Summary
For more information about each location see "Position Information".
Please ensure you read the announcement fully prior to submitting application package.
This job is open to
The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.
Clarification from the agency
Applications will be accepted from any U.S. Citizen. DIRECT HIRING AUTHORITY will be used to fill this position. 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
- Develops mid and long-term programs of work which support the units land and resource management plan alternatives.
- Evaluates individual fuels treatments as well as the effectiveness of the overall fuels management program and makes program changes based on evaluation findings.
- Analyzes and evaluates study findings and provides comprehensive recommendations for future fuels management projects.
- Coordinates with federal, state, tribal and local government air quality officials in their development of operational procedures and reporting requirements.
- Maintains awareness of technological developments in wildland fire science and related disciplines.
- Works closely with other resource specialists to integrate vegetation management project designs with fuels management program objectives.
- Prepares wildland fire risk assessments incorporating wildland/urban interface considerations into agreements, operating plans and land and fire management plans to ensure that interface areas are considered and apportioned appropriately.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- U.S. Citizenship required.
- Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt.
- Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
- Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
- Must be 18 years of age at time of close date of announcement.
- Prior primary/rigorous wildland firefighting experience is 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.
- Must pass the Work Capacity Test for certain Interagency Fire Program Management or Fire Program Management positions.
- 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 may be required to wear a uniform and comply with the Wildland Fire Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
- You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
- Subject to frequent extended travel particularly during fire season, and you must obtain a government charge card for travel.
- Incumbent will be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
- Willing to live/work in remote locations (volatile/unpredictable).
- Government housing MAY be available, is on a bid system, and is NOT guaranteed.
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.
Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your 2 page 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 total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time or part-time, hours must be included). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. You may only submit one resume. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed. 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.
This position has been identified as one of the key fire management positions under the Interagency Fire Program management (IFPM) Standard. This position requires selectee to meet the minimum qualification standards for IFPM prior to being placed into the position. For more information on IFPM, click here.Basic Qualification Requirements:
- 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 in order to be considered; AND
- Successfully completed the Primary NWCG Core Requirements of:
- Prescribed Burn Boss (RXB2) AND
- Incident Commander Type 3 (ICT3) OR Task Force Leader (TFLD) OR Helibase Manager (HEBM)
In addition to the requirements described above, the following additional experience is required.
For the GW-11 level: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS/GW-09 (or higher) grade level in the Federal service; Examples of specialized experience include: Reviewed and evaluated fire management plans for potentially adverse impacts to cultural and natural resources; Conducted field inspections before and after prescribed or wildland fires to determine if resource objectives were achieved and/or evaluated the effectiveness of actions taken; Analyzed the ecological role of fire and its use and/or exclusion, and smoke management; Performed forest and/or range inventory methodology and procedures; Analyzed fuel loadings and determined appropriate fuel treatment methods and programming.
OR
At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS/GW-10 level, or higher, outside of the Federal service; Examples of specialized experience include: Reviewed and evaluated fire management plans for potentially adverse impacts to cultural and natural resources; Conducted field inspections before and after prescribed or wildland fires to determine if resource objectives were achieved and/or evaluated the effectiveness of actions taken; Analyzed the ecological role of fire and its use and/or exclusion, and smoke management; Performed forest and/or range inventory methodology and procedures; Analyzed fuel loadings and determined appropriate fuel treatment methods and programming.
In order to be considered for this position, copies of your Incident Qualification and Certification System (IQCS) Master Record (or equivalent training documents) which contain documented proof of the certification or attainment of the IFPM Selective Placement Factor for this position MUST be attached to your application. Red Cards are not acceptable documentation. Currency Requirement: Required to maintain currency once hired into the position. Currency of NWCG qualifications is not required for selection. If not currently qualified, the applicant must provide documented evidence that they have been fully qualified in the past, and are able to regain currency within one year of being hired. Failure to provide this documentation will result in disqualification.
