Wildland Firefighter (State Aviation Manager) - Direct Hire Authority Job in Santa Fe, NM

Vacancy No. FADHA-25-12753529-CMP Department Bureau of Land Management
Salary $83,710.00 to $126,944.00 Grade 11 to 12
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 7/3/2025 Close Date 7/17/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Santa Fe, NM


Summary

This is a Direct-Hire advertisement. Veterans preference is not applicable to this advertisement. Learn more about this authority at: Direct Hire Authority

This position is located in Santa Fe, NM. Information about the surrounding area may be found by clicking on the location link.

We expect to fill one vacancy at this time; however, additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens - No previous federal service is required. This position is being advertised under an OPM government-wide Direct Hire authority. CTAP and ICTAP candidates in the local commuting area.

Duties

  • Develops, manages, and evaluates statewide annual program budgets.
  • Manages the statewide Aviation Training Program.
  • Performs wildland fire readiness inspections for the state.
  • Serves as the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) on all procured aviation contracts.
  • Coordinates and provides guidance on all aircraft procedures.
  • Interprets laws, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), and Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) for aviation and air operations statewide.
  • Conducts wildland fire aviation safety reviews for the Bureau.
  • Interpretates, guidance and recommendations at the regional and field level on aviation policy and procedures to evaluate effectiveness.
  • Participates in the development of new regional/state wildland fire and aviation policy.
  • Serves on various working groups, teams, and committees for the state/regional level.
  • Reviews, analyzes, and distributes existing and new policies from the national office.
  • Coordinates with state and regional offices to ensure policy implementation.
  • Advises on aviation assets, applications, and techniques statewide.
  • Provides input to briefings at conferences and through written presentations.
  • Advises wildland fire and aviation protection programs with local and regional fire offices.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Be sure to read the HOW TO APPLY and REQUIRED DOCUMENTS Sections.
  • You cannot hold an active real estate license; nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Land.
  • Direct Deposit Required.
  • Background Investigation Required.
  • Appointment will be subject to a favorably adjudicated background/suitability investigation/determination. Failure to possess or obtain a favorable determination will result in the cancellation of the offer or will be grounds for termination.
  • You must meet specified levels on annual physical fitness tests, and pass periodic medical exams for wildland fire personnel, commensurate with current incident management qualification.
  • Applicant(s) tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use and to pass the test prior to appointment. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use.
  • This position may require regular and recurring overtime during peak fire season.
  • May require completion of a one year trial OR probationary period.
  • Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service.

Qualifications

Specialized Experience Requirements:
In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the specialized experience requirement(s); please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade of the position to be filled.

To qualify for the GW/GS-11 grade level:

If you are a current or former federal employee who served in a competitive or excepted appointment, your resume must show that you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GW/GS-09 grade level. Examples of work experience include, but are not limited to: assisting with evaluating the use of aerial resources in support of incident objectives; assisting with analyzing costs and capabilities of firefighting aircraft; and ensuring organization is in compliance with aviation policies and standards. Please provide an SF50 with your application to verify that you are a current or former federal employee.

If you have never been or are NOT a current federal employee who served in a competitive or excepted appointment, your resume must show that you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GW/GS-10 grade level. Examples of work experience include, but are not limited to: evaluating the use of aerial resources in support of incident objectives; analyzing costs and capabilities of firefighting aircraft; and ensuring organization is in compliance with aviation policies and standards."

To qualify for the GW/GS-12 grade level, 1 year (12 months) of specialized experience equivalent to GW/GS-11 is required. Examples of work experience include but are not limited to: assisting with managing a wildland fire aviation management program at the unit, district, or state aviation level; assisting in developing and standardizing aviation policies and procedures for a natural resources/wildland fire organization; and providing guidance on aviation safety policies and procedures.

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.

There is no substitution of education for experience at the GW/GS-11 and GW/GS-12 grade levels.

*You must the qualifications requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Physical Demands: The work is primarily sedentary; however, some physical exertion on fire line site visit assignments is required. Walking on rough, uneven terrain, long periods of standing, and exposure to extreme heat, smoke, and temperatures is required.

Work Environment: Work is normally performed in an office setting. During the wildland fire season, field work may involve high risk exposure to potentially dangerous situating or stress; work environment involves occasional exposure to moderate risks and discomforts which usually require protective equipment to be worn. A range of safety and other precautions are required. Exposure to risks such as wildfire, heat, smoke, falling rocks and trees, etc., are a part of the job during wildland fire season. Work may require flying in small fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. Incumbent will adhere to all safety rules and regulating as prescribed in manuals/supplements or by the designated Safety Officer.

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). While secondary positions are not subject to the maximum entry age policy, the selectee must have prior service in a primary position (3 years of service in primary/rigorous position(s)) and meet the transfer requirement for movement from a primary to secondary position to be eligible for special retirement coverage. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure this office has enough information to determine your retirement status to ensure you do not lose benefits (normally through submission of your SF-50). YOU MUST LET US KNOW IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY IN A PRIMARY POSITION.

FACT SHEET for Fire Positions: Information on Special Retirement.

Education

See Qualifications Section.

Additional information

The new Special Base Rate (SBR) Salary Table for Federal wildland firefighters, General Wildland Firefighter (GW) pay plan effective March 23, 2025 was used to indicate the salary in this announcement. Salaries may vary dependent upon location selected. Once released, you will be able to access the new pay schedule through this link: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/

DOI uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.dhs.gov/e-verify.

