for prior Federal service in another primary covered position, OR proof of land management workforce flexibility act (LMWFA) eligibility (see required documents section for more information on proof for LMWFA), OR you are a preference eligible veteran. If you meet any of the previous exemptions to MEA you must provide the required documents.
- 90 days of Prior on-the-line Wildland Firefighting Requirement: The Department of the Interior (DOI) defines wildland firefighting experience as any non-structure fire that occurs in the wildland. Wildland firefighting experience is gained through work on the fire line in containment, control, suppression or use of wildland fire. This experience can be met by serving in a fire position for no less than 90 days. Wildland fires are categorized into two distinct types:
- Wildfires - Unplanned ignitions or prescribed fires that are declared wildfires; and
- Prescribed Fires - Planned ignitions. This description includes only fireline experience on a Prescribed Fire; it does not include experience in the planning stages. Prescribed fire experience must be supplemented by fire suppression experience in order to be creditable as previous wildland firefighting experience.
- This experience must be documented with specific dates (MM/YYYY-MM/YYYY) and hours worked in your resume; failure to document may result is loss of consideration.
- Prior smokejumping experience required - **For the GS-06 level only** This experience must be documented with specific dates in the resume.
- Firefighter Type 1 (FFT1) required - You must provide the required document as instructed in the 'Required Documents' section of this announcement.
Specialized Experience:
In order to be rated as minimally qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the minimum qualification requirements - please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience. Failure to provide required information on resume could result in ineligibility for consideration.
To qualify for the GS-05 level, 1 year of creditable specialized experience equivalent to the GS-04 is required. Examples of specialized work experience include, but not limited to: wildland fire suppression as a member of a hand crew, helitack crew, engine crew or fire use module, including instructing or leading firefighters in both fire/non-fire assignments.
OR- Successful completion of a 4 year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with either a major study in forestry, range management, or agriculture, or a subject matter field directly related to the position, or at least 24 semester hours in any combination of the following courses: forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources (except marine biology and oceanography), outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire science. No more than 6 semester hours of mathematics is creditable. The level of the course work must have been equivalent to at least the junior- and senior-year levels of a baccalaureate program;
OR- A combination of education and experience that is directly related to the work of this position.
To qualify for the GS-06 grade level, 1 year of creditable specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 is required. Examples of specialized work experience include, but not limited to: wildland fire suppression as a member of a hand crew, helitack crew, engine crew or fire use module. Experience also includes instructing or leading firefighters with both fire and non-fire assignments and includes experience as a qualified smokejumper using Ram-Air parachutes, supervision of one or more employees (with little or no direct supervision) on wildland fires while anticipating fire behavior, determining suppression tactics, and taking the necessary action to control fires.
OR- Successful completion of 1 full year of graduate level education which is directly related to the position;
OR- A combination of education and experience that is directly related to the work of this position.
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.
You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
If selected at the lower grade, subsequent promotion to the next grade level will be processed without further competition dependent upon administrative approval and the continuing need for an actual assignment and performance of higher-level duties.
Medical Requirements Please see the Department of Interior Medical Standards Program website for the Federal Interagency Wildland Firefighter Medical Standards for your position: http://www.nifc.gov/medical_standards/index.html.
Physical Requirements Employment in this position is conditional upon your successful completion of the following BLM smokejumper physical fitness performance tests:
When you report for duty, you will be given a physical condition test. The test is given in one time period with a 5-minute break between exercises. The test consists of performing the following exercises:
- 30 push-ups
- 6 pull-ups
- Run 1.5 miles in 10.47 minutes or less and backpacking a 110 pound load three miles in less than 65 minutes.
Work Capacity Test at the Arduous Level: All arduous wildland firefighters must backpack a 45 pound load for three miles in 45 minutes or less.
Physical Demands: The incumbent must be able to work under extreme physical exertion regularly working 16 hour shifts or longer on the fireline. Work on the fireline requires considerable strenuous physical exertion.
