Supervisory Wildland Firefighter (Regional Fire Management Officer) (Direct Hire Authority) Job

Vacancy No. NS-AKRO-12596633-25-DHA Department National Park Service
Salary $138,035.00 to $179,448.00 Grade 14 to 14
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 11/11/2024 Close Date 11/25/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Anchorage, AKFairbanks, AK


Summary

This position serves as The Fire Management Officer (FMO) of a regional wildland fire management program within a bureau of the Department of the Interiorlocated in Alaska's Wildland Fire and Aviation Management program. Located at Anchorage, Alaska -OR- Fairbanks, Alaska


For more information contact:
Andee Sears, AK Regional Chief Ranger, andee_sears@nps.gov

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. Citizen. DIRECT HIRING AUTHORITY will be used to fill this position.

Duties

Position will serve as the Regional Fire Management Officer for the Alaska Region

  • Serves as a Subject-Matter-Expert (SME) authority providing specialized and professional guidance and advice to the Regional Director and staff, park fire management personnel and superintendents in a multi-state, multi-cluster region. Responsibilities include program review, inter-park and interagency coordination, and leadership for the region's fire management program.
  • Assures consistency of application of department, national and regional policy at the park level by review of park fire management and operational fire plans.
  • Coordinates and confers with a variety of other fire management agencies' upper-level professionals and regulatory agencies with Alaska and at the National Level.
  • Evaluates the needs of the regional fire management program in terms of policy implementation, and technology transfer needs and designs programs of action to address gaps of proficiency and ability to implement a state-of-the-art fire management program.
  • Serves as an expert or consultant, speaking for the service as needed at professional meetings and symposia.
  • Serve as an expert, consultant, and/or instructor at the regional and national levels in fire leadership, command, risk management, and in national coordination exercises.

The following conditions of employment apply only if the selectee has arduous NWCG qualifications that they would like to maintain with support and concurrence from their supervisor:

  • Prior to appointment, you must be determined physically fit by an authorized government physician to perform strenuous and physically demanding duties; and also pass a medical examination (which includes vision, hearing, cardiovascular, and mobility of extremities) given by an authorized government physician. You will also be required to undergo periodic medical examinations throughout employment.
  • The Work Capacity Test (WCT-Pack Test) is a method for assessing an employee's fitness levels for fire qualifications in the positions covered by this recruitment notice. You must meet the requirements of a Work Capacity Test that is commensurate with the fitness level of the NWCG qualification you are maintaining.

This is a secondary-administrative firefighter position under the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S. C. 8336 (c) (CSRS) and 5 U. S. C. 8412 (d) (FERS). PLEASE NOTE: Applicants may meet qualification requirements but may not be eligible for special retirement coverage. If such an applicant is selected, they will be placed in the regular retirement system. FERS TRANSITION REQUIREMENT: To be eligible for Secondary retirement coverage under FERS, an employee must: 1) transfer directly (without a break in service exceeding 3 days) from a primary position to a secondary position, AND 2) complete 3 years of service in a primary rigorous position including any such service during which no FERS deductions were withheld, AND 3) must be continuously employed in a secondary position(s) since moving from a primary rigorous position, except for any break in employment from a secondary position that began with involuntary separation (not for cause).

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure this office has enough information to determine your special retirement status to ensure you do not lose benefits (normally through submission of your work history or other documentation that demonstrates work history of approved covered positions). You must let this office know if you are in a Primary coverage position.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
  • Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • 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.
  • You will be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record. You must also submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that disclose all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you.
  • Work may require travel by fixed-wing or rotorwing aircraft.
  • You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
  • You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
  • If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
  • Subject to frequent extended travel up to 14 or more nights a month, particularly during fire season, and you must obtain a government charge card for travel.
  • You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
  • Firearms in the back-country, or other locations, for non-law enforcement reasons such as protection from animals for positions is required.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement 11/25/2024, unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount qualified specialized 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.

This position has been identified as one of the key fire management positions under the Interagency Fire Program management (IFPM) Standard. This position has been categorized as a Geographic Area Fire Program Manager and requires selectee to meet the minimum qualification standards for IFPM prior to moving into the position. For more information on IFPM, click here.

SELECTIVE FACTORS: The applicant must have possessed all the following National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) incident management qualifications and training requirements to be considered eligible for this position: Applicants must provide an ICQS Master Record or equivalent documentation to be considered.
1. TFLD (Task Force Leader)

Primary Core Requirement
2. ICT3 (Incident Commander Type 3)
-or-
T2 C&G (Type 2 Command and General Staff)
-or-
RXB2 (Prescribed Fire Burn Boss Type2)

Secondary Core Requirement
3. The NWCG trainings of M-581 (Fire Program Management)
-or-
M-582 (Fire Program Management, Leading Complex Programs)