This position is considered a career ladder opportunity, with a full performance level of GW/GS-12. If selected at a lower grade level, you may be non-competitively promoted to the next grade level at the discretion of your supervisor and is contingent upon meeting regulatory and legal requirements for promotion, satisfactory performance, and the availability of higher-level work. Promotion is not guaranteed, and no promise of promotion is implied.

Tax Law Impact for PCS: Moving expenses reimbursement is a taxable benefit. However, the Federal Travel Regulation18-05 issued by the General Services Administration has authorized agencies to use the Withholding Tax Allowance and Relocation Income Tax Allowance to pay for "substantially all" of the increased tax liability resulting from the "2018 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" for certain eligible individual

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. Information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility is available from OPM's Career Transition Resources website at CTAP or ICTAP. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration or that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) This vacancy is within your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility; 2) You apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) You are found well-qualified for this vacancy. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, or a copy of your separation personnel action form.

CTAP and ICTAP eligibles will be considered well qualified if they meet minimum qualifications for this position.

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 a RPL, you may be given priority consideration.

Certain incentives, such as, Recruitment, Relocation, or Student Loan Repayment, may be authorized to eligible selectees. 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. For information visit: Recruitment Incentives (OPM.gov), or Relocation Incentives (OPM.gov), or Student Loan Repayment (OPM.gov)

Government facilities are required to provide a smoke free environment for their employees. Smoking will be permitted only in designated areas.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated based on how your application materials reflect the qualification requirements of this position.

Once the job opportunity announcement closes, your resume and all supporting documents will be reviewed by HR to determine your eligibility for Federal employment and your qualifications for this position specifically. 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 qualified candidates will be referred for consideration; the hiring office may conduct interviews at their discretion. Interviews may be conducted on a pass/fail basis.

Your responses to the online questionnaire will be used to evaluate your competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and/or job elements) in the following areas:

  • Fire Management
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Knowledge Management

Required Documents

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) salary information. In addition, Civil Service employees must provide their current OPM title, series, and grade. 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. You are welcome to submit a cover letter.

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:

  • Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) eligibles: documentation verifying your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility - this includes a copy of the agency notice and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level and duty location.

Submitting Required Documents: Please note that documents selected for transfer from your USAJOBS profile are NOT automatically added to your application. You need to transfer your document(s) in the "Documents" step during the application process.

Hard copy paper supplemental documents, submitted without prior Human Resources approval, will be considered as an incomplete application.

Required documentation must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on the closing date of this announcement.

If you are determined to be eligible and best qualified, you will be referred to the selecting official for consideration. Applicants should monitor their status for positions by regularly checking their public status notifications in the USAJOBS profile.

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 receive consideration for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package, which includes ALL of the following items: 1) Your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire; 2) Your resume; and 3) Applicable supporting documents specified in the Required Documents section of this job announcement.

THIS IS AN ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS THROUGH USAJOBS. Your application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time by the closing date of the announcement . If you need assistance in applying on-line, please contact the HR Office at blm_fa_nifc_hr_external@blm.gov. If applying on-line poses a hardship for you (i.e. you do not have access to the Internet) you must contact us prior to the closing date of the announcement for an alternative method of applying.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have access to a public library, State Job Service Office, etc., you should use these resources to apply online.

YOU MUST HAVE OR CREATE A PROFILE IN USAJOBS. Your profile must contain a current resume for submission. See Required Documents section for what to include in your resume.

INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION COULD RESULT IN AN INELIGIBLE RATING. The USAJOBS Resume Builder was designed to ensure that your resume includes the standard information needed. The Resume Builder is an available tool when you log in to your USAJOBS account.1. Review the Appointment Eligibility Criteria: The eligibility section of the application process is designed to allow you to choose how you wish to be considered for this vacancy announcement. You will ONLY be considered for the appointment eligibilities you selected. You must provide proof of your eligibility to be considered.2. You must submit a resume and also complete the online application and assessment questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section.

  • 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 submitted. 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.
  • The eligibility portion of the application process is designed to allow you to choose how you wish to be considered for this announcement. You may choose more than one eligibility. You must provide proof of your eligibility and will only be considered for the questions that you answer "yes".
  • Please note, your eligibility will be based solely on the selections you have indicated in this section. You must provide the supporting documentation to support your claim to be considered. You may choose more than one eligibility in this section.
  • To view the assessment questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12753529
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (Welcome | Login.gov), 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://help.usajobs.gov/how-to.

FOLLOW UP. Check your application status before the announcement closes. It is your responsibility to ensure that a complete application (including a resume, on-line questionnaire, and applicable supplemental documentation) is received by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the closing date of the vacancy announcement. NOTE: Technical problems may take at least 1 business day to resolve; therefore, you are highly encouraged to complete the application process prior to the closing date.

Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.

Agency contact information

FA-HR-External-3 NIFC
Address
BLM New Mexico State Office
BLM New Mexico, NM-951
301 Dinosaur Trail
Santa Fe, NM 87508
US

Next steps

You can track the progress of your application package via your USAJOBS account. You will receive an acknowledgement email from USAJOBS that your submission was successful once we have received your online questionnaire, resume, and any supporting documentation. You will be notified of the status of your application and/or referral to the hiring official via your USAJOBS account after the evaluation process is complete. You will be contacted if further evaluation is required or if interviews are conducted.

If you are not referred and/or have questions or concerns regarding your rating determination or referral status, you must submit your inquiry in writing within 7 calendar days of receiving a Notice of Results and Referral notification email. Please submit inquiries to BLM_FA_NIFC_HR_External@blm.gov. Please include the announcement number to better assist our team in reviewing your inquiry.

Inquiries submitted AFTER the 7-day period, will NOT be accepted or reviewed.


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


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