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Fire Management Specialist (Prescribed Fire/Fuels)

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our greatest natural resource. 

For additional information about the BLM, please visit Our website.

For information about BLM in Oregon/Washington, visit our website.

For information about the Burns area, visit the Harney County Chamber of Commerce.

For information about the Vale area, visit the Malheur County site.

For information about the Medford and Rogue Valley area, visit their website.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
01/16/2020 to 01/27/2020
Salary
$52,905 to - $83,210 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 09 - 11
Locations
Grants Pass, OR
1 vacancy
Hines, OR
1 vacancy
Medford, OR
1 vacancy
Prineville, OR
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Occasional travel may be required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Travel and relocation expenses will be paid consistent with the Federal Travel Regulation, Chapter 302, and Departmental policy. The use of a relocation service company and home marketing incentive will not be offered.
Appointment type
Permanent - This is a permanent position.
Work schedule
Full-time - Work schedule is full time.
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Announcement number
OR Merit-2020-0050
Control number
556807300

Duties

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This position serves as the Fire Management Specialist in a BLM District Field Office.  The incumbent has responsibility for prescribed fire, fuels management, smoke management, and wildland fire use.  The incumbent serves as a member of an ID team planning each of these responsibilities in concert with other forest management practices.  The incumbent will also develop specific prescriptions for fuels treatments and then direct their implementation on the ground while adhering to the EA and other applicable laws and policies.  Knowledge, skills, and abilities will be needed with managing a budget; coordinating with higher level BLM associates, other agencies, cooperators, and stakeholders’ developing, reviewing, and monitoring fire and fuels management plans’ computer modeling’ preparing fire risk assessments incorporating wildland/urban interface considerations’ conducting fuels surveys’ preparing burn plans’ and implementing and administering prescribed fire activities, wildland fire use, and fuels management activities to ensure targets are achieved, management objectives are met and mitigation measures are adequate. 

Physical Demands:  The work is normally sedentary.  However, field work is evaluated as arduous and the duties include demands for strenuous activities in emergencies under adverse environmental conditions and over extended periods. of time.

Work Environment: Office conditions require long periods of sitting, working with computers and general lifting, bending and reaching.  Field conditions involve the employee being exposed to noise, dust heat, weather, aircraft turbulence and the hazards of firefighting  such as heat, smoke, and fire behavior.  Protective clothing and equipment is required in hazardous environments.

This is a SECONDARY/Administrative fire 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 (MEA) policy, the selectee must have prior service in a primary position 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.

Requirements

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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

Summary of Requirements:  You must meet all requirements as described under the "Qualifications" section of the announcement.

 

Qualifications

This position is subject to the Interagency Fire Program (IFPM) Standard and Guide selective placement factors for a Fire Management Specialist (Prescribed Fire/Fuels) position. This position requires the following qualifications – Currency Not Required: 

1.  RXB2 and

2.  ICT3 or TFLD OR HEBM

3.  Prior wildland firefighting experience.

Basic education requirement: A bachelor's degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

In addition, to qualify for a GS-09 requires: Two years of graduate education leading to a master's degree in biological sciences or a directly related field or a combination of education and specialized experience. To qualify for a GS-11 requires: Three years of graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree in Natural Resource Management or a directly related field or a combination of education and specialized experience.

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 - please be sure to include this information in your resume. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade of the position to be filled.   Examples for the GS-11:  Participate in the development, review, and modification of the fire management plan.  Develop, review, and monitor fuels management plans.  Work with other resources to integrate vegetation management concepts into fuels management projects.   Design and conduct fuels management inventory analyses.  Utilizes the results to prioritize prescribed fire and fuels management projects.  Collect and analyze information through a variety of methods, including field surveys, computer modeling, and specific literature searches.  Examples for the GS-09: performing duties as described above, under greater supervision and with greater review of work products. 

You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement. Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade requirement in accordance with 5 CFR 300.604.  If you are a current Federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must have completed a minimum of 52 weeks at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled.

You will need to clearly state your undergraduate/graduate degree(s) and submit your college transcripts or a listing of your college courses that includes hours and grades.

Additional information

For the Grants Pass duty location only:  Travel and relocation expenses will not be paid by the Department of the Interior. Any travel, transportation and relocation expenses associated with reporting for duty in this position will be the responsibility of the selected employee. 

Tax Law Impact for PCS: On 22-Dec-2017, Public Law 115-97 - the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 suspended qualified moving expense deductions along with the exclusion for employer reimbursements and payments of moving expenses effective 01-Jan-2018 for tax years 2018 through 2025. The law made taxable certain reimbursements and other payments, including driving mileage, airfare and lodging expenses, en-route travel to the new duty station, and temporary storage of those items. The Federal Travel Regulation Bulletin (FTR) 18-05 issued by General Services Administration (GSA) has authorized agencies to use the Withholding Tax Allowance (WTA) and Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA) to pay for "substantially all" of the increased tax liability resulting from the "2018 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" for certain eligible individuals. For additional information on WTA/RITA allowances and eligibilities, please visit: https://www.gsa.gov/cdnstatic/FTR%20Bulletin%2018_05%20Relocation%20Allowances_0.pdf

SELECTIVE SERVICE: Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must certify that they have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law.  To register or verify your registration go to the Selective Service System website.

May require completion of a 1 year probationary period.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP): CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) This vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility; 2) You apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) You are found well qualified for this vacancy. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application.  Information about CTAP eligibility is available from OPM's Career Transition Resources website at CTAP.

CTAP eligibles will be considered well qualified if they receive a minimum score of 90 based on the rating criteria used for this position.

The Bureau of Land Management has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

Government facilities are required to provide a smoke free environment for their employees. Smoking will be permitted only in designated areas.

You must have and maintain a valid driver's license.

FACT SHEET FOR FIRE POSITIONS: FIREFIGHTER CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT.

How you will be evaluated

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

Upon receipt of your complete application package, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements.  Your rating will be based on your responses to the Job Specific Questionnaire and the information stated in your resume. If qualified, your score may range from 70-100 points.    In addition, interviews may be conducted for this position.  The interviews may be conducted on a pass/fail basis or may be scored.  The job specific questions relate to the following knowledge, skills and abilities required to do the work of this position.

1) Knowledge of the concepts, principles and practices of fuels management. 

2) Knowledge of the concepts, principles and practices of wildland fire management.  

3) Ability to communicate thoughtfully and clearly in a variety of situations so information may be understood by the target audience.   

4) Knowledge of and experience in the budget process.   

5) Knowledge of and experience completing environmental analysis (NEPA) for projects such as timber sales, fuels treatments, and other habitat altering projects. 


To preview questions please click here.

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