Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. Citizen. DIRECT HIRING AUTHORITY will be used to fill this position.

The primary purpose of the position is to serve as a technical expert in fire and aviation management, providing a comprehensive knowledge of resource and ecosystem management, fire suppression, prescribed fire, and aviation management. Required to remain abreast of the latest scientific, technological advances in the fire sciences and apply them in planning and directing fire management program activities. Completes discrete phases of fire and aviation management plans; reviews and provides input into preparedness and operating plans related to wildland fire management; ensures the fuels management program is consistent with ecosystem management principles and land use plans; identify and evaluate the implications of the fuels management program on air quality standards and mitigation guidance; briefs internal and external managers on fire program issues/activities; develops and oversees the implementation of interagency fire prevention plans and operations.

Physical Demands: Normally the work is sedentary but often requires physical exertion while overseeing fire suppression activities including walking over rough, steep, uneven terrain in all types of weather. The incumbent is faced with emergency situations at all hours and must respond quickly. The position may require long shifts or multi-day assignments under primitive living conditions during emergencies. During the fire season, extended fire assignments away from the unit may be required under very stressful conditions.

Working Conditions: Although work is generally performed in an office setting, field work involves exposure to temperature extremes, both from weather and fire conditions where falling trees and the presence of smoke and/or dust can create hazardous conditions. Fire suppression work requires that protective clothing be worn during fire assignments. A variety of safety practices and precautions must be exercised.

POSITION LOCATION: Luray, VA. Shenandoah National Park is located in Virginia, approximately 90 miles southwest of Washington, D.C. The park consists of approximately 197,000 acres of land, including 80,000 acres designated as wilderness. It also contains 105 miles of Skyline Drive and 101 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Annual visitation is around 1.3 million, which has direct and extensive economic impact on the surrounding area (eight counties and nine municipalities).

The Fire Management Program at Shenandoah NP is a diverse and complex program that manages fire and fuels through prescribed fire, manual/mechanical thinning, and fire suppression. The fire program staff at Shenandoah is responsible for providing program direction and wildland fire subject matter expertise to 18 additional National Park Service units throughout Virginia and southern Maryland (Mountains to the Sea Zone). The Fire Management program is supervised by a Fire Management Officer and an Assistant Fire Management Officer. The staff also includes two permanent full time Forestry Technicians, a career seasonal Forestry Technician, a Fire Program Management Assistant, and 3-5 temporary "seasonal" Forestry Technicians. The Mountains to the Sea Zone has a robust and highly skilled workforce of collateral duty firefighters that actively participate in fire management projects and incident response.

POSITION LOCATION: Bushkill, PA. Located in the Pocono Mountains, just 80 miles west of New York City and 100 miles north of Philadelphia, the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area attracts over 45-million visitors each year. The 70,000-acre park also includes 26 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Nearby towns of Stroudsburg, PA, Port Jervis, NY, and Newton, NJ provide all services, including K-12 school, college, medical services and other community needs. Additionally, several smaller communities are adjacent to the park. Summers and winters are generally mild with average summer temperatures about 80 degrees, with some humidity, and average winter temperatures about 30 degrees. Housing in nearby communities is available for both purchase and renting. Visit the park website at www.nps.gov/dewa

The Mid Atlantic Zone Fire Management Program at Delaware Water Gap is a diverse and complex program that manages fire and fuels through prescribed fire, manual/mechanical thinning, and fire suppression. The fire program staff is responsible for providing program direction and wildland fire subject matter expertise to National Park Service units throughout Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Delaware. The Fire Management program is supervised by a Fire Management Officer and an Assistant Fire Management Officer. The staff also includes two permanent full time Forestry Technicians, a career seasonal Forestry Technician, a Fire Program Management Assistant, and 3-5 temporary "seasonal" Forestry Technicians.

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.

Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.

You will be required to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use.

Prior to appointment, you must be determined physically fit by an authorized government physician to perform strenuous and physically demanding duties; and also pass a medical examination (which includes vision, hearing, cardiovascular, and mobility of extremities) given by an authorized government physician. You will also be required to undergo periodic medical examinations throughout employment.

The Work Capacity Test (WCT-Pack Test) as a method for assessing an employee's fitness levels for fire qualifications in the positions covered by this recruitment notice. Employees required to pass a WCT-Pack Test as a "condition of employment."

Required to successfully complete NWCG course M-581, Fire Program Management within one year of entrance on duty.

You will be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required. You may be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record.

Work may require travel by fixed-wing or rotor-wing aircraft.

You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.

You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.

Government housing is not available.

If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.

Subject to frequent extended travel particularly during fire season, and you must obtain a government charge card for travel.

You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.

This position is considered "emergency/essential," meaning the employee is expected to report for duty and expected to work for long hours exceeding normally scheduled shifts for emergencies.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement 08/27/2021.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount qualified specialized experience.