Secondary Firefighter Retirement Coverage - Applicants for this secondary administrative fire fighter position under the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336 (c) (CSRS) and 5 U.S.C. 8412 (d), must possess knowledge of the principles, methods, and techniques of wildland firefighting as demonstrated by direct wildland firefighting experience. In order to receive credit, you must provide a written description of your experience in wildland firefighting. Education without hands-on wildland firefighting experience does not meet this requirement. 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 fireline 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.
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.
To receive consideration for this position, you must provide updated required documents and meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Education
IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE: There is no qualifying education for the 0456 series.Position Information: Incumbent directs a prescribed fire/fuels management program that includes a full range of fuels management activities and functions at the unit/tribal level. These functions include prescribed fire, mechanical and biological fuels treatments, fire effects monitoring, fuels monitoring, and smoke monitoring. Incumbent serves as the technical expert and advisor to the Fire Management Officer, on fuels management and identifies and analyzes multiple variables such as weather, fuels, topography, fire behavior, smoke impacts, employee, and public safety, in strategically developing and implementing fuels management projects.
**PLEASE NOTE - these positions are covered under the new GW pay table specific to Wildland Firefighters. The salary listed in the announcement is for the the RUS pay table: GW RUS Pay Table. Please see below for specific pay table information.
There are two total positions being filled in the following areas:
- One position being filled at Saguaro National Park; duty location Tucson, AZ. This position is covered under the Tucson locality pay table: . For additional questions regarding the duties or location for this position, please contact Tyler Chesarek at tyler_chesarek@nps.gov.
- One position being filled at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks; duty location Sequoia, CA. This position is covered under the Fresno locality pay table: Fresno Pay Table. For additional questions regarding the duties or location for this position, please contact Leif Mathieson at leif_mathiesen@nps.gov.
In order to be considered for any, or all locations, please ensure desired locations are selected.
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".
This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.
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 (step 1). 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.
Physical Demands: work in the office is primarily sedentary. Field work does require frequent physical exertion, involving walking over rough terrain, sometimes for extended periods, and working under occasionally inclement (hot, cold, snow, wind, etc.) weather conditions. The incumbent must be in good physical condition in order to safety perform field activities. The incumbent must be able to perform duties in areas of uncontrolled wildfire where hazardous conditions exist. The incumbent must be able to fly as a passenger in helicopters and single engine fixed wing aircraft.
Working Conditions: Work is performed in both an office and field setting with field work. Field work involves exposure to temperature extremes, both from weather and fire conditions where falling trees and the presence of smoke and/or dust conditions create hazardous conditions. The nature of fire management work requires that protective clothing (boots, hard hats, etc.) be worn. The incumbent must exercise a variety of safety practices and precautions for the well-being of self and of others.
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.
Applicants will be evaluated based on how well they meet the qualification requirements.
Upon receipt of the completed application package, a review of the application will be made to ensure basic qualification requirements are met.
This vacancy will be filled through DOI's 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.
Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. You may only submit one resume. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed.
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 employee 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 the closing date of the announcement.
1. Resume: Your 2-page resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, dates specified in month and year format, and the resume and must reflect total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time or part-time, hours must be included). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the of amount qualified specialized experience. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade. If you do not include hours worked per week (or just indicate full-time part-time status), you will not be given credit for that experience. 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 military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade. 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.
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.
If a qualified veteran preference eligible as applicable:
- 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.
4. Incident Qualification and Certification System (IQCS) Master Record or other equivalent documentation which reflects completion of the required NWCG qualifications for this position - Red Cards are not acceptable.
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 new to the federal government, and this is your first appointment, there will be a mandatory probationary period. This period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will 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.
Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated.
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
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/12896362.
- Please ensure you check the acknowledgement checkbox then click the Submit Application button to submit your application.
- Applications must be received by 03/13/2026, 11:59pm ET 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/.
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 hiring official.
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.
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.