Clarification from the agency

Current Career or Career Conditional Federal Employees, Land Management eligibles, 30% disabled veterans, Military Spouse, Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Vista, VRA, VEOA, ICTAP/CTAP, Schedule A, Reinstatement eligibles, Public Land Corp (PLC).

This announcement will fill four types of positions (multiple vacancies per position).

• Training Specialist: This position develops and implements a schedule and syllabus for parachute and fire training, leads a cadre of smokejumpers in various phases of smokejumper training, and evaluates the performance of individuals in such training.
• Loft Specialist: This position supervises parachute rigging, maintenance, and repairs, constructs and maintains smokejumper parachuting equipment, and trains less experienced smokejumpers in parachute loft equipment and procedures.
• Fire Operations Specialist: This position serves as an Incident Commander Type 3 or interim incident commander on complex and emerging wildfires and smokejumper rigging supervisor, providing oversight during ram air rigging and assessing parachute equipment airworthiness.
• Paracargo Specialist: This position serves as loadmaster and oversees and trains others in paracargo rigging, aircraft ramp operations, and aircraft loading.

As a Forestry Technician (Smokejumper Specialist), your duties will include but are not limited to the following:

• Parachute into rugged terrain to perform fire suppression and related duties.
• Perform as an initial attack Incident Commander on wildfires nationwide.
• Cooperate with land managers, aerial and ground firefighting resources, dispatch centers, and other Incident Command Teams.
• Repair, pack, and maintain parachutes and related equipment.
• Assist with establishing, writing, editing, and updating internal protocols and guidelines.
• Assist with work assignment planning, prioritization, and scheduling.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Suitability for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.
• Direct Deposit Required.
• You will be required to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use.
• 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.
• You must also pass the work capacity test for arduous positions.
• Individuals assigned male at birth after 12-31-59 must be registered for the Selective Service. To verify registration, visit SSS.gov.
• You must be 18 years of age or older to be assigned to a hazardous position.
• Must meet the maximum age requirement. See qualifications section for more information.
• Subject to frequent extended travel up to 21 days at a time particularly during fire season, and you must obtain a government charge card for travel.
• Must meet state drivers licensing requirements. This license must be obtained and valid prior to employment.
• A condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.

This position is covered by the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336 (c) and 5 U.S.C. 8412 (d) as a Primary/Rigorous Firefighter. Applicants must be 18 years of age, but not have reached their 37th birthday by the closing date of this announcement. These positions are covered by the special enhanced annuity retirement provisions for Federal Firefighters and Law Enforcement officers and have a mandatory retirement age of 57. Two exceptions are allowed: 1) an applicant has prior Federal service in documented special retirement covered position(s) sufficient to count toward 20 years of covered service on or before the mandatory retirement age of 57; or 2) an applicant is a qualified veterans' preference eligible, in which case the MEA is waived and their corresponding retirement age may be higher than 57 after completing 20 years of service. Applicants must submit proof of their previous and/or current status in the Fire Fighter or Law Enforcement special enhanced annuity retirement system.

Qualifications

This announcement will fill four positions (multiple vacancies per position): Training Specialist, Loft Specialist, Fire Operations Specialist, and Paracargo Specialist.

In order to qualify for this position, you must possess the Minimum Qualification requirements listed below.

Selective Placement Factors (SPFs): This position requires a special qualification that has 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 factor(s) will be rated not qualified.

SPF #1: Required for ALL vacancies:

• 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 of prior Federal service in another primary 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. 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 may result in loss of consideration. Please refer to the Required Documents section for further guidance on what documentation is required to meet this 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.

SPF #2 : Required for ALL vacancies:

• Prior Primary Wildland Firefighting Experience: Applicants must have documented prior primary firefighting experience, with substantial service defined as either:
  • At least one full fire season working in a primary wildland firefighting role (e.g., Engine Crew, Fire Effects Crew, Prescribed Fire/Fuels Crew, Hand Crew, Helitack Crew, Hotshot Crew, Smokejumper, Wildland Fire Modules or Fire Suppression Crews, etc.) with a federal, state, tribal, local, or private-sector organization;- OR -
  • At least 14-days of on-the-ground fireline experience (cumulative or consecutive).

Prior primary wildland fire experience must be clearly documented in your resume. Note: an IQCS Master Record or equivalent document will not be used to determine or calculate prior primary wildland fire experience eligibility for this requirement.

SPF #3: Required for ALL vacancies:

• Prior smokejumping experience required. This experience must be documented in the online application or resume with specific to AND from dates (MM/YY), description of work performed, AND hours worked per week.

SPF #4: Required for Loft Specialist and Fire Operations Specialist ONLY:

• FAA Certified Senior or Master Rigger: To be FAA certified as a Senior or Master Rigger, a person must complete the required number of parachute packs and complete written, oral, and practical exams administered by the designated FAA examiner(s). Documentation must be submitted at the time of application.

SPF#5: Required for Fire Operations Specialist ONLY:

• Incident Commander Type 3 (ICT3) qualified. You must provide a copy of your Incident Qualification and Certification System (IQCS) Master Record or other equivalent documentation which verifies you meet the required NWCG minimum qualifications

In addition to the requirements described above, the following additional experience is required.

Only experience and education obtained by 06/11/2026 will be considered.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. Please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience.