Work Environment: The majority of the work is performed out of doors in a wide variety of weather and terrain conditions or in a crowded airplane.
Firefighter Special Retirement: This is a primary fire position under the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336(c) (CSRS) and 5 U.S.C. 8412(d) (FERS). The position is subject to maximum entry age (MEA) requirements.
The MEA for this position shall not exceed age 37; unless you have sufficient prior Federal civilian firefighter or you are a preference eligible veteran. If you are a preference eligible veteran, you may be eligible for this position on or after your 37th birthday. You must supply a copy of your Defense Department Form 214 (DD-214) along with Standard Form 15 (if applicable) and any associated documentation in accordance with the instructions in this vacancy announcement. Failure to provide this documentation with your application will result in loss of eligibility to receive a waiver of the maximum entry age requirement.
If over the MEA and you are not a Veteran, proof of prior covered service must be submitted prior to employment. Acceptable proof consists of SF-50s showing beginning and ending dates of covered/creditable appointments and copies of approved letters based on individual claims.
Education
Proof of Education:
All applicants who are using education or a combination of education and experience to qualify must submit copies of official or unofficial transcripts which include grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, institution name, and student name. If any required coursework is not easily recognizable on transcripts, or if you believe a portion of a particular course can be credited toward meeting an educational requirement, you must also provide a memorandum on letterhead from the institution's registrar, dean, or other appropriate official stating the percentage of the course that should be considered to meet the requirement and the equivalent number of units. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; however, if you are selected for the position, you will be required to produce the original official transcripts.
Foreign Education:
If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
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.
Once the job opportunity announcement closes, your resume and all supporting documents will be reviewed by HR to determine your eligibility for Federal employment and your qualifications for this position specifically.
This is a Public Notice for positions being filled under the Direct Hiring Authority (DHA) for Wildland Fire. Under this recruitment procedure applications will be accepted for each location identified in this Public Notice. To learn more about Direct-Hire Authority, go to: OPM.GOV Hiring Information - DHA.
Because this vacancy will be filled through OPM's Direct Hire Authority, Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do not apply to positions filled under this announcement.
Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics). You do not have to respond to the competencies separately, but your resume should contain sufficient information to demonstrate possession of the following competencies:
- Fire Management: Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and theories of fire management, including the characteristics, behavior, and ecology of fire; methodologies, strategies, and equipment used in prescribed fires; fire detection, prevention, and suppression strategies; and integration of fire with natural resource management.
- Technical Competence: Knowledge of how to perform one's job. Refers to specialized knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience.
Your resume will be used to validate your responses to the assessment tool(s).
Required Documents
In addition to the online application (i.e. resume and responses to the questionnaire), you are required to submit the following forms:
Resume:
At a minimum, your resume MUST contain job title (include job series and grade, if Federal), duties, starting and ending dates (month and year MM/YYYY), hours worked per week, and salary for each position held. USAJOBS has a template to ensure a complete resume. Failure to provide required information will result in loss of eligibility. For more information, visit OPM Resume Writing Tips and/or visit the USAJOBs Help Center for more information on What should I include in my federal resume?
- Current personal contact information.
- Work experience (paid or unpaid) including - starting and ending dates (month and year, MM/YYYY - MM/YYYY), employer's name and address, job title (include job series and grade if Federal), duties and accomplishments, supervisor's name and telephone number, indicate if supervisor may be contacted, hours per week, and salary.
- Education and job-related training including - school name, type and year of degrees/diploma received, credits earned and majors; title of training course and year of completion.
- References - personal and professional- Additional information - skills (languages, tools, machinery, typing speed, etc.), certificates or licenses (current only), and/or honors, awards, and special accomplishments (recognition, professional memberships, publications, leadership activities, etc.).
Your resume will be used to validate your responses to the assessment tool(s) and to determine that you meet the qualification requirements - please be sure to include this information in your resume. Failure to provide required information will result in loss of eligibility. No assumptions will be made about your experience.
You are welcome to submit an optional cover letter.
