Wildand Firefighter (Fuels) Job

Vacancy No. MR-25-12607564-CM-FDHA Department U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Salary $54,292.00 to $77,955.00 Grade 8 to 9
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 11/14/2024 Close Date 11/27/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Anchorage, AKBeale AFB, CAVandenberg AFB, CACheyenne Mountain AFB, CO


Summary


This position will be filled under the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority and is open to all United States citizens and U.S. nationals. Veteran's preference and traditional rating and ranking of applications do not apply. All qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration for this position. To learn more about Direct-Hire authority, go to: OPM.GOV Hiring Information: Direct Hire Fact Sheet

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

This position will be filled under the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority and is open to all United States citizens and U.S. nationals. Veteran's preference and traditional rating and ranking of applications do not apply. All qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration for this position.

Duties

Fire Suppression, Monitoring, and Post-Fire Activities -Leader within a wildland fire module or crew in fuels management, fire suppression, monitoring, and post-fire activities, applies an understanding of firefighter safety, fire behavior, topography of the area, weather, fuels, and training in fire management work to direct suppression operations and to recommend and implement tactical strategy on attacking, controlling, or mopping up fires, building or patrolling firelines, cleaning up burned areas within firelines, suppressing spot fires, felling snags or trees, and cutting brush.

Fire Preparedness - Ensures assigned crew members and equipment for the specific fire assignments or daily work assignments are in a state of readiness for the assignment or initial attack. Participates in or leads physical fitness programs. May serve as an alternate in other fire program areas such as logistical dispatch, cache warehouse, incident business, and administrative support.

Fuels Management and Prevention -Leads less-complex fuels management projects or participates in more complex projects that may include gathering data for monitoring programs and implementing prescribed fire, and mechanical and biological treatments; inventorying fuel beds; and piling vegetation debris.

Leadership -Leads firefighting personnel by directing their activities when suppressing wildland fires or by serving as a situational leader on wildland fires by directing the work of a small crew of firefighters in building firelines, burning out, mopping up, and patrolling firelines.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National
  • Suitability for employment, as determined by background investigation
  • Drug testing position
  • Medical Requirements
  • Official U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service uniform required
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary period
  • Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
  • Resume (See "Required Documents"). Failure to provide ALL required information on your resume will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all information is provided on resume.
  • Eligibility and Supporting documents - 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.
  • DRIVER'S LICENSE: You must possess and maintain a valid State driver's license at all times during your tenure. (Class A CDL is required within one year of appointment for Lewistown and Great Falls, MT.)

Qualifications

This key fire management position is a categorized under the Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) Standard as a Prescribed Fire & Fuels Specialist (PFFS). Minimum IFPM qualification standards must be met prior to being placed into the position. Detailed information regarding IFPM positions can be found at https://www.ifpm.nifc.gov/.

Prior experience in wild land firefighting is required in order to carry out the duties of this position. You will not be considered for this position if you do not have prior wild land firefighting experience.

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.

Only experience and education obtained by 11/29/2024 will be considered.

***Your resume MUST include BEGINNING and END DATES specified in MONTH/YEAR to MONTH/YEAR format. In addition, your resume MUST reflect FULL-TIME/PART-TIME or total number of HOURS worked per week***

You may qualify at the GS-08 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirements:One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service that demonstrates your ability assisting with planning wildland fire suppression activities; assisting in writing and executing wildland fire management plans, prescribed burn plans, and preparedness plans.

You may qualify at the GS-09 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirements: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-08 grade level in the Federal service that demonstrates your ability to develop and revise fire management planning documents for long range wildland fire control and prescribed burns; organize and complete preparedness activities as it pertains to fire equipment, supplies, and fire personnel; analyze incident objectives, strategies and tactics, safety, cost effectiveness/efficiency; experience working with various resources and agencies in order to accomplish work.

IFPM Qualifications for Prescribed Fire and Fuels Specialist (PFFS) (Low Complexity)
(Selective Factor):
Primary Core Requirement:
Single Resource Boss, Engine (ENGB)
or
Firing Boss, Single Resource (FIRB)
or
Single Resource Boss, Crew (CRWB)
or
Single Resource Boss, Helicopter (HMGB)
Secondary Core Requirement:
Incident Commander Type 4 (ICT4)

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.

Promotion Potential: This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed represent the full performance level of GS-8/9. At lower grade levels, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-8/9. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher level work, and availability of funds.The selectee may be promoted without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Education

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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov)

Additional information

Vacancies within the Air Force Regional Program are located at:

West Region:

  • Beale AFB, CA - $60,027 - $86,190
  • Vandenberg Space Force Station, CA - $63,132 - $90,647
  • Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Anchorage, AK - $61,328 - $88,058
Cost of Living Allowance: In addition to the yearly salary, Alaska location is entitled to a 1.69% cost-of-living allowance (COLA) 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.

