Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results

Forestry Technician

Department of the Interior
Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is being re-advertised. Applicants who applied previously need not reapply unless submitting updated and/or additional information.

This position is located with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Navajo Region, Trust Services, Branch of Wildland Fire and Aviation Management, Operations - Hotshot Section, Fort Defiance, Arizona. This position is to provide leadership and oversight of wildland fire suppression/management/control work.

Overview

Help
Hiring complete
Posted 02/13/20
Location
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$38,921 - $56,222 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 6 - 7
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time - Seasonal
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Other
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Announcement number
ST-10689142-20-AG
Control number
556828700

Duties

Help
  • During initial attack fire suppression activities, locates fireline, directs and participates in fireline construction.
  • Directs and performs in backfiring and burnout operations.
  • Directs and performs in engine and pump operations.
  • Directs and performs in brush cleaning and tree falling.
  • Directs and performs in holding/patrol/mop up operations.
  • Uses a variety of specialized tools, equipment and techniques to actively suppress fires.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship Required
  • Indian Preference applies
  • You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit
  • You may be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial period
  • A background security investigation will be required for all new hires. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • If you are a male applicant born after 12/31/1959 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency.
  • Incumbent is required to operate a government motor vehicle, must possess a valid driver's license, and have a safe driving record within the 3 year period immediately preceding submittal of GSA Form 3607.
  • This position is subject to both pre-employment and random drug testing as a condition of employment. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test is received.
  • This position is subject to pre-employment and annual medical screening and physical fitness testing for arduous duty.

Qualifications

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: (OPM Operating Manual, Qualification Standards for Technical and Medical Support Positions, and Individual Occupational Requirements for GS-0462: Forestry Technician Series).

GS-6: 1 year of specialized work experience equivalent to the GS-05 level. Examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to, on-the-line wildland fire experience as a senior wildland firefighter in forest or range fire control, prevention or suppression work, prescribed burning; operating and maintaining specialized wildland fire tools, equipment, vehicles, and may include leading the work of crew personnel.

GS-7: 1 year of specialized work experience equivalent to the GS-06 level duties. Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to work in forest or range fire control, prevention or suppression work in a leadership role as a wildland firefighter directing others in the use of a variety of specialized wildland fire tools and equipment; directing and performing prescribed burning or in the operation of a wildland fire engine or suppression efforts on a helicopter module OR one full year of graduate education in forestry, range management, agriculture, or a subject-matter field directly related to the position.

INTERAGENCY FIRE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT (IFPM): This position requires meeting the Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) Selective factors for a Squad Leader and the following qualifications per Standards for Interagency Hotshot Crew Operations:

Selective Factor: Crew Boss (CRWB)
Selective Factor: Incident Commander Type 5 (ICT5)
Selective Factor: Required training I-200, S-205 or S-215, S-230, S-219 or S-234 or S-219, S-260, S-290, L-280.

FIREFIGHTER RETIREMENT COVERAGE AND MAXIMUM ENTRY AGE LIMIT: This position is covered as a primary firefighter position under the special retirement provisions of U.S.C. 8336(c) (CSRS) and 5 U.S.C. 8412(d) (FERS) subject to maximum entry age and mandatory retirement at age 57, or any time after 57, upon reaching 20 years of covered service. Applicants for this position must not have reached their 37th birthday upon appointment to this position unless there is prior service in an approved covered position to permit retirement on/before the mandatory retirement age of 57 or you are a preference eligible veteran. If you are a preference eligible veteran, you may be eligible for this position after your 37th birthday. You must supply a copy of your Defense Department Form 214 (DD-214) along with Standard Form 15 (if applicable) and any associated documentation in accordance with the instructions in this vacancy announcement. Failure to provide this documentation with your application will result in the loss of eligibility to receive a waiver of the maximum entry age requirement.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Merit Promotion candidates must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the announcement closing date.

Education

If you are qualifying based on your education, you MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.

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.