-AND-

SELECTIVE FACTOR: Candidates must possess substantial wildland firefighting experience, gained through fire line work in containment, control, suppression or use of wildland fire. You must clearly demonstrate this experience in your resume, including the months, days and hours per week at which the work was performed in order to be considered.Substantial wildland firefighting experience is required to meet qualifications for secondary (administrative) covered positions. The Department of Interior defines wildland firefighting experience as: On-the-line wildland firefighting experience gained through containment, control, suppression, or use of wildland fire. This experience can be met by serving in a temporary, seasonal, or equivalent private sector fire position. Periods of wildland firefighting experience, gained through militia and rural fire departments, can also be credited. Wildland fire is defined as any non-structure fire that occurs in the wildland. Two distinct types of wildland fire have been defined and include wildfire and prescribed fires as follows: Wildfire: Unplanned ignitions or prescribed fires that are declared wildfires. Prescribed Fires: Planned ignitions. This description includes only fire line experience on a Prescribed Fire; it does not include experience in the planning stages. Prescribed fire experience must be supplemented by fire suppression experience in order to be creditable as previous wildland firefighting experience. You must clearly demonstrate this experience in your resume, including the months, days and hours per week at which the work was performed in order to be considered.

-AND-

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level is required in addition to meeting the basic qualification requirements. Candidates must possess at least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience: Managing, directing, and evaluating a fully integrated wildland and/or prescribed fire management program. Developing, coordinating, and implementing a full fire program budget. Negotiating, managing, and implementing agreements with cooperators. Forming and maintaining liaison with entities external to the organization and speaking for the organization on fire management program issues.

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.

Education

*There is no substitute for experience at the GS-0456-14 grade level.

Additional Information:
Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will be paid if the person selected for the position is from outside the local commuting area and is otherwise eligible for reimbursement of relocation expenses under the Federal Travel Regulations.

Alaska currently does not have a state income tax. Salary and COLA subject to annual review and adjustment.
Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) Statement: COLA pay in Alaska is 3.21% with the exception of Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau, which is 1.69%. The salary annotated on this announcement includes the locality, however, does not include the cost-of-living allowance.

Additional information

This notice is being issued to recruit personnel to occupations for which a critical hiring need has been identified. To assist in filling these positions, OPM has granted the Department of the Interior "Direct Hire Authority".

A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.

A Recruitment Incentive May Be Authorized for a newly selected employee when appointed to a permanent, temporary, or term position. A Federal employee who is transferring to the National Park Service from another component, bureau or Federal agency and who does not meet the conditions under 5 CFR §575.102 is not eligible for a recruitment incentive.

A Relocation Incentive May Be Authorized for a Federal employee when the employee must move, as directed by the National Park Service (NPS) either through a management directed reassignment or selection for employment, to a different location at least 50 miles away from the one where his/her position of record held at time of selection is currently located, due to a need of the NPS. A relocation incentive is not the same as a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move and, as such, may be granted in conjunction with one another.

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Physical Demands: The work is mainly sedentary, usually performed at a desk. There is, as needed, physical exertion while inspecting and evaluating the conditions at parks and incidents. This will include walking over rough. uneven terrain in a wide variety of weather conditions.

Working Conditions: Work is normally performed in the office environment and at times in the field viewing sites. There is exposure to moderate discomforts such as extremes of heat, cold and inclement weather when performing site visits to parks, projects and incidents.

TELEWORK: The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) OR Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) CTAP/ICTAP provides placement assistance to permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF50 noting position, grade level, duty location with their application. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, applicants must be qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. For Information on CTAP and ICTAP visit: Career Transition (opm.gov)

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.

Applicants will be evaluated based on how whether they meet the qualification requirements.

Upon receipt of the completed application package, a review of your application will be made to ensure basic qualification requirements are met.

This vacancy will be filled through a Direct Hire Authority. Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do not apply to positions filled under this Authority. All qualified applicants, as determined by the SHRO, will be referred for consideration. While managers and supervisors are not required to conduct interviews, it is highly recommended that they do so in order to assess the competencies of each applicant.

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.

If a determination is made that an applicant has inflated qualifications or experience on the resume, the applicant will receive no consideration for the position, as per OPM regulations.

Required Documents

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/25/2024:

  1. Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, dates specified in month and year format, and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount qualified specialized experience. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade.
  2. Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) OR Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) - If you are applying under CTAP and ICTAP, you MUST submit proof of eligibility under 5 CFR 330.602(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, and a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible.
  3. Incident Qualification and Certification System (IQCS) Master Record or other equivalent documentation which reflects completion of the required NWCG qualifications for this position.
  4. Documentation that you meet the Selective Factors.
  5. You must submit a legible copy of your transcripts.

Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.

Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.

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

To apply for this position: You must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/25/2024. You must provide documentation to support your claim for each eligibility selected. Please review the required documentation listed in the eligibilities language to ensure you submit the appropriate information. Note: You will only be marked eligible for those eligibilities that you selected and provided the appropriate supporting documentation.

WE DO NOT ACCEPT HARD-COPY OR E-MAIL APPLICATION PACKAGES.
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Agency contact information

NPS Fire-SPARK Office
Address
Alaska Fire and Aviation-SPARK
240 W 5th Ave
Anchorage, AK 99501
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once the Occupational Questionnaire is received you will receive acknowledgement that your submission was successful. If you are among the qualified candidates, your name will be referred to the hiring official, and you may be contacted directly for a possible interview. You will be notified of the status of your Application Package at the time candidates are referred for consideration, and when the selection process is complete.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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