WILDLAND FIREFIGHTER (REGIONAL UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS PROGRAM MANAGER)
Forest Service
Posted: January 13, 2026 (2 days ago)
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Forest Service
Department of Agriculture
Location
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salary
$112,824 - $168,420
per year
Type
Closes
This role involves leading and managing aviation operations for wildfire fighting and natural resource management in the USDA Forest Service's Southern Region, based in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The position supports the Director of Aviation and Fire Management by providing expert advice, overseeing budgets, and ensuring safe and efficient use of aircraft like helicopters and fixed-wing planes.
It's ideal for experienced wildland firefighters with strong leadership skills in aviation who enjoy coordinating complex operations across agencies.
This position will be located at a USDA Forest Service Unit within the Southern Region, Region 8.
The Regional Aviation Officer serves as a principal assistant to the Director of Aviation and Fire Management with primary responsibility for directing the Region's aviation activities.
For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Russ Marchion at 318-729-3322 or Russell.Marchion@usda.gov 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 Wildland Fire Schedule Qualification Standards.
Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary.
Specialized Experience Requirement: For the GW-13: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GW-12 in the Federal service.
Examples of Specialized Experience are: Managed a multi-sector workforce based on organizational goals, budget considerations, and staffing needs; and/or provided aviation technical advice and expertise to multi-agency coordination groups; and/or developed work improvement plans; and/or served as subject matter expert in all phases of aviation contracting.
For the GW-14: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GW-13 in the Federal service.
Examples of Specialized Experience are: Provided leadership, oversight and technical direction of highly complex aviation management operations (fixed and rotor wing aircraft) both inside and outside the agency; and/or prepared a program budget and recommend funding allocations to the units for forest aviation programs; and/or evaluated the efficiency of aviation operations in fire and other natural resource aviation operations; and/or performed comprehensive field evaluations of aviation operational effectiveness, overall accomplishment, method and procedure analysis, and conceptualized program/system changes; and/or provided expert interpretations of highly complex aviation management and aircraft maintenance data, clarifying requirements and regulations to assure airworthiness.
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.
FIREFIGHTER RETIREMENT COVERAGE: This is a secondary firefighter position under 5 USC 8336 (CSRS) and 8412(d) (FERS). Prior wildland firefighting experience is required.
There is no age limit for entry into secondary positions. Firefighter retirement coverage of the incumbent depends upon his or her individual work history.
To receive consideration for this position, you must provide updated required documents and meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
TIME IN GRADE REQUIREMENT: If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled.
This requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Major Duties:
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