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.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education which shows 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: FOREIGN EDUCATION

Additional information

All new hires earn the beginning salary of their pay grade (Step 1). See 2019 Salary Tables and select the pay chart for Fort Defiance, Arizona. If no specific chart is listed for this geographic location, see the "rest of U.S." chart.

The full performance level of this position is GS-7. Promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. A career ladder promotion is at the discretion of management, and in no way guaranteed.

TELEWORK: Indian Affairs has determined that the duties of the position are not suitable for telework and under any circumstances.

Career Transition Assistance Programs: These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 70 or above; and, (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp .

Under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) two groups of individuals are eligible to apply under this announcement: current and/or former employees serving or who have served under time-limited competitive appointments at land management agencies. Land Management Agencies include: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and U.S. Forest Service.

  • Current appointees: 1) must have been hired under competitive examining procedures to a time limited appointment with a land management agency; 2) must have served under one or more time limited appointment(s) by a land management agency for a period totaling more than 24 months without a break in service of 2 or more years; AND 3) must have performed at an acceptable level during each period of service.
  • Former appointees: 1) must have been hired under competitive examining procedures to a time limited appointment with a land management agency; 2) must have served under one or more time limited appointment(s) by a land management agency for a period totaling more than 24 months without a break in service of 2 or more years; 3) must have separated for reasons other than misconduct or performance; AND 4) must have performed at an acceptable level through the service period.

Certain candidates may be eligible to apply under a special hiring authority including those for disabled individuals, Peace Corps employees, Foreign Service employees, veterans, etc. For more information, visit the following OPM websites: USAJOBS Information Center: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/; Vets Info Guide: http://www.fedshirevets.gov/.

Former Federal Employees are required to indicate whether they received a Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP) buyout in their previous employment with the Federal government, and are required to submit a copy of the applicable Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) regarding the VSIP. Most individuals who accept reemployment with the Federal government within 5 years of receiving the VSIP amount, must repay the gross amount of the separation pay prior to reemployment.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your application package will be evaluated against the minimum qualification requirements specified above. In order to qualify, your resume must specifically describe your work history and the duties you performed in each position. Your resume will be evaluated after the closing date of 03/02/2020 to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position. Qualified candidates will then be rated as best qualified, well qualified, or qualified depending on their possession of the knowledge, skills, abilities, competencies and experience requirements as demonstrated by your responses to the assessment questions. Competencies measured include:

  • Accountability
  • Oral Communication
  • Teaching Others
  • Technical Competence

We will compare your resume and supporting documentation to your responses on the assessment questionnaire. If the information in your resume does not support your responses to the assessment questions, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your qualifications.

Qualified Indian preference candidates will be referred to the hiring manager in order of veterans' preference.

You may preview the assessment questions here in the https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10689142. Additional selections may be made from this announcement if identical vacancies occur in the same location within 90 days from the closing date.

Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs

Indian Affairs provides services to 573 federally recognized tribes with a population of about 1.9 million American Indian and Alaska Natives. Indian Affairs offers an extensive range of programs such as social services, law enforcement and detention services, administration of tribal courts, natural resources management, economic development, implementation of land and water claim settlements, housing improvement, disaster relief, and the replacement and maintenance of schools, roads, and bridges.

Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 (Title 25, USC, Section 472). Verification Form BIA-4432 must be submitted with the application if claiming Indian Preference. Indian Preference eligibles not currently employed in Federal service may be appointed under the Excepted Service Appointment Authority Schedule A, 213.3112(a)(7). Consideration will be given to Non-Indian applicants in the absence of qualified Indian Preference eligibles. For more information about Indian preference or to obtain BIA Form 4432 application instructions, please visit: https://www.bia.gov/jobs.

Agency contact information

Antonia Gachupin
Phone
(505) 563-5135
Email
antonia.gachupin@bia.gov
Address
BIA Center for Recruitment Albuquerque
BIA Center for Recruitment Albuquerque
1011 Indian School Road, NW
Suite 136
Albuquerque, NM 87104
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

http://www.bia.gov/

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.