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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Passage of a pre-employment physical is required. You must also pass the work capacity test for arduous positions.
- May require completion of a one year probationary period.
Qualifications
Selective Placement Factors (SPFs):
This position requires special qualifications that have been determined to be essential to perform the duties and will be used as a screen out element. Those who do not provide evidence they possess the following selective factors will be rated not qualified:
- SPF #1: Prior Smokejumping Experience - Thisexperience must be documented with specific dates in your application.
- SPF #2: Incident Commander Type 4 Qualified - You must provide your IQCS record or equivalent document as instructed in the 'Required Documents' section of this announcement.
- SPF #3: Maximum Entry Age - This position is a Primary Firefighter position and is covered under Special Fire Retirement. In accordance with Public Law 107-27, applicants must be age 37 or under at the time of appointment, unless proof is provided of prior Federal service in another covered position, or you are a preference eligible veteran. If you are a preference eligible veteran, you MAY be eligible for this position after your 37th birthday.
Specialized Experience:
In order to be rated as 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.
To qualify for the GS-07 grade level, 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-06 is required. Experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is directly related to the work of the position to be filled. Qualifying experience includes but is not limited to: experience in forest and range land fire suppression as an initial attack incident commander. Experience in Smokejumper operations including parachuting into rugged terrain, parachute rigging and repair, and the use of smokejumper specific firefighting tools and equipment. Experience also includes instructing or leading firefighters in both fire and non-fire assignments.
-OR- 1 full year (18 semester hours) of graduate education which is DIRECTLY related to work of the position;
-OR- an equivalent combination of specialized experience and education.
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 within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.
Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade requirement in accordance with 5 CFR 300.604. If you are a current Federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must have completed a minimum of 52 weeks at the next lower grade level.
This is a career seasonal position. You will be in pay status for at least 6 months, but less than 12 months per calendar year. When work and/or funds are unavailable, you will be placed into non-pay status. Pay status may be less than 6 months during initial appointment.
Medical Requirements:
Please see the U.S. Office of Personnel Management website for the Medical Standards for Smokejumper Positions: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0400/forestry-technician-series-0462/.
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 OR 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 work is performed outdoors in a wide variety of weather and terrain conditions or in a crowded airplane.
Firefighter Special Retirement (Primary Coverage):
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.
THIS IS A DRUG TESTING DESIGNATED POSITION in accordance with Executive Order 12564, and under the Department's Drug Free Workplace Program. 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.
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.
Pass/Fail Courses:
If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.
Graduate Education:
One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.
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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/
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 application process is complete, we will review your application to ensure you meet eligibility and minimum qualifications. To determine if you are minimally qualified for this job, HR will complete a review of your resume, supporting documentation and responses to the online questionnaire (self-rated). Your responses to the online questionnaire will be used to measure the degree to which your background matches the requirements for this position. However, your resume must support your responses to the score, or your score may be lowered.
Your responses to the online questionnaire will be used to evaluate your competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics) in the following areas:
- 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.
- Leadership: Influences, motivates, and challenges others; adapts leadership styles to a variety of situations.
- Technical Competence: Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on the job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.
The critical competencies listed above are required to successfully perform the job. Therefore, an additional assessment will be conducted to ensure they are met; a resume review panel of subject matter experts will review your application package and determine if you are best qualified or not. The best qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be contacted for an interview.
Your resume will be used to validate your responses to the assessment tools.
You are welcome to submit an optional cover letter.
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?
SF-50 Notification of Personnel Action form:
If you are a current or former Federal employee, you must submit your most recent non-award SF-50 that shows tenure code 1 or 2 in block 24, and position occupied code 1 (competitive service) in block 34. The SF-50 must show the position title, series, grade, and step of your position. If you are claiming reinstatement eligibility, you must submit an SF-50 showing your separation. If you have previously held a higher grade than the grade/position you currently occupy, you must submit a copy of the more recent non-award SF-50 you received for that position.
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:
Incident Commander Type 4 Qualified - to verify you meet the required ICT4 qualification.
Due Weight Documents: 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation and 2) a list of any awards you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. Please submit a statement as to why it is not available, if necessary.
Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA):
You must submit ALL SF-50s and performance documentation for each period of temporary/term employment if you are requesting to be considered Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act eligibility. Applicants eligible under PL-114-47, Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act must submit documentation verifying (a) initial selection under competitive examining procedures to a land management agency under a time-limited appointment in the competitive service, and (b) service under this initial appointment, or in conjunction with subsequent competitive service time-limited appointments, to a land management agency was for a period of 24 months without a break in service of two or more years.
Your performance must have been evaluated as being at an acceptable level for the entire applicable period(s). "Required documentation" includes:
- SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action: first, any extension of appointment, and the last SF-50 for each appointment verifying the Position Occupied code (Block 34) is-Competitive Service.
- Documentation supporting satisfactory performance (i.e. Employee Performance and Appraisal Plan (EPAP)) for each appointment.
Public Land Corps (PLC):
A copy of the Certificate of Eligibility for Non-Competitive Hiring Based for Public Land Corps Service.
Special Hiring Authorities:
If you are applying for this position based on eligibility under other noncompetitive special appointing authorities (i.e. Peace Corps, Schedule A, etc.), you MUST submit proof of this eligibility.
Military Spouse Authority: If you are applying under the noncompetitive Military Spouse eligibility, you MUST provide proof of eligibility. Required documentation includes but not limited to:
- A document verifying active-duty status of the service member's orders reflecting a permanent change of station (PCS) dated August 13, 2023, or later.
- A document verifying marriage to the member of the armed forces.
- A document showing the member of the armed forces retired, or was released or discharge from active duty, with a disability rating of 100 percent.
Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or lnteragency 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 do your application. You need to transfer your documents in the "Documents" step during the application process.
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 by 12/18/2024.
If you need assistance in applying on-line, please contact the 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 in order to complete the application process successfully:
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/12618776.
Next steps
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 12/18/2024.
**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.
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.