KEY REQUIREMENTS



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**Applications will be reviewed manually. Therefore, please refer to the 'How To Apply' section for the proper way to submit applications. Applications may be mailed, faxed, or emailed. Please read the vacancy announcement carefully to ensure all required documentation is submitted by the application deadlines listed in the vacancy announcement.

The incumbent administers a national wildland fire management research, development, and application program that develops the scientific knowledge for the foundation of national policies, objectives, and standards for planning and executing wildland fire program. Serves as a technical expert in and consultant in the field of expertise.

Prepares and contributes to reports and other presentations on program planning and evaluation. Manages a program that has a wide variety of comprehensive studies and detailed analyses of complex functions and processes related to wildland fire management. Identifies and proposes solutions to management problems that are of major importance to fire management direction. Prepares recommendations that affect the way in which fire management is carried out.

Performs the administrative and human resources management functions relative to the staff supervised. Establishes guidelines and performance expectations for staff members, which are clearly communicated through the formal performance management system. Observes workers' performance; demonstrates and conducts work performance critiques. Provides informal feedback and periodically evaluates employee performance. Resolves informal complaints and grievances.

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: In addition to meeting the basic qualification requirements, applicants must have specialized experience as follows:

GS-14: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level.

GS-15: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 grade level.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS POSITION:

Specialized experience directly related to this position should be documented in your application. In your application, you should describe the duties performed relative to the specialized experience defined for this position. Show percentage of time performing these duties if work involved a variety of different duties, i.e., where only a portion of the work experience would be creditable for this position.

GS-14: For the purpose of this vacancy announcement, specialized experience is further defined as experience designing wildland fire research and management projects across organizations including identifying and implementing necessary actions related to implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. Planning, organizing, and conducting meetings and workshops to further program objectives and to maintain collaboration and communication within the science and management community. Reviewing, advising on, and conducting complex analysis and/or development studies in support of major wildland fire management programs.

GS-15: For the purpose of this vacancy announcement, specialized experience is further defined as experience developing and participating in short- and long-range planning for interagency or multi-organization wildland fire research and management programs, including establishing program goals and priorities, developing budget needs, and recommending the allocation of funds. Developing and coordinating the sharing and translation of scientific findings, developing materials related to new methods for studies or investigations, and sharing scientific advice and assistance within the science and management communities. Experience designing and conducting a wide variety of comprehensive studies and detailed analyses of complex functions and processes related to wildland fire management program planning and management.

TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS:

N/A

EDUCATION:

U.S. Office of Personnel Management qualifications standards for the GS-401 series will be used to determine whether applicants are qualified and can be reviewed in any Federal Personnel Office or are available on the Internet at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/index.htm.

This position has a positive education requirement; therefore, legible copies of your college transcript(s) are required. Transcript(s) must be submitted by the application deadlines listed in the announcement; please include your name and the announcement number on all documents. Applicants who fail to submit their transcript(s) by the application deadlines listed in the announcement will not be given credit for their education.

Basic Requirements:

A.) Degree: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

OR

B.) Combination of education and experience -- Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS POSITION: This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. One year of full-time undergraduate study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business or technical school and one year of full-time graduate study is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent one year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the one year of full-time study requirement.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: To receive credit for education outside the U.S., you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign credentials and that such education has been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. educational programs. There is normally a fee associated with this service. For a list of private organizations that are accredited to evaluate education, visit http://www.naces.org/members.htm. This documentation must be submitted by the application deadlines listed in the announcement. Applicants who fail to submit the evaluation of their foreign education by the application deadlines listed in the announcement will not be given credit for their foreign education.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

You must be a U.S. citizen to qualify for this position.

To receive consideration for this position, you must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

If appointed, you will need to successfully complete a background investigation. A favorable adjudication of the clearance or background investigation at the time of appointment and on reinvestigations is a condition of employment.

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

BASIS OF RATING: The category rating procedure is used to rank and select eligible candidates. Under category rating, applicants who meet basic minimum qualification requirements established for the position and whose job related competencies have been assessed are ranked by being placed in one of the following categories: Quality, Well Qualified, and Eligible. Candidates placed in the Quality category will be assessed based on Education, High Ability, or Experience. Well-Qualified candidates are those who clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements but do not necessarily meet the criteria for the Quality category. Candidates in the eligible category meet basic minimum qualification requirements but do not meet the criteria for the Well Qualified category. Preference eligibles are listed ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category.

There are a variety of health insurance plans; retirement systems with investment options; paid holidays; paid sick and annual (vacation) leave; life insurance; subsidized transportation; flexible work schedules; training and development opportunities; family/worklife programs, etc.

