Summary
This position is a Supervisory Aviation Safety and Compliance Specialist (Branch Chief- Aviation Maintenance), GS-1801-14 working for the US Wildland Fire Service.
In order to be considered for any duty location, ensure desired locations are selected. Applicants will not be considered for locations not selected.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
Current Career or Career Conditional Federal Employees, Land Management eligibles, 30% disabled veterans, Military Spouse, Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Vista, VEOA, ICTAP/CTAP, Schedule A, Reinstatement eligibles, Public Land Corp (PLC).
Duties
As a Supervisory Aviation Safety and Compliance Specialist (Branch Chief- Aviation Maintenance), your duties will include but are not limited to the following:
- Supervise personnel responsible for scheduling and tracking all aircraft maintenance activities.
- Serve as the senior aviation safety authority, coordinating with pilots to identify maintenance needs and arranging aircraft inspections with vendors or the DOI repair station.
- Provide expert advisory services to leadership and interagency partners on aircraft maintenance, alterations, and emerging technologies that enhance mission effectiveness and cost efficiency.
- Direct and coordinates aircraft maintenance with vendors for the DOI fleet in Alaska and the lower 48.
- Apply FAA and Federal Acquisition Regulations in support of high-value, complex procurement actions.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- 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.
- This position requires the incumbent to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of their official duties. Selectee must hold and maintain a valid state driver's license throughout their employment in this position.
- 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.
- Supervisory Probationary Period: Selectees who have not previously completed a supervisory probationary period, will be required to serve a one-year supervisory/managerial probationary period for this position.
- Notice of Financial Disclosure Report Requirement: This position is subject to a financial disclosure requirement, and you will be required to complete either OGE Form 278e or OGE Form 450 as applicable within 30 days of your appointment
- Individuals assigned male at birth after 12-31-59 must be registered for the Selective Service. To verify registration, visit www.SSS.gov.
- Selectees will be expected to travel in (not pilot) a small single-engine aircraft.
- You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
- You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 2 nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
- You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
- You must be 18 years of age or older to be assigned to a hazardous position.
Qualifications
Merit Promotion candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements by 09/28/2026.
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.
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement- 09/28/26 -unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.
Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 for each federal position listed as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of qualifying experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, your resume must state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience.
For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.
In order to qualify for this position, you must possess the Minimum Qualification requirements listed below.
Selective Placement Factor(s): 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 factor(s) will be rated not qualified. Applicants must meet ALL of the following to qualify:
- Must possess a current FAA Mechanic Certificate with Airframe and Powerplant Ratings (A&P) and Inspection Authorization (IA) certifications.
AND -
EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience includes:
1) Experience as a Manager, Supervisor, or a Team Leader with a FAA Part 135 operator, FAA Part 145 Repair Station, Government agency aviation operation, or military aviation unit.
2) Providing technical guidance or advice in the development and implementation of a wide range of aviation management issues related to safety, operational practices, contract modifications, and/or policy and procedure development.
3) Serving as an inter-agency inspector (or equivalent) with natural resource aviation operations; AND
4) Preparing, reviewing, and/or interpreting technical specifications for contracts to ensure compliance with a variety of aviation service contracts.
Volunteer Experience: 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.
ICTAP/CTAP Statement: Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. Well qualified means that the applicant meets the following: OPM qualification standards for the position; all selective placement factors, where applicable; special qualifying conditions that OPM has approved for the position, where applicable; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at least at the well qualified level on all competencies. Federal employees seeking CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit proof that they meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(2) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of their most recent Performance Rating, and a copy of their most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP/ICTAP eligible. If you are selected for Federal employment, you will be required to fill out a Declaration of Federal Employment, OF-306, prior to being appointed to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. Failing to answer all questions truthfully and completely or providing false statements on your application may be grounds for not hiring you, or for firing you after you begin work. Also, you may be punished by fine or imprisonment (U.S. Code, Title 18, section 1001).
Reemployment Priority List (RPL): The RPL is the mechanism agencies use to give reemployment consideration to their former competitive service employees separated by a RIF or who have fully recovered from a compensable injury after more than one year. If you are currently on an RPL, you may be given priority consideration.
Education
There is no substitution of education for experience at the grade level(s) of this announcement.
Additional information
PCS Information: PCS entitlements authorized.
Incentives: 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.
Telework: This position is suitable for telework and may be allowed to telework with supervisory approval.
Probationary Period: As 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. Under completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Notice of Financial Disclosure Report Requirement: The position to which you will be appointed is subject to a financial disclosure reporting requirement and you will be required to complete a new entrant.
Physical Demands: Administrative oversight combined with on-site inspections within hangar and flight line environments. Duties may require standing, walking, climbing, and limited lifting.
Working Conditions: Work is performed in office settings and active aircraft maintenance environments, including hangars, ramps, and field locations. Exposure to noise, fuels, chemicals, machinery, and variable weather conditions; appropriate safety precautions and personal protective equipment are required.
Additional Vacancies: One or more positions may be filled from applications received under this announcement in the advertised office or other U.S. Wildland Fire Service offices in the local commuting area. Reasonable Accommodation: The USWFS provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. Please visit USAJOBS Help Center | Reasonable accommodation policy if you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process.