Midwest Region:
  • Rapid City, Ellsworth AFB, SD - $54,292 - $77,955
  • Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station, CO - $55,645 - $79,897
East Region:
  • Eglin AFB, FL - $54,292 - $77,955
Vacancies within the Montana Fire Zone are located at:
  • Lewistown, MT - $54,292 - $77,955
  • Great Falls, MT - $54,292 - $77,955
Vacancy in the Fire Management Zone:
  • Titusville, FL (Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge) - $54,655 - $78,476
PCS INFORMATION for the following locations (Beale AFB, CA, Vandenberg Space Force Station, CA, JBER, Anchorage, AK, Rapid City, Ellsworth AFB, SD, Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station, CO, Eglin AFB, FL, Titusville, FL, Lewistown, MT and Great Falls, MT)

- Yes, entitlements for payment of basic moving expenses, as required and to the extent allowed by the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) 302-3.101, are authorized for eligible applicants changing duty station when the change meets the distance tests as provided in FTR 302-1.1 and 302-2.6. All moving expenses are taxable.
-Discretionary entitlements are not authorized for this position

Telework for the following locations: These positions are suitable for telework and may be allowed to telework with supervisory approval. (Beale AFB, CA, Vandenberg Space Force Station, CA, JBER, Anchorage, AK, Rapid City, Ellsworth AFB, SD, Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station, CO, and Eglin AFB, FL)

Telework for the following locations: These positions are suitable for telework only in an emergency or natural disaster. (Lewistown and Great Falls, MT and Titusville, FL)

Additional Vacancies: One or more positions may be filled from applications received under this announcement in the advertised office or other U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service offices in the local commuting area. A supplemental pay increase of $20,000 or 50% of base pay per year, is authorized under Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and continuing resolutions.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

TESTING DESIGNATED POSITION: All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment.
MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS: You must pass a pre-employment medical examination. Also, you may be subject to post-employment medical examinations to determine if you are maintaining the fitness standards for this position.
DRIVER'S LICENSE: You must possess and maintain a valid State driver's license at all times
during your tenure. (Class A CDL is required within one year of appointment for Lewistown and Great Falls, MT.)

Reasonable Accommodation: The USFWS 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.
To register or verify your registration go to the Selective Service System at https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfRegistration.aspx

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.

All applications that are verified to meet the basic qualifications will be referred to the selecting official.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:

  1. Resume: Your resume must describe your job-related qualifications (paid and non-paid work experience) that includes job title, beginning and ending dates (month and year), hours worked per week, and description of job duties. You are highly encouraged to use USAJOBS Resume Builder to ensure all required information is included. If you use your own resume, curriculum vitae, or any other written form, you must ensure this information is provided. Your resume must show complete information for each job entry to support minimum qualifications. Failure to provide ALL required information on your resume will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. Note: Current and former Federal employees should include pay plan, series, and grade level for relevant federal experience.
  • Do not include the following types of information in your resume:
    • Classified or government sensitive information
    • Social Security Number (SSN)
    • Photos of yourself
    • Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
    • Encrypted and digitally signed documents.
2. Other supporting documents:
  • Cover Letter, optional
  • Incident Qualification and Certification System Responder Master Record/Incident Qualification Card (REQUIRED)
  • Official or unofficial College Transcript(s), if the position has education requirements, or if you are using your education to qualify. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. A copy of your official transcripts will be required if you are selected. 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 programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
  • If applicable, documentation/proof that you are eligible Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable (e.g., Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.)
  • Current and former federal employees - It is recommended that you submit a copy of your SF-50(s) (Notification of Personnel Action) to support your experience. Examples of appropriate SF-50s include appointments/separations, promotions, within-grade increases.

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

  1. 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 following criteria, you will not be considered for this position under this announcement.
  2. Resume or Application. At a minimum, your resume MUST contain job title (include job series and grade, if federal), duties, starting and ending dates (month/day/year), hours worked per week, and salary. USAJOBS has a template to ensure a complete resume.
  3. You must also complete the online application and assessment questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
DEADLINE DATE: A complete application package must be received by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/29/2024 to receive consideration.
  • 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 received. 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.
  • You will be considered for all eligibilities for which you select "yes" and submit the required documents and supporting documentation (e.g. DD 214, Schedule A letter, etc.). The supporting documentation you submit will be used to determine your eligibility. Please review the list of documentation provided in the eligibilities language to ensure you provide the appropriate information.
  • Please note, your eligibility will be based solely on the selections you have indicated "yes" in this section. You must provide the supporting documentation to support your claim to be considered. You may choose more than one eligibilities in this section.
  • To view the assessment questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12607564
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/.

If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact the Human Resources Office via email at fwshiring@fws.gov.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP):These programs apply to employees who have been or may be involuntarily separated (e.g. reduction in force, declining to relocate/transfer outside their local commuting area) from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. If you are a CTAP or ICTAP eligible, you will be considered well qualified if you: (1) meet the minimum qualification requirements listed in the vacancy announcement; (2) possess the knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or competencies that exceed the minimum qualification requirements enabling you to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry as determined by at least one subject matter expert; and (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility (e.g., Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal or Removal Notice; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; or Removal and most recent performance appraisal.). For more information visit: OPM Career Transition

Agency contact information

Human Resources Staffing Division
Learn more about this agency

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 of your status and/or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted by the customer office.
You will be notified if this job is filled or canceled. Timelines for this process vary widely.
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.


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


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