National Fire Danger Rating System Program Manager

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position. Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.

• Duties listed are at full performance grade GW-13.
• Provides national level leadership, coordination, oversight, and program management for the national fire danger program and technology.
• Provides technical advice and participates in the analysis of fire management program requirements to design, develop, and implement methods to integrate emerging science and new technologies into national fire management programs.
• Manages and provides oversight on the full range of analytical tools used for bureau and interagency fire management planning. Coordinates and supports the use of geospatial information technology in strategic fire management planning.
• Provides guidance to the field units on collection and evaluation of fire danger, fire hazard risk, fuels, historic fire occurrence, fire effects, climatology and weather.
• Establishes and maintains cooperative relationships with public and private groups, state, tribal, and local governmental groups and other federal agencies related to wildland fire management planning activities.
• Facilitates interagency agreement on contentious issues concerning resource usage, funding allocations, and long range strategies in the regional, multi-regional area, or between agencies.

Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify.
• Must be 18 years of age.
• This is a drug testing designated position. You will be subject to pre-employment and random drug testing. Appointment is based on a negative result. This announcement constitutes 30 days advance notice.
• Secondary Coverage: Prior wildland firefighting experience is required.
• Willing to live/work in remote locations (volatile/unpredictable).
• Some Fire positions may have Conditions of Employment such as: a valid state driver's license; a commercial driver's license (CDL); pre-appointment and random drug testing; or a physical or medical examination.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

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

Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary.

Basic Requirement:

Degree: Biological Sciences, Agriculture, Natural Resource Management, Chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

OR

Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major course of study in biological sciences, agriculture or natural resources management, chemistry or at least 24 semester hours in biological sciences, natural resources, wildland fire management, forestry, or agriculture equivalent to a major field of study, plus appropriate experience or additional education that is comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in the biological sciences, agriculture, or natural resources.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement, you must also possess experience and/or directly related education in the amounts listed below.

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.

Specialized Experience Requirement:

GW-12: Applicant must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GW-11 level. Examples of specialized experience may include: Assisted with developing fire management plans with diverse and/or unprecedented elements for ecological soundness and technical adequacy; Assisted with extensive field inspections before and after prescribed or wildland fires to determine if resource objectives were achieved and/or to evaluate the effectiveness of actions taken; Developed complex and difficult analyses on the ecological role of fire and its use and/or exclusion, and smoke management; Assisted with complex prescribed fire/fuels management activities requiring coordination with cooperating agencies, such as using professional forest or range inventory methods, (e.g., Brown's planar intercept for dead and down fuels or live loading assessments; analysis of fuel loadings and determining fuel treatment methods and programming; land use planning and environmental coordination; evaluation of prescribed burn plans or fire management plans for fire containment and identification of suppression contingencies if containment is not obtained).

GW-13: Applicant must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GW-12 level. Examples of specialized experience may include: Reviewed and evaluated fire management plans with diverse and/or unprecedented elements for ecological soundness and technical adequacy; Conducted or directed extensive field inspections before and after prescribed or wildland fires to determine if resource objectives were achieved and/or to evaluate the effectiveness of actions taken; Developed complex and difficult analyses on the ecological role of fire and its use and/or exclusion, and smoke management; Directed complex prescribed fire/fuels management activities requiring coordination with cooperating agencies, such as using professional forest or range inventory methods, (e.g., Brown's planar intercept for dead and down fuels or live loading assessments; analysis of fuel loadings and determining fuel treatment methods and programming; land use planning and environmental coordination; evaluation of prescribed burn plans or fire management plans for fire containment and identification of suppression contingencies if containment is not obtained); Directed complex fire management operations activities by analyzing and applying complex fire management strategies and/or coordinating complex operations with cooperating agencies, mobilization and dispatch coordination, fire prevention and education training, logistics, equipment development and deployment, fire communication systems, suppression and preparedness, aviation.

Selective Placement Factors

FIREFIGHTER RETIREMENT COVERAGE: This is a secondary firefighter position under 5 USC 8336 (CSRS) and 8412(d) (FERS).

Prior wildland firefighting experience is required. There is no age limit for entry into secondary positions. Firefighter retirement coverage of the incumbent depends upon his or her individual work history.

To receive consideration for this position, you must provide updated required documents and meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

How you will be evaluated

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

This is a Direct-Hire Authority position, all applicants who meet the minimum qualifications, to include any selective placement factor(s), if applicable, will be referred to the selecting official. Before a certificate is issued to the selecting official, the resume is reviewed to ensure that you meet all the qualification requirements. A rating will not be used; veteran's preference does not apply due to the existence of the Direct Hire authority for this position.

Selections made under this authority will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees would be given a new appointment.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13093900

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.

• Resume that includes: Personal Information: name, address, contact information; Education; Work Experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); other qualifications. Resume cannot exceed 2 pages.
• If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit the NACES website. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.

Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), current performance appraisal with rating of at least "Fully Successful" or equivalent, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.

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