This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
All current career/career-conditional or former federal employees with reinstatement eligibility; Veterans' Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) and 30 percent or more Disabled Veterans (30% DV); Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA); Former Public Land Corps (PLC) eligibles; Persons eligible under other Special Hiring Authorities; and CTAP and ICTAP eligibles within the local commuting area.
Duties
- Plans, organizes, and directs the national management of weather processing systems utilized by fire weather meteorologists at geographical area coordination centers.
- Directs national training program for geographical area fire weather meteorologists.
- Collects and analyzes national fire weather forecast verification data from the Geographical Area Fire Weather Program Managers.
- Serves as a Fire Weather Program lead for the federal wildland fire agencies at the NIFC for the express purpose of ensuring the continued availability and adequacy of a viable fire weather products.
- Provides technical advice and guidance in fire weather meteorology and climatology to the NICC manager and staff as well as fire management personnel in five Federal wildland fire agencies in two executive departments.
- Participates in the formulation and establishment of national interagency policy, standards, and guidelines for fire weather management.
- Develops national interagency program coordination for fire weather products, services and monitoring systems sufficient to establish baseline information to serve as the basis for improvements in the fire weather program.
- In partnership with geographic area fire weather program managers provides expert advice and consultation to the National Multi-Agency Coordinating (NMAC) Group concerning fire weather issues.
- Monitors and advises Federal wildland fire agencies on quality control activities for the express purpose of ensuring the integrity of weather observations provided by and for the wildland fire agencies.
- Conducts national analyses to determine adequacy of skill and knowledge levels of wildland fire users and identifies shortages.
- Promotes proper usage by federal wildland fire agency personnel of all available weather services and information to ensure that meteorological and climatological information is being effectively utilized.
- Coordinates with research scientists to identify research needs in the "science" of fire weather and in adapting research findings to problem solutions by developing new techniques appropriate for fire weather problems.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- The incumbent provides interagency program direction, conducts evaluations on and develops new fire weather products, conducts analysis, and provides advocacy and liaison for federal wildland fire agencies in the fire weather arena.
- 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.
- May require completion of a one year probationary period.
Qualifications
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.
For GS-13: In addition to meeting the basic education requirement, you must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-12 level that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity as indicated by the following examples: extensive experience in the theory and application of meteorology including dynamics of the atmosphere, mesoscale meteorology, and the application of computer methods of numerical weather analysis and prediction in complex terrain; experience in climatological principles which impact wildland fire and natural resource management planning and operations; use of verbal and written communication in order to facilitate and lead meetings, conduct briefings and presentations, and write technical reports and national directives that apply to a wide ranging audience that includes agency administrators, private interest groups, and media.
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.
Physical Demands: Long hours of sitting, intense concentration, and working at peak proficiency level with irregular breaks/mealtimes are frequent, prolonged demands of the job. Incumbent is subject to work shifts of 12-14 hours per day for extensive periods during national, regional, and local wildland fire emergencies. Assessment of field conditions and review of program implementation requires considerable walking and climbing over steep terrain which often is covered with debris.
The incumbent will be required to provide highly specialized services under often very demanding physical conditions including; heavy pressure, briefing line management, MAC groups and Area Commands, Senior Executives and Political Appointees, strict deadlines, and
extended hours are routine.
Work Environment: Work is usually performed in an office setting. However, field travel is not uncommon and occurs under all kinds of climatic conditions, including exposure to the wildland fire environment, steep terrain, smoke, walking over debris, and long hours. Normal protective equipment includes head gear and boots. Wildland fire management operations require use of flame resistant clothing, gloves, and in a few cases eye and hearing protection.
Incentives:
Certain incentives (such as Recruitment, Relocation or Student Loan Repayment) may be authorized to eligible selectees. If eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive or Student Loan Repayment.
Education
BASIC REQUIREMENT:
Education is required in order to meet the Basic Requirements. Substitution of education for specialized experience is not applicable to this vacancy.
Basic Education Required: This position has a positive Education Requirement in addition to at least one year of Specialized Experience OR substitution of education for experience OR combination (if applicable) in order to be found minimally qualified. Transcripts must be submitted with your application package.
You MUST meet the following requirements:
EDUCATION:
A. Degree: meteorology, atmospheric science, or other natural science major that included:
- At least 24 semester (36 quarter) hours of credit in meteorology/atmospheric science including a minimum of: (a) Six semester hours of atmospheric dynamics and thermodynamics;* (b) Six semester hours of analysis and prediction of weather systems (synoptic/mesoscale); (c) Three semester hours of physical meteorology; and (d) Two semester hours of remote sensing of the atmosphere and/or instrumentation.
- Six semester hours of physics, with at least one course that includes laboratory sessions.*
- Three semester hours of ordinary differential equations.*
- At least nine semester hours of course work appropriate for a physical science major in any combination of three or more of the following: physical hydrology, statistics, chemistry, physical oceanography, physical climatology, radiative transfer, aeronomy, advanced thermodynamics, advanced electricity and magnetism, light and optics, and computer science.
*There is a prerequisite or corequisite of calculus for course work in atmospheric dynamics and thermodynamics, physics, and differential equations. Calculus courses must be appropriate for a physical science major.
OR
B. Combination of education and experience: course work as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.
You will need to clearly state your undergraduate/graduate degree(s) and submit your college transcripts.
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.
You will be evaluated based on how your application materials reflect the qualification requirements of this position.
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 scored, 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 area(s):
- Modeling and Simulation - Knowledge of the tools and techniques used to develop functional, physical, or prototype models and simulations for test and evaluation programs, the prediction of behavior and phenomena, and to visually communicate concepts.
- Project Management - Applies principles, methods, or tools for developing, scheduling, coordinating, monitoring, evaluating, and managing projects and resources, including technical performance.
- Requirements Analysis - Knowledge of the principles and methods to identify, specify, design, and manage functional and infrastructure requirements; includes translating functional requirements into technical requirements used for logical design or presenting alternative technologies or approaches.
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 tool(s).
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:
You MUST submit a copy of ALL your unofficial 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.
- 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.
Applicants are encouraged to combine all required documents into one or more files and scan for uploading into the application. Each file must not exceed 3MB. Grouping documents into files will simplify the application process. Failure to submit required documentation will result in loss of consideration.
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.
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 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 09/30/2024.
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 by 09/30/2024.
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/12548055.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, 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://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
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 09/30/2024 of the vacancy announcement.
**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.
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