For the GW-08 level: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GW/GS-07 level, or higher, in the Federal service, or equivalent. Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to: experience in forest and rangeland fire suppression as an initial attack incident commander coordinating multiple firefighting resources, and interfacing with land managers, cooperators, and the public; experience in Smokejumper operations including parachuting into rugged terrain, parachute rigging and repair, and the use of smokejumper specific firefighting tools and equipment; experience in the development of training syllabi and schedules; experience in the repair and construction of smokejumper equipment.
-OR-
Two full years (36 semester hours) of graduate level education or a master's degree directly related to the work of a forestry technician
-OR-
An equivalent combination of 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.

Physical Requirements:
Employment in this position is conditional upon your successful completion of the following 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.

Working Conditions: Forty-five percent of the work is performed outdoors in a wide variety of weather and terrain conditions or in a crowded airplane. Meals frequently consist of cold rations and sleeping accommodations may be a sleeping bag and a piece of plastic. The remainder of the work is accomplished in sometimes tense and stressful office environment. Incumbent risks death or serious injury during parachute jumps, cargo dropping or firefighting.

Eligibility and Qualification Requirements: Applicants must meet both eligibility and qualification requirements for the position of interest by the closing date of the Job Announcement. Specifically,
i. Area of Consideration.
ii. Time-in-grade (TIG) requirements as specified in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
iii. Time after competitive appointment as specified in 5 CFR 330.502.
iv. Qualification requirements outlined in OPM's Qualifications Standards for General Schedule Positions.

How you will be evaluated

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

Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. Headers may be slightly larger but must remain legible. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.

You will be evaluated based on how your application materials reflect the qualification requirements of this position. Once the application process is complete, HR will review your application to ensure you meet eligibility and minimum qualifications. To determine if you are minimally qualified for this position, HR will complete a review of your resume, supporting documentation and responses to the online questionnaire. 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.

In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications requirement(s), this position requires successful completion of the following additional assessment: Subject Matter Expert Review. This assessment will measure the critical competencies listed below that are required to successfully perform in the position.

• 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. Knowledge of basic computer skills to preserve, track, and analyze data, and to communicate electronically. Oral and written skills sufficient to effectively give instruction, and interact with people at all levels, internally and externally to the organization, including the public.
• Manages Human Resources: Plans, distributes, and monitors work assignments; evaluates work performance and provides feedback to others on their performance.

In the evaluation process, due weight will be given to job related experience, education, training, incentive awards and performance appraisals. Applicants must have a performance rating of at least the equivalent of fully successful to be eligible for promotion or placement. Applicants may provide a copy of a performance appraisal of record dated within the last 18 months. If the applicant is unable to provide a performance appraisal of record dated within the last 18 months, the applicant may provide a written explanation as to why.

Candidates who apply under Noncompetitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are minimally qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

In addition to the online application (resume and responses to the questionnaire), you are required to submit the following supplemental documentation as applicable:

• College Transcripts: If you are qualifying with education, you must provide copies of all your official or unofficial transcripts for verification from an accredited U.S. college/university by the closing date. Transcripts must include grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average, or class ranking, institution name, and student name. from an accredited U.S. college/university by the closing date. If your degree is from a Foreign Institution, See Foreign Education. All selections and tentative offers of selection are contingent upon submission and verification of 'official' transcripts.
• SF-50: (non-award), or equivalent Notification of Personnel Action if you are a current or former Federal employee. Your SF-50 (non-award) must show tenure code 1 or 2 in block 24, and position occupied code 1 (competitive service) in block 34. If you have previously held a higher grade than the grade/position you currently occupy, you must submit a copy of the last non-award SF-50 you received for that position.
• Performance Appraisal: Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation and 2) a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.
• IFPM Requirement - If you are applying for the Fire Operations Specialist, you must provide a copy of your Incident Qualification and Certification System (IQCS) Master Record or other equivalent documentation which verifies you meet the required NWCG minimum qualifications. Failure to provide this documentation will result in you being rated as not qualified.
• Proof of Age (Required for ALL positions): As this is a covered primary fire position, your application package MUST include official government issued documentation (SF-50, driver's license, etc.) indicating your date of birth. If over the maximum entry age (MEA), and you are not a Veteran, proof of prior covered service must be submitted (i.e. initial primary covered SF-50, copies of approved coverage letters based on individual claims, and any additional SF-50s showing beginning and ending dates of covered/creditable appointments if a break occurred). If over the MEA and you are a Veteran, you must supply a copy of your Defense Department Form 214 (DD-214) along with Standard Form 15 (if applicable) and any associated documentation. Failure to submit required documentation may result in loss of consideration.
• Certification(s): If you are applying for the Loft Specialist or Fire Operations Specialist, FAA certified senior or master rigger card
• 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 also submit an SF-15, "Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference" plus 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. NOTE: To be eligible for a Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) appointment under Merit Promotion procedures, you must be a preference eligible, or a Veteran separated after 3 years or more of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions.
• CTAP/ICTAP Documentation: 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. 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.
• Former Public Land Corps Member: see "How to Apply" section for details.
• Applicants applying under PL-114-47: see "How to Apply" section for details.
• If you are applying for this position based on eligibility under other noncompetitive special appointing authorities, you MUST submit proof of this eligibility.

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