Wildland Firefighter (Fuels) - Direct Hire Authority

Summary 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 either Spokane Valley, WA or Wenatchee, WA. We expect to fill one vacancy at this time; however, additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available. Learn more about this agency 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. You must be 18 years of age or older to be assigned to a hazardous position. You must pass a pre-employment physical. 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 requires regular and recurring overtime and shift work during peak fire season. May require completion of a one year probationary period. This position requires a valid state driver's license to operate a variety of motor vehicles to transport equipment, supplies, crewmembers, and others as required. 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 GS-07 grade level, 1 year (12 months) of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-06) is required. Examples of specialized experience include: performing duties which provided a basic understanding of wildland fire management concepts, theories and practices including the assessment of fire effects on cultural and/or natural resources; assisting other fire management staffs in the development of complex presentations; presenting or conducting simple presentations of fire management concepts, topics, information; researching technical reports and/or other sources to obtain information used by higher graded professionals; applying basic formulas to routine calculations; and/or participating in the development and/or implementation of wildland fire management plans including carrying out initial attack incident management strategies and tactics to meet the stated resource objectives. To qualify for the GS-08 grade level, 1 year (12 months) of specialized experience equivalent to GS-07 is required. Examples of work experience include but are not limited to: assisting preparation and implementation of prescribed fire plans; assisting evaluating treatments, monitoring methods and new technologies; assisting with conducting fuels management surveys to document types of hazardous fuels. To qualify for the GS-09 grade level, 1 year (12 months) of specialized experience equivalent to GS-08 is required. Examples of work experience include but are not limited to: preparing and implementing prescribed fire plans; evaluating prescription of treatments, monitoring methods and new technologies; conducting fuels management surveys to document types of hazardous fuels. 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 the GS-07 and above grade levels. 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. 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 Salaries may vary dependent upon location selected. Please refer to the Salary Tables link for more information: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2024/general-schedule 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 GS-09. 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. Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service. 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 exceed 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) The BLM has determined that the duties of this position are not suitable for telework. Government facilities are required to provide a smoke free environment for their employees. Smoking will be permitted only in designated areas. Read more Benefits Review our benefits