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Forestry Technician

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located at the Office of the Chief, International Programs.

The incumbent is responsible for serving as the Program Leader and/or Training Specialist for a variety of International Fire and Fuels Management and Training Assignments.

For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Liz Mayhew at elizabeth.mayhew@usda.gov.

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
12/04/2024 to 12/16/2024
Salary
$59,966 to - $94,317 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Location
3 vacancies in the following location:
Anywhere in the U.S. (remote job)
Remote job
Yes
Telework eligible
Not applicable, this is a remote position.
Travel Required
25% or less - Occasional overnight travel may be required for fire suppression or fire related assignments.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Temporary promotion
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
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
25-FIRE-WO-12612502-G-SJ
Control number
821953400

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Duties

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  • Develops international, regional, and local fire management curriculum, courses, and training materials.
  • Develops course objectives, including instructional and performance objectives, prepares and develops course content and format.
  • Identifies and analyzes international partner organization skill or knowledge deficiencies and developmental needs in Fire and Aviation Management by on-site evaluation.
  • Coordinates international educational efforts on fire management.
  • Applies technical methods and procedures related to fire operations and to managing agency programs. Performs a wide variety of projects incorporating diverse technical knowledge.
  • Prepares announcements, specific instructional and performance objectives, selects instructors and instructional materials.
  • Determines and coordinates needs of instructors and trainees, screens trainees to meet prerequisites, selects trainees, and ensures that administrative and support requirements pertaining to course preparation are accomplished.
  • Reviews and evaluates International interagency, Regional, and National training courses, curriculum, instructional methods (on-the-job, formal, self-study) media etc., to determine whether training objectives are being met.
  • Makes on-the-job fire suppression and incident management training evaluations by serving as overhead team member on project wildfires and independently viewing fire suppression activities.
  • Develops and recommends a budget to meet program needs and manages the approved program budget.
  • Engage in meetings with senior leaders, program managers, and other program specialists to supply pertinent information regarding specialized programs.
  • Maintain effective working relationships with colleagues, managers, partners, stakeholders, foreign counterparts and contractors for knowledge to be exchanged and for improvement of skills in fire management and suppression.
  • Serves as instructor for International, Interagency, Regional and Interregional Fire and/or Aviation Management courses.
  • Duties listed are at the full performance level GS-11.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered 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.gov
  • 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.
  • Willing to live/work in remote locations (volatile/unpredictable).
  • 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.
  • Must be proficient in Spanish both verbally and in writing.

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.

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

Specialized Experience Requirement:

GS-09: Applicants must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-08 in the Federal service; OR a master's degree or at least two years of graduate level education (36 semester/54 quarter hours) with courses such as wildland fire science/management, natural resources management, forest economics, forest ecology, forest resource management, forest biometry, and agroforestry systems; OR a combination of graduate level education that is directly related to the position and specialized experience. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.

Examples of specialized experience include: Providing instruction on a variety of topics in fire management in interagency, multicultural and/or multi-lingual environment; Performing various technical duties that involve a diverse range of fire management field and program operations with complicating variables by serving in a variety fire incident management assignments; Determine training needs, job task analysis, and establish performance standards.

GS-10: Applicants must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 in the Federal service;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. with courses such as forestry, range management, agriculture, or a subject-matter field directly related to the position; OR a combination of education and experience; education (beyond what is required for a master's degree, i.e., more than 36 semester/54 quarter hours leading to a Ph.D.).

Examples of specialized experience include: Applying the technical methods, practices, and procedures of fire operations as well as management practices, agency policies and programs, to execute complete conventional projects or oversee day-to-day operations of field-based projects for fire management in interagency, multicultural and multi-lingual environment; Coordinating and assisting in the development of fire training and instructional curriculum; Assisting in completing administrative responsibilities such as training reports, student evaluations, and certification of trainee successful completion of training.

GS-11: Applicants must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GS-10 in the Federal service; 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. with courses such as forestry, range management, agriculture, or a subject-matter field directly related to the position; OR a combination of education and experience as describe above; education (beyond what is required for a master's degree, i.e., more than 36 semester/54 quarter hours leading to a Ph.D.).

Examples of specialized experience include: Developing, planning