Transcripts:
If using education to qualify, submit a copy of ALL your college transcripts or a list of ALL college courses that include hours and grades from an accredited U.S. college/university. Upon selection, official transcripts must be received prior to appointment. If your degree is from a Foreign Institution, See Foreign Education.
Incident Qualification and Certification System (IQCS) Master Record:
IQCS or other equivalent documentation which verifies you meet the required NWCG qualifications for this position. Failure to provide this documentation by the closing date of the announcement will result in you being rated as not qualified.
Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) eligibles:
Submit documentation verifying your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility - this includes a copy of the agency notice and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level and duty location.
USAJOBs documents:
Please note that documents selected for transfer from your USAJOBS profile are NOT automatically added to your application. You need to transfer your document(s) in the "Documents" step during the application process. Hard copy paper supplemental documents, submitted without prior Human Resources approval, will be considered as an incomplete application. Required documentation must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on 10/22/2024.
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
THIS IS AN ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS THROUGH USAJOBS. Your application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on 10/22/2024.
If you need assistance in applying on-line, please contact the HR Office at NIFC-FA Branch of Human Resource office at blm_fa_nifc_vacancies@blm.gov or (208) 387-5523. If applying on-line poses a hardship for you (i.e. you do not have access to the Internet) you must contact us prior to the closing date of the announcement for an alternative method of applying. PLEASE NOTE: If you have access to a public library, State Job Service Office, etc., you should use these resources to apply online.
You must follow the steps described below to complete the application process:
1) YOU MUST HAVE OR CREATE A PROFILE IN USAJOBs; your profile must contain a current resume for submission. In order to receive proper consideration, your resume should include the following information:
- Current personal contact information.
- Work experience (paid or unpaid) including - starting and ending dates (month and year, MM/YYYY - MM/YYYY), employer's name and address, job title (include job series and grade if Federal), duties and accomplishments, supervisor's name and telephone number, indicate if supervisor may be contacted, hours per week, and salary.
- Education and job-related training including - school name, type and year of degrees/diploma received, credits earned and majors; title of training course and year of completion.
- References - personal and professional- Additional information - skills (languages, tools, machinery, typing speed, etc.), certificates or licenses (current only), and/or honors, awards, and special accomplishments (recognition, professional memberships, publications, leadership activities, etc.).
INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION COULD RESULT IN AN INELIGIBLE RATING. The USAJOBS Resume Builder was designed to ensure that your resume includes the standard information needed. The Resume Builder is an available tool when you login to your USAJOBS account. 2) Review the Appointment Eligibility Criteria; the eligibility section of the application process is designed to allow you to choose how you wish to be considered for this vacancy announcement. You will ONLY be considered for the appointment eligibilities that you selected. You must provide proof of your eligibility to be considered. You must submit a resume and also complete the online application and assessment questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section.
- To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
- Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
- The eligibility portion of the application process is designed to allow you to choose how you wish to be considered for this announcement. You may choose more than one eligibility. You must provide proof of your eligibility and will only be considered for the questions that you answer "yes".
- Please note, your eligibility will be based solely on the selections you have indicated in this section. You must provide the supporting documentation to support your claim to be considered. You may choose more than one eligibility in this section.
To view the assessment questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12508163.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account ( Welcome | Login.gov), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to.
FOLLOW UP. Check your application status before the announcement closes. It is your responsibility to ensure that a complete application (including a resume, on-line questionnaire, and applicable supplemental documentation) is received by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on 10/22/2024 . NOTE: Technical problems may take at least 1 business day to resolve; therefore, you are highly encouraged to complete the application process prior to the closing date.
Next steps
Once you submit all the required documents and the online application (i.e. online questionnaire, resume, and any supporting documentation, etc.) in USAJOBs, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After the evaluation process is completed by the Branch of Human Resources, you will be notified via USAJOBs of a status change (i.e. referred, not eligible, not qualified, referred to the hiring official, etc.). Note, you must login to your USAJOBs profile to view details of the status change.
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.
Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.
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