Cost of Living Allowance: In addition to the yearly salary, this position is entitled to a 1.49% cost-of-living allowance (COLA) as determined by https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-systems/nonforeign-areas/#url=COLA-Rates . This allowance is subject to annual review, adjustment, and rate decrease.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
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.
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.
You will be evaluated on the following competencies:
- Aircraft Maintenance
- Managing Human Resources
- Project Management
- Reasoning
- Technical Competence
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.
Required Documents
You must submit a complete application package. The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 10/19/2026.
1. Resumes must show relevant experience and other information. Your resume MUST list your education and work experience including (1) the dates (mm/yy) of each employment, along with (2) the number of hours worked per week, and (3) work experience duties listed under each job entry. In addition, Civil Service employees must provide their current OPM title, series, and grade. If experience is for a career ladder position, please ensure to clearly show how long you were working in each grade level. Your resume will be used to validate your responses to the assessment tool(s). Failure to provide required information will result in loss of eligibility. No assumptions will be made about your experience and/or education. You are welcome to submit a cover letter.
Resumes must also include name and how to best contact you, including email address and phone number.
Do not include the following types of information in your resume:
-
Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. Visit the USAJOBS Help Center for more information on What should I include in my federal resume and/or OPM Resume Writing Tips.
In addition to the online application (resume and responses to the questionnaire), you are required to submit the following supplemental documentation as applicable:
2.
Current/Prior Federal Employee: 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.
Note: Federal employees who have reinstatement eligibility please review the How to Apply for Reinstatement page for all required documents.
If you have any questions regarding which SF-50's to submit, it is highly recommended that you contact the person listed on this vacancy announcement before the closing date.
3.
Documentation that you meet ALL of the Selective Factors mentioned in the Qualifications section above.
4.
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.
5.
Other Supporting Documents, if applicable, such as:
- Veterans Preference Documentation:
- If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.
- If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
- If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability.
**Required Documents continued in How To Apply...
How to Apply
**Required Documents Continued:
- CTAP/ICTAP: Documentation for Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan consideration if you are a displaced Federal employee within the local commuting area. You must include: 1) Proof you are a displaced Federal employee, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be rated well-qualified or above 85 on the rating criteria for this position.
- Former Public Land Corps Member: Submit your Certificate of Eligibility for Non-Competitive Hiring Based for Public Land Corps Service along with a copy of your "PLC Participant Verification Work Hours Sheet."
- Applicants applying under PL-114-47, Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act must submit documentation verifying eligibility. Required documentation includes: First and last SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) for each appointment verifying the Position Occupied code (block 34, code 1-Competitive Service), AND Documentation of satisfactory performance for each appointment, such as, performance evaluations, memorandum of record, whereas the supervisor(s) documented an acceptable performance level for a specified rating/employment period. Failure to submit required documentation may result in loss of consideration.
- If you are applying for this position based on eligibility under other noncompetitive special appointing authorities, you MUST submit proof of this eligibility.
- Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.
**End of Required Documents
Review the appointment eligibility criteria in the application preview linked below. The eligibility section of the application allows you to choose how you wish to be considered for this vacancy announcement.
You will ONLY be considered for the eligibilities that you select "yes" to and submit the required supporting documentation, as listed in the Required Documents section or the application text. You may qualify for more than one eligibility, so please choose carefully. If you respond that you
do not meet any of the eligibility criteria, you
will not be considered for this position under this announcement. To apply for this position, you must provide a complete
Application Package. See required documents section.
Click 'Apply' to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account.
- Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire and upload required documents. To preview the assessment questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13035748.
- Please ensure you check the acknowledgement checkbox then click the Submit Application button to submit your application.
- Applications must be received by 10/19/2026, 11:59pm Eastern Time to receive consideration.
- Check application status by logging into your USAJOBS account, in Applications tab, click the position title you applied to for the status. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
NOTE: INSUFFICIENT OR INCOMPLETE INFORMATION FROM AN APPLICANT COULD RESULT IN AN INELIGIBLE RATING.
If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please refer to the contact information listed at the bottom of the announcement.
Next steps
Once you submit all the required documents and the online application in USAJOBS, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After the evaluation process is complete, you will be notified via USAJOBS of a status change (i.e., referred, not referred, not eligible, not qualified, etc.). Note, you must login to your USAJOBS profile to view details of the status change. Information regarding how to see your application status can be found in the USAJOBS Help Center.
If referred and further evaluation or interviews are required, you may be contacted by the hiring officials for the location in which you are referred.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging in to your USAJOBS account as we will not be responding to inquiries about the status of applications as long as the system has been updated.
If you were not referred and/or have questions or concerns regarding your rating determination or referral status, in the interest of time, please submit your inquiry in writing within seven (7) calendar days of receiving a Notice of Results and Referral notification email. Inquiries may be submitted to contact listed on this announcement. Be sure to include the announcement number to assist our team in reviewing your inquiry.
You will be notified if this job is filled or canceled. Timelines for this process vary widely.