Supervisory Wildland Firefighter (Fire Management Officer)

at  US Fish and Wildlife Service

QUALIFICATIONS

This key fire management position is a categorized under the Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) Standard as a Unit Fire Program Management Moderate Complexity. Minimum IFPM qualification standards must be met prior to being placed into the position. Detailed information regarding IFPM positions can be found at https://www.ifpm.nifc.gov/.
Prior experience in wild land firefighting is required in order to carry out the duties of this position. You will not be considered for this position if you do not have prior wild land firefighting experience.
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). PLEASE NOTE: Applicants may meet qualification requirements but may not be eligible for special retirement coverage. If such an applicant is selected, they will be placed in the regular retirement system.
Only experience and education obtained by 08/30/2024 will be considered.
Your resume MUST include BEGINNING and END DATES specified in MONTH/YEAR to MONTH/YEAR format. In addition, your resume MUST reflect FULL-TIME/PART-TIME or total number of HOURS worked per week

YOU MAY QUALIFY AT THE GS-12 LEVEL, IF YOU FULFILL THE FOLLOWING QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT:

One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service that demonstrates your ability to; maintain oversight of Firefighter Safety Program; supervision of a Fire staff; experience with policies and procedures for fire suppression and preparedness; coordination with aircraft operations and acquisitions; monitoring Fire training programs; reviews and evaluates fuels management and prescribed fire burn plans.

IN ADDITION, FOR THE GS-12 GRADE LEVEL APPLICANTS MUST ALSO MEET THE FOLLOWING IFPM REQUIREMENTS:

IFPM Qualifications for Unit Fire Program Manager - (Moderate Complexity)(Selective Factor):

NWCG QUALIFICATIONS:

High Pathway #1 -

• Primary Core: Task Force Leader (TFLD) AND
• Secondary Core: Incident Commander, Type 3 (ICT3) or Prescribed Fire Burn Boss, Type 2 (RXB2)

OR

High Pathway #2 -

• Primary Core: Helibase Manager (HEBM)
• Secondary Core: Incident Commander, Type 3 (ICT3)

Note: M-581 is a condition of employment and not a selective factor

EDUCATION

PROOF OF EDUCATION: All applicants who are using education or a combination of education and experience to qualify must submit copies of official or unofficial transcripts which include grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, institution name, and student name. If any required coursework is not easily recognizable on transcripts, or if you believe a portion of a particular course can be credited toward meeting an educational requirement, you must also provide a memorandum on letterhead from the institution’s registrar, dean, or other appropriate official stating the percentage of the course that should be considered to meet the requirement and the equivalent number of units. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; however, if you are selected for the position, you will be required to produce the original official transcripts.
PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.
GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school’s definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov)

ALL APPLICATIONS THAT ARE VERIFIED TO MEET THE BASIC QUALIFICATIONS WILL BE REFERRED TO THE SELECTING OFFICIAL.

• Benefits
  A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
  Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

• Required Documents

As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you’re a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you’re eligible under their policies.

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume: You are highly encouraged to use USAJOBS Resume Builder to ensure all required information is included in your Resume. If you use your own resume, curriculum vitae, or any other written form you choose then you must describe your job-related qualifications that includes beginning and ending dates for paid and non-paid work experience, hours worked per week, month and year of employment for each job title listed, and description of job duties. Note: Current and former Federal employees should include the grade level of their federal positions.Include name and address of employer, supervisor name and telephone number. Additional information on what to include can be found here. Your experience needs to address every required qualification. Note: Failure to provide ALL required information on your resume will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package.
• Incident Qualification and Certification System Responder Master Record/Incident Qualification Card (REQUIRED)

Other supporting documents:

• Cover Letter, optional
• Official or unofficial College Transcript(s), if the position has education requirements, or if you are using your education to qualify. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. A copy of your official transcripts will be required if you are selected. If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
• If applicable, documentation/proof that you are eligible Career Transition Assistance Program/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program documentation, if applicable (e.g., Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; and most recent performance appraisal.)
• Current and former federal employees - It is recommended that you submit a copy of your SF-50(s) (Notification of Personnel Action) to support your experience. Examples of appropriate SF-50s include appointments/separations, promotions, within-grade increases.

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
• 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 that you selected. You must provide proof of your eligibility as required by appointment eligibility to be considered.
• Resume or Application. At a minimum, your resume MUST contain job title (include job series and grade, if federal), duties, starting and ending dates (month/day/year), hours worked per week, and salary. USAJOBS has a template to ensure a complete resume.
• You must also complete the online application and assessment questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

DEADLINE DATE: A complete application package must be received by 11:59 PM (EST) on 08/30/2024 to receive consideration.

• 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 received. 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.
• You will be considered for all eligibilities for which you select “yes” and submit the required documents and supporting documentation (e.g. DD 214, Schedule A letter, etc.). The supporting documentation you submit will be used to determine your eligibility. Please review the list of documentation provided in the eligibilities language to ensure you provide the appropriate information.
• Please note, your eligibility will be based solely on the selections you have indicated “yes” in this section. You must provide the supporting documentation to support your claim to be considered. You may choose more than one eligibilities in this section.
• To view the assessment questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12511029

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), 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://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact the Human Resources Office via email at fwshiring@fws.gov.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP):These programs apply to employees who have been or may be involuntarily separated (e.g. reduction in force, declining to relocate/transfer outside their local commuting area) from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. If you are a CTAP or ICTAP eligible, you will be considered well qualified if you: (1) meet the minimum qualification requirements listed in the vacancy announcement; (2) possess the knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or competencies that exceed the minimum qualification requirements enabling you to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry as determined by at least one subject matter expert; and (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility (e.g., Certification of Expected Separation, Reduction-In-Force Separation Notice, or Notice of Proposed Removal or Removal Notice; SF-50 that documents the RIF separation action; or Removal and most recent performance appraisal.). For more information visit: OPM Career Transition

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.
Help

This position functions within a region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as a Zone Fire Management Officer (FMO) of a complex fire management program as part of the greater USFWS and Department of the Interior Wildland Fire Management Program.
This Zone FMO is responsible for directing most phases of fire management programs for designated Federally managed lands within a geographic zone to include fire management planning, aviation management, training and workforce planning, fire preparedness, fuels management and fire prevention, dispatching, suppression, post-suppression, as well as all hazard and emergency response activities.
Serves as the technical authority in fire management and air operations with a diverse multi-dimensional fire management program, with full program and operational integration with other agency fire management at the highest level and throughout the fire organization.
Facilitates collaboration for the development of local/annual operating plans and provides staff technical direction in the execution of master plans throughout the organization. Develops and negotiates complex local interagency agreements.
Coordinates strategic implementation of complex fire management activities in a rapidly changing environment for allocation of resources, equipment, and aircraft.