Requirements
Conditions of employment
- Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
- 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.
- Selectees must pass a pre-employment medical examination and may be subject to post-employment medical examinations to determine if they are maintaining the fitness standards for this position.
- You must also pass the work capacity test for arduous positions.
- This position may require the incumbent to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of their official duties. Selectee may need to hold and maintain a valid state driver's license throughout their employment in this position.
- Individuals assigned male at birth after 12-31-59 must be registered for the Selective Service. To verify registration visit sss.gov.
- You must be 18 years of age or older to be assigned to a hazardous position.
- You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
- Subject to frequent extended particularly during fire season, and you may need to 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.
Qualifications
In order to qualify for this position, you must possess the Minimum Qualification requirements listed below.
Selective Placement Factor(s): This position requires a special qualification that has 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.
1. This is an administrative position in an organization having a firefighting mission and is clearly in an established career path. Prior firefighting experience, as gained by substantial service in a primary firefighter position or equivalent experience outside the Federal government is a MANDATORY PREREQUISITE.
Candidates must possess Primary/Rigorous 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 to be considered.
Applicants must have documented prior primary firefighting experience, with substantial service defined as either:
- At least one full fire season working in a primary wildland firefighting role (e.g., Engine Crew, Fire Effects Crew, Prescribed Fire/Fuels Crew, Hand Crew, Helitack Crew, Hotshot Crew, Smokejumper, Wildland Fire Modules or Fire Suppression Crews, etc.) with a federal, state, tribal, local, or private-sector organization;
- OR -
- At least 14 days of on-the-ground fireline experience (cumulative or consecutive).
Prior primary wildland fire experience must be clearly documented in your resume.
Note: an IQCS Master Record or equivalent document will not be used to determine or calculate prior primary wildland fire experience eligibility for this requirement.
In addition to the requirements described above, the following additional experience is required.
Only experience and education obtained by 11/10/2026 will be considered.
Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. Please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience.
Minimum Qualifications:
To qualify for a GW-05, you must meet at least one of the following:
1). One (1) year of specialized work experience equivalent to the GW/GS-04 level duties.
Examples of specialized work experience include: working around general airtanker base operations, general clerical/administrative experience, or experience with inputting data and using computer software programs.
-OR-
2). Successful completion of a 4-year course above high school leading to a bachelor's degree, from an accredited college or university, in Fire Science, Fire Training, Fire Technology or other related fields.
-OR-
3). A combination of education and specialized work experience described above.
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.
Physical Demands: Long irregular hours are required, much of it occurring during periods of fire operations. Frequent standing, walking and long periods outside in high temperatures and direct sunlight may be required while working around multiple arriving and departing aircraft. Activities in and around moving aircraft and other equipment require constant monitoring and alertness for hazardous conditions and safety of personnel. Work in an office environment and long periods of sedentary work occurs when reports and flight records are prepared. Lifting and carrying heavy equipment/materials and operating a variety of hand and power tools is required for base set-up, tear down, and maintenance/repair.
Work Environment: Majority of activities are performed in an airbase environment, both inside and outdoors. Extreme variations in temperature and climactic conditions are common. Work requires use of safety equipment including hearing and eye protection and high visibility clothing. Exposed to irritant chemicals is possible. The work involves exposure to operating aircraft that result in high noise levels and exposure to turning propellers, prop wash, jet intake areas and jet-blast, and flying dust and debris. Concurrent movement of multiple mixed aircraft types and service vehicles in the ramp area creates potential for serious accident, injury, or property damage. Fatigue and mental stress could be present due to extensive work periods and emergency nature of work.
Education
PROOF OF EDUCATION: All applicants who are using education or a combination of education and experience to qualify must submit copies of 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.
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 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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).
Additional information
These appointments are temporary and do not confer permanent status. They are limited to no more than 1,039 hours during a service year. Pending future approval, an appointment may be extended to a maximum of 1,386 hours without further competition, subject to the Agency's authority. No extension is currently authorized, and any future extension is contingent on additional authority and therefore not guaranteed.
This job opportunity announcement will be used to fill one or more additional selections at any time without notification.
Pay rates vary depending on location. For additional information on pay rates: Click here for the OPM Salaries and Wages to calculate locality pay.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Department of Interior (DOI) Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) procedures apply in filling this vacancy. These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well-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. Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit a copy of the agency notice, most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp
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.
Once the job opportunity announcement closes, your resume and all supporting documents will be reviewed by HR to determine if you are minimally qualified for the position. 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. Due to this vacancy being filled through OPM's Direct Hire Authority, Veterans' Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to positions filled under this announcement. Applications received as a result of job fairs, recruitment events, and emergency hiring mechanisms in support of this hiring initiative will also be accepted during the duration of the announcement. All minimally qualified candidates will be referred for consideration. Please note that the hiring office may conduct interviews at their discretion. Interviews may be conducted on a pass/fail basis.
The competencies below provide an overview of what this position entails once encumbered:
- Fire Management: Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and theories of fire management, including the characteristics, behavior, and ecology of fire; methodologies, strategies, and equipment used in prescribed fires; fire detection, prevention, and suppression strategies; and integration of fire with natural resource management.
- Technical Competence: Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on the job experience to perform one's job; works with understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.
- Leadership: Inspires, motivates and guides others toward goal accomplishment; coaches, mentors, and challenges subordinates; adapts leadership styles to a variety of situations; models high standards of honesty, integrity, trust, openness, and respect for the individual by applying these values to daily behaviors.
Required Documents
You must submit a complete application package. The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/10/2026.
- Resume which includes a list of all positions held, detailed descriptions of duties performed, dates of employment in month/year to month/year format, and a work schedule (number of hours worked per week) for each position. One year of experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week (full-time). Part-time hours are prorated. You will not receive any credit for a position listed that does not indicate hours per week.
- Complete Assessments Questionnaire.
- Transcripts, if qualifying based on education. For more information, see the Education section.
- Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan (I/CTAP): If you are applying under I/CTAP, you MUST submit proof of eligibility including 1) copy of the agency notice, 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 well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements).
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.