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

Training Specialist

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

These positions are located with USDA Forest Service Fire and Aviation units.

Incumbent is responsible for performing as a training specialist in the development and implementation of national interagency training courses and programs in the disciplines of fire management and/or aviation management and related areas.

See ADDITIONAL INFORMATION section for contact information regarding these positions.

Overview

Help
Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
06/26/2023 to 07/06/2023
Salary
$57,118 to - $89,835 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Locations
FEW vacancies in the following locations:
Riverside, CA
Vallejo, CA
Missoula, MT
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel overnight on fire suppression, fire related assignments, meetings and/or training for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
23-FIRE-P4GVA-TRNG-911DH
Control number
733692900

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position. Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.

Videos

Duties

Help
  • Duties listed are at the full performance level GS11.
  • Plans, schedules, coordinates, and provides personal leadership and guidance to interagency workshops, task forces, committees, subject matter experts, contractors, and others involved with completion of the project.
  • Provides extensive planning and organization, analyses of accumulated data and information, and considerable coordination and integration with other functional activities and user agencies.
  • Ensure that these agencies are fully represented in the project and that their policies, procedures, techniques, and philosophies are incorporated in the resulting instructional products.
  • Manages course presentations and related training activities and evaluates instruction to improve the training. Develop and instruct training courses and materials for firefighters, fire crews, fire overhead, and fire management positions.
  • Performs fire management and suppression duties at the unit leader and above levels on active wildfires. Conducts an analysis of assigned projects to identify approaches for design and development.
  • Recommends development by various resources, including agency field offices or regional training centers, agency or interagency task forces, universities, or private contractors.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt.
  • Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
  • Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
  • Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify.
  • Must be 18 years of age.
  • This is a Test Designated Position. You will be tested for illegal drugs prior to appointment and randomly thereafter. Appointment and continued employment is conditional on negative results.
  • Minimum of 90 days of wildland firefighting experience is required.
  • Willing to live/work in remote locations (volatile/unpredictable).
  • Some Fire positions may have Conditions of Employment such as: a valid state driver's license; a commercial driver's license (CDL); pre-appointment and random drug testing; or a physical or medical examination.
  • There may be additional Conditions of Employment not listed here, however applicants will be notified of any specific requirements at the time a tentative job offer is made.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.

Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary.

Specialized Experience Requirement:
GS-09 Level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 grade level in the Federal Service; OR two full years (18 semester/27 quarter hours) of successfully completed graduate level education or master's degree if the coursework is directly related to the work of the position (such as forestry, range management, agriculture); OR an appropriate combination of graduate level education that is directly related to the position (in excess of 18 semester/27 quarter hours) and specialized experience. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.

Examples of specialized experience include: Provided basic technical advice or assistance to managers regarding the management and operation of a training program. Reviewed and edited existing training documents and made recommendations to supervisor concerning content. Serves as a training advisor and consultant to cooperating agencies regarding the development and implementation of fire and aviation management and related training courses and materials.

GS-11 Level: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least to the GS-9 grade level; OR a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M; OR an appropriate combination of specialized experience and graduate level education (beyond what is required for a master's degree, i.e., more than 36 semester hours leading to a Ph.D.).

Examples of specialized experience include: Developed training materials; Developed course objectives, including instructional and performance objectives, and prepared and developed course content and format. Serves in supervisory and staff positions involving various technical duties that involve differing and unrelated processes and methods on fire suppression incident management teams assigned to wildfires of cooperating agencies. Serves as a training advisor and consultant to cooperating agencies regarding the development and implementation of fire and aviation management and related training courses and materials. Conducts an analysis of assigned projects to identify approaches for design and development; personnel, equipment, and funding requirements; and significant problem areas.

Selective Placement Factor:

A minimum 90 days experience performing on-the-line (Primary/Rigorous) wildland fire suppression duties as a member of an organized fire suppression crew or comparable unit that utilized knowledge of wildland fire suppression, containment or control techniques and practices under various conditions. This experience must be documented with specific dates in the online application or resume.

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.

FIREFIGHTER RETIREMENT COVERAGE: This is a secondary position covered under the special retirement provisions of 5 USC 8336(c) for the Civil Service Retirement System and of 5 USC 8412(d) for the Federal Employees Retirement System.

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

Education

See QUALIFICATIONS section for education requirements.

Additional information

For additional information about the duties and location(s) of these positions, please contact regional representative:

Region 1: Northern Region - Tiffany Counts at Tiffany.Counts@usda.gov
Region 5: Pacific Southwest Region - DeeDee Cherry at deirdre.cherry@usda.gov

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors.

Government housing, federal day care facilities, and telework may be available.

Salary range as shown is the locality pay Rest of U.S. (RUS). Pay rates vary by location. Please visit the Office of Personnel Management's website for additional information on pay rates.

Recruitment or Relocation Incentive may be authorized. Final determination to pay an incentive will be made by the hiring official at time of job offer.

The Forest Service may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract highly qualified candidates. Additional information is available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-and-leave-flexibilities-for-recruitment-and-retention/

Selectee will be responsible for tax obligations related to payments for moving expenses - 2017 Tax Cuts and Job Act, Public Law 115-97. Questions should be directed to the Travel Help Desk, 877-372-7248, Option 1, or email SM.FS.asc_tos@usda.gov

PROMOTION POTENTIAL: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied or guaranteed.

Positions filled from this announcement may be a bargaining or a non-bargaining unit position represented by either NFFE, AFGE or NAGE.

How you will be evaluated

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

This is a Direct-Hire Authority position, all applicants who meet the minimum qualifications, to include any selective placement factor(s), if applicable, will be referred to the selecting official. Before a certificate is issued to the selecting official, the resume is reviewed to ensure that you meet all the qualification requirements. A rating will not be used; veteran's preference does not apply due to the existence of the Direct Hire authority for this position.

Selections made under this authority will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees would be given a new appointment.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12018214

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.