Wildland Firefighter (Fuels Management) - Direct Hire Authority

Full Job Description

This is a Direct-Hire advertisement. Veterans preference is not applicable to this advertisement.

Learn more about this authority at: Direct Hire Authority Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our most precious resource. This position is located in Spokane Valley, WA.

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

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-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 specialized experience include, but not limited to: assist with developing, reviewing and evaluating fire management plans for ecological soundness and consistency with land management goals and objectives; analyzing fuel loadings and determining appropriate fuel treatment methods; performing land use planning and environmental coordination to determine if resource objectives were achieved; assist with analyzing the ecological role of fire and its use and/or exclusion, and smoke management.

Please provide an SF50 with your application package 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 specialized experience include, but not limited to: developing, reviewing and evaluating fire management plans for ecological soundness and consistency with land management goals and objectives; analyzing fuel loadings and determining appropriate fuel treatment methods; performing land use planning and environmental coordination to determine if resource objectives were achieved; analyzing the ecological role of fire and its use and/or exclusion, and smoke management.

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.

Substitution of Education for Experience: There is no substitution of education for experience at this grade level. You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

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.

Work Environment: 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.

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. Major Duties:

• Directs all aspects of the fuels mgmt. program including planning, implementation, coordination and evaluation.
• Oversees the smoke management program to ensure compliance with state air quality standards.
• Develops and implements short-term fire management objectives and strategies based on the effects and behavior of prescribed fire.
• Analyzes, evaluates, and makes recommendation on all sections of the Fire Management Plan pertaining to prescribed fire and fuels treatments.
• Plans, designs, and conducts project assessments which determine the condition of wildland fuels.
• Leads the development and coordination of cooperative agreements to facilitate multi-agency projects.
• Plans, conducts surveys, analyzes, and evaluates data to develop prescriptions for prescribed fire and wildland fire monitoring.
• Plans and administers the technical and administrative aspects of the prescribed fire/fuels plan.
• Identifies, evaluates and provides training needs for other prescribed fire and fuels mgmt. programs supporting staff.
• Participates in contract administration activities as a Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR) or Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR).
• Exercises delegated supervisory authorities and responsibilities 20% of the time.
• Plans work to be accomplished by subordinates, sets and adjusts short-term priorities, and prepares schedules for completion of work.
• Evaluates work performance of subordinates.