Selective Factors: Applicants must have possessed the Primary NWCG Core Requirement of Task Force Leader (TFLD) - AND - Prescribed Fire Burn Boss Type 2 (RXB2).

AND

A minimum of 90 days of wildland firefighting experience is required to meet qualifications for secondary (administrative) covered positions. The Department of Interior defines wildland firefighting experience as: On-the-line wildland firefighting experience gained through containment, control, suppression, or use of wildland fire. This experience can be met by serving in a temporary, seasonal, or equivalent private sector fire position for no less than 90 days. Periods of wildland firefighting experience, gained through militia and rural fire departments, can also be credited, as long as the total amount of this experience equates to at least 90 days. Wildland fire is defined as any non-structure fire that occurs in the wildland. Two distinct types of wildland fire have been defined and include wildfire and prescribed fires as follows: Wildfire: Unplanned ignitions or prescribed fires that are declared wildfires. Prescribed Fires: Planned ignitions. This description includes only fireline experience on a Prescribed Fire; it does not include experience in the planning stages. Prescribed fire experience must be supplemented by fire suppression experience in order to be creditable as previous wildland firefighting experience. You must clearly demonstrate this experience in your resume, including the months, days and hours per week at which the work was performed in order to be considered.

AND

Basic 0401 Series Requirement:

1. Degree: Biological Sciences, Agriculture, Natural Resource Management, Chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
NOTE: The following additional subject fields have been determined to be acceptable as directly related degree programs for fire management jobs in this series: wildland fire management, forestry agronomy, biochemistry, biometrics, ecology, fishery biology, general fish and wildlife administration, horticulture, natural resources management, physiology, plant physiology, rangeland management, soil science, wildlife biology, zoology, agricultural extension, animal science, botany, entomology, genetics, microbiology, pharmacology, plant pathology, plant protection and quarantine, soil conservation, toxicology, wildlife refuge management. In addition, natural resources related disciplines include chemistry, environmental sciences (not environmental or natural resources policy), hydrology, outdoor recreation if it has a natural resource emphasis, physics, fire management, earth sciences, geology, meteorology related weather, climate, physical geography if it has a natural resource emphasis, and watershed management. You must provide a legible copy of your transcript(s)

-OR-

2. Combination of education and experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. You must provide a legible copy of your transcript(s). Courses equivalent to a major may be defined as 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 acquired through successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in the biological sciences, agriculture, or natural resources.

AND
In addition to meeting the basic entry qualification requirements, applicants must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by the closing date of this announcement.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 grade level is required in addition to meeting the basic qualification requirements. Experience at the GS-9 must include Fire Program Management elements such as described below: Developing, reviewing and evaluating fire management plans for ecological soundness, or consistency with land management goals and/or potentially adverse impacts to cultural and natural resources; Conducting field inspections before and after prescribed or wildfires to determine if resource objectives were achieved and/or to evaluate the effectiveness of actions taken; and, Analyzing the ecological role of fire and its use and/or exclusion, and smoke management.

In addition to the Fire Program Management elements listed above, appropriate GS-9 experience must have included EITHER prescribed fire/fuels management - OR- fire management operations as described below:

Prescribed fire/fuels management: Examples of this type of experience may include: Professional forest or range inventory methods and procedures (e.g., Brown's planar intercepts for dead and down fuels; live fuel loading assessments); Analysis of fuel loadings and determination of appropriate fuel treatment methods (i.e. prescribed fire, mechanical, chemical, or biological treatments); Land use planning and environmental compliance; Evaluation of prescribed burn plans or fire management plans to ensure fire containment is possible and identification of appropriate suppression contingencies if fire containment is not obtained. Fire management operations: Experience in analyzing and/or applying fire management strategies in at least five of the following activities: Mobilization and/or dispatch coordination; Fire prevention and education; Training; Logistics; Equipment development and deployment; Fire communication systems; Suppression and preparedness; Aviation ...OR.....see Education Section for additional qualification information.

Volunteer Experience: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

How you will be evaluated

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

Applicants will be evaluated based on whether they meet the qualification requirements.

Upon receipt of the completed application package, a review of your application will be made to ensure basic qualification requirements are met.

This vacancy will be filled through a Direct Hire Authority. Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do not apply to positions filled under this Authority. All qualified applicants, as determined by the SHRO, will be referred for consideration. While managers and supervisors are not required to conduct interviews, it is highly recommended that they do so in order to assess the competencies of each applicant.

If an applicant's resume is incomplete or does not support the requirements for minimum qualifications or specialized experience a rating of "ineligible" or "not qualified" will be applied and no consideration for employment will be granted.

If a determination is made that an applicant has inflated qualifications or experience on the resume, the applicant will receive no consideration for the position, as per OPM regulations.