OTHER INFORMATION:

The USDA Forest Service has legislative authority to recruit and fill Permanent (Career-Conditional), Temporary, and Term Appointments under the USDA Demonstration Project. Under this authority, any U.S. citizen may apply.

If selection is made at a lower grade level, promotion to the target grade will be non-competitive upon completion of training, performance, and specialized experience requirements.

Financial Disclosure: The individual selected for this position will be required to file a financial disclosure report within 30-days after appointment, and annually thereafter (and upon leaving the position, under the public disclosure process). Further, each employee is subject to prohibitions against officially dealing with outside organizations with which he or she has a financial interest.

The Forest Service inspires public confidence in our missions by maintaining high ethical principles. Employees are subject to Federal government-wide regulations and statutes described at http://www.usda-ethics.net/science/index.htm. Any possible conflict of interest must be resolved prior to a candidate's appointment, you are encouraged to review this information.

Transfer of station/relocation expenses will NOT be paid, except for current permanent career or career-conditional employees.

Bargaining Unit Status: Not Eligible.

Forest Service affiliated child/daycare facilities are not available.

Government housing is not available.

Probationary Period: This appointment requires completion of a one-year probationary period (unless previously completed). During this time period, employee's conduct and performance will be monitored in order to determine if employee will be retained.

Applicants chosen for this position must also serve a one-year probationary period (served concurrently) if a supervisory/managerial probation has not previously been completed in a federal civilian position.

Veterans' Preference: Generally, preference is granted to veterans who entered the military service prior to October 14, 1976; or served on active duty during the period from August 2, 1990, through January 2, 1992, and who are otherwise eligible; or who served on active duty during the period beginning September 11, 2001, and ending on the last day of Operation Iraqi Freedom; or who have served in a military action for which they received a Campaign Badge or Expeditionary Medal. This includes the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AFEM) awarded to those who participated in Operation Joint Endeavor or Operation Joint Guard. Also, you may be entitled to Veterans' Preference if you are a disabled veteran; you have received a Purple Heart; you are the spouse or mother of a disabled veteran; or you are the widow, widower, or mother of a deceased veteran.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all of its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's Target Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PROVIDER AND EMPLOYER.

Reasonable Accommodation: The USDA Forest Service provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact the point of contact listed on the vacancy announcement. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Direct Deposit: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.

As a condition of employment, all male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must have registered for the selective service. If selected for this position, the applicant must sign a statement certifying his registration, or the applicant must demonstrate exempt status under the Selective Service Law.

Applicants covered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Intergovernmental Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) may apply and will be given priority consideration if determined to be well-qualified. Well-qualified is defined as meeting the qualification standards, selective factors, quality ranking factors, and physical qualifications under the Agency's specific selection process.

Applications may be mailed, faxed, or emailed.

--Emailed applications should be sent to asc_hcm_staffing@fs.fed.us with the subject: TA12-2253163113-0211DP-EB.

--Mailed applications should be sent to USDA Forest Service - ASC-HRM, 4000 Masthead Street NE, MS 211 (RMRS-0211DP-EB), Albuquerque, NM 87109.

--Faxed applications should be sent to 1-866-339-1634.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

To receive consideration for this position, faxed or emailed applications MUST be received in this office by 11:59 p.m. EST/EDT on the closing date of this announcement. Hard-copy mailed applications received after the closing date MUST be postmarked on or before the closing date. Applications postmarked after the closing date will not be considered.

The Forest Service assumes no responsibility for late delivery of applications. It remains the responsibility of the applicant to ensure successful delivery of their entire application package no later than the closing date of the announcement.

Applicants must also ensure that applications contain accurate information, are complete and legible, and that emailed applications are compatible with Forest Service computer systems (PC based).

READ CAREFULLY: The following information MUST be submitted to evaluate applicant qualifications and to determine if applicants meet legal requirements for Federal employment.

1.) Please attach a cover sheet to the front of your application package that clearly shows:

a.) Announcement Number: TA12-2253163113-0211DP-EB.

b.) Job title, Series, and Grade of the job for which you are applying.

c.) Your full name, mailing address, day and evening phone numbers (with area code), and email address.

d.) Whether or not you are claiming Veterans' Preference.

e.) Present employer, job title, and annual salary.

f.) If you are or previously were a federal employee, if so, indicate the highest grade you held and the duration of that job.

2.) For your application data, you may use a resume or any other written format you choose. Regardless of the format used, your application must contain sufficient information to validate qualifications and the specialized experience required for this position. The specialized experience required for this position is defined in the QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED section.

DATA YOU NEED TO INCLUDE IN YOUR APPLICATION:

Personal Information-Your country of citizenship, and the following if applicable; Veterans' Preference, proof of Federal employment, reinstatement eligibility and highest Federal civilian grade and series held. Also, if this announcement is for a multi-grade level job, indicate the lowest grade you will accept.

Education-Indicate the high school (name, city, state, and zip code), date of diploma or GED, colleges and universities (name, city, state, and zip code) attended with the majors, type and year of degrees received (if no degree, show total semester or quarter hours earned. Please specify if your school is on a semester or quarter hour system. Provide the semester/quarter credits earned and your overall and major courses grade point averages (GPA) so that education can be fully credited. Copies of your college transcript(s) are required if education is needed to meet qualifications. If you submit your transcript(s) separate from your application, you MUST have the vacancy announcement number on your transcript(s), otherwise you will not receive credit for your education.

Work Experience-Give the following information for paid and volunteer work experience especially that which is related to the job you are applying for: Job title, (include series and grade if federal job), main duties and responsibilities, employers' names and addresses, supervisors' names and phone numbers, starting and ending dates (month and year), work hours per week, and annual salary amounts. Do not send official job descriptions. Please indicate if we may contact your current supervisor.

Other Qualifications-List job-related training courses (course title and year completed) and job related skills, such as other languages, computer/software/hardware, tools, machinery, and typing speed; current job related certificates and licenses; and job-related awards, honors, and special accomplishments such as publications, memberships in professional or honor societies, leadership activities, public speaking, and performance awards.

3.) Legible copies of your college transcript(s) are required. If you submit your transcript(s) separate from your application, you MUST have the vacancy announcement number on your transcript(s). Transcript(s) must be submitted by the application deadlines. Applicants who fail to submit their transcript(s) by the application deadlines will not be given credit for their education.

4.) To receive credit for education outside the U.S., you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign credentials and that such education has been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. educational programs. This documentation must be submitted by the application deadlines. Applicants who fail to submit the evaluation of their foreign education by the application deadlines will not be given credit for their foreign education.

5.) Veterans' Preference Documentation: If you are claiming 5-point Veterans' Preference, you must submit a DD-214, Member 4 copy. If you are claiming 10-point preference, you must submit a DD214, Member 4 copy, SF-15 (Application for 10-Point preference) and a letter (dated 1991 to present) from the VA or military department indicating your disability rating. Applicants claiming preference based on service performed after October 14, 1976, must specify on the application the Campaign Badge upon which they are basing their claim. If you are still on active duty and claim Veterans' Preference, then you must submit documentation such as a: (1) official orders or citation entitling you to a campaign badge; (2) statement of service from a commanding officer or someone else in authority attesting to your active duty which identifies dates of entry and anticipated separation; rank at time of discharge; and anticipated character of discharge; or (3) in the case of someone claiming service during the first Gulf War or since 9/11/01, any official document attesting to your presence on active duty during the appropriate calendar periods. Veterans who fail to submit the supporting documentation with their application will not be granted Veterans' Preference. If you are claiming 10-point preference as a widow/widower of a certain deceased veteran, spouse of a veteran unable to work because of a service connected disability, or the mother of a deceased or disabled veteran, you must submit an SF-15 (Application for 10-Point Veterans' Preference) and all supporting documentation listed on the second page of the SF-15. If you fail to submit the supporting documentation with your application, you will not be granted Veterans' Preference. Please include your name and the announcement number on all documents.

6.) Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) Notification; such as RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a directed reassignment or transfer of function outside the local commuting area, Certificate of Expected Separation, or letter from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), or agency documentation of your priority consideration status, or other official notice indicating that you are in a surplus organization, occupation, or eligible for discontinued service retirement.

7.) If you have any special considerations or needs that you need us to be aware of, please include that information in your application data including physical accommodations, particular work restrictions, restrictions related to travel availability or work schedules, etc.

8.) Demographic Information on Applicants Form: http://www.nga.gov/pdf/app_bg_survey.pdf. Completion of this form is strictly voluntary and the information provided will be kept highly confidential. The information provided on this form will NOT be shared with the selecting official.

Incomplete, illegible, or inaccurate information may result in you not being considered for this position. Please complete your application information carefully and be sure to submit all information within the assigned timeframe to receive full consideration. Do not submit any original documents you will need for your personal records because applications received under this announcement will not be returned.

Do not submit your application in a notebook, binder, or other cumbersome covering.

Applications submitted in postage-paid Government envelopes will not be considered. Use of postage-paid government agency envelopes to file job applications is a violation of Federal laws and regulations. The Forest Service will not pay for certified mail, express mail, or postage on any applications.

Applications received become the property of the USDA Forest Service and will not be returned.

AGENCY CONTACT INFO:

WHAT TO EXPECT NEXT:

Please allow 20 working days after the closing date of this announcement before you inquire as to the status of your application. We expect to make a final job offer within 60-90 days after the deadline for applications. Applicants will be notified of non-selection.