Wildland Firefighter (Regional Fuels Program Manager)

Full Job Description

This position is located on a USDA Forest Service Unit specifically within the Southern Region, Region 8.

The incumbent's primary responsibilities include program responsibility for prescribed fire, fuels management, and smoke management, provides professional advice and assistance to meet resource management objectives with prescribed fire and/or multiple objective wildland fires.

For additional information about the duties of these positions, please see Additional Information section below.

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.

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.

Basic Requirement 0401 Series: Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resources management, chemistry, or related discipline appropriate to the position being filled.

-OR- Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement, you must also possess experience and/or directly related education in the amounts listed below.

Specialized Experience Requirement: For the GW-13 level: You must have one year of specialized experience at least equivalent to GW-12 in the Federal Service.

Examples of specialized experience include: Managed, directed and evaluated a fully integrated fuels management and/or fire ecology program; reviewed land management plans and environmental effects analysis; provided advise on and developed prescribed fire/fuels policy and procedures; maintained liaison with entities external to the organization, and spoke for the organization on fuels management program issues.

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. Major Duties:

• Duties listed are at full performance grade GW-13 level.
• Develops, coordinates and implements strategies to achieve agency mission related to fire and resource management.
• Develops priorities and objectives to assure these programs are integrated into higher level/broader resource plans and respond to National and Regional direction and initiatives.
• Advises specialists, line officers, and fire leadership on a variety of problems relating to the use of chemicals, planned and unplanned wildland fire, mechanical, and natural means to treat fuels, restore landscapes, and manage ecosystems.
• Coordinates with air quality program leaders in developing and review of smoke management and air quality guidelines as they relate to planned and unplanned ignitions.
• Provides leadership and direction in prescribed fire planning, implementation/operations and monitoring. Conducts program and project reviews, as well as coordinates escaped prescribed fire reviews.
• Reviews reports and recommendations of Forest units for adequacy, compliance with policies, guidelines, priorities, and assesses impact, determines causes where problems are identified and suggests corrective measures.
• Coordinates fuels/fire ecology training program with those of cooperating entities and other regional programs.
• May serve as Regional/National fire behavior expert on major wildfires and in the development and teaching of advanced fire behavior training programs.