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Fire Management Specialist (Prescribed Fire and Fuels)

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

Summary

THIS POSITION WILL SUPPORT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE EFFORTS TO COVID-19. T

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

This position is located with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Superintendent, Southern Pueblos Agency in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The incumbent is responsible for prescribed fire, fuels management, fuels monitoring smoke management, and wildlife response.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
10/28/2020 to 11/27/2020
Salary
$53,238 to - $69,210 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Albuquerque, NM
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
ST-10789799-20-AG
Control number
567068800

Duties

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  • Manages a unit fuels management program.
  • Develops and analyzes fuels treatment alternatives to support management decisions while adhering to applicable laws, regulations, policies, and guidelines.
  • Develops, reviews, and monitors fuels management plans.
  • Designs and conducts fuels management inventory analyses.
  • Responsible for the on-the-job safety and health of all employees

Requirements

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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 Professional and Scientific Positions and Individual Occupational Requirements for GS-0401: General Natural Resources Management and Biological Sciences Series), and Interagency Fire Program Management Qualifications Standards and Guide for Prescribed Fire and Fuels Specialist - Moderate Complexity).

Individual Occupational Requirements
Basic Requirements

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

2. Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in biological sciences, agriculture or natural resources management, or at least 24 semester hours in biological sciences, natural resources, wildland fire management, forestry, or agriculture equivalent to a major field of study, plus appropriate experience or additional education that is comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in the biological sciences, agriculture, or natural resources.

In addition to meeting the basic entry qualification requirements, applicants must have specialized experience and/or directly related education shown below.

GS-9: 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-7 grade level in the Federal service in at least two of the following three categories or two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree in fire science, fire management, biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, or a closely related discipline; or a combination of specialized experience and graduate education.

1) Experience that demonstrates an understanding of fire effects on cultural and natural resources. The assignments must have shown participation in activities such as: Developing fire management plans to ensure resource objectives can be met from a fire management standpoint; or Conducting field inspections before and/or after prescribed fires or wildland fires to determine if defined resource objectives have been met,

2) Experience in prescribed fire/fuels management such as: Professional forest or range inventory methods and procedures or Analysis of fuel loadings and determination of appropriate fuel treatment methods and programming, or Evaluating prescribed fire plans or fire management plans to ensure fire containment is possible and identify appropriate suppression contingencies if containment is not obtained,

3) Experience in fire management operations analyzing and applying fire management strategies plus experience in at least four of the following activities: Mobilization and dispatch coordination, Fire prevention, Training, Logistics, Equipment development and deployment, Fire communication systems, Suppression and preparedness.

This position has been identified as one of the key fire management positions under the Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) Standard. This position has been categorized as a Prescribed Fire and Fuels Specialist - Moderate Complexity, and requires selectee to meet the minimum qualification standards for IFPM prior to being placed into the position. Detailed information regarding IFPM positions can be found at http://www.ifpm.nifc.gov/

SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTORS: The applicant must have possessed all of the following National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) incident management qualifications and training requirements to be considered eligible for this position:

  • Primary Core Requirement: Prescribed Fire Burn Boss Type 2 (RXB2)
  • Secondary Core Requirement: Engine Boss (ENGB) or Crew Boss (CRWB) or Helicopter Manager (HMGB)

This position requires a minimum of 90 days previous wildland firefighting experience which provided knowledge of the techniques, policies, and practices of wildland fire management. Wildland fire are categorized into two distinct types: 1) Wildfires - unplanned ignitions or prescribed fires that are declared wildfires; 2) Prescribed Fires - Planned ignitions. This description includes only fireline experience on a Prescribed Fire; it does not include experience in the planning states.

This position is a secondary-administrative firefighter position under the special retirement provisions of 5 USC 8336 (c) (CSRS) and 8412 (d) (FERS).

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.

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 2020 Salary Tables and select the pay chart for Albuquerque, New Mexico. If no specific chart is listed for this geographic location, see the "rest of U.S." chart.

TELEWORK: Indian Affairs has determined that the duties of this position are not suitable for telework 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 85 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 11/27/2020 to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position. Qualified candidates will then be rated on their possession of the knowledge, skills, abilities, competencies and experience requirements as demonstrated by your responses to the assessment questions. Competencies measured include:

  • Ecology
  • Fire Management
  • Oral Communication
  • Risk Management

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/10789799. Additional selections may be made from this announcement if identical vacancies occur in the same location within 90 days from the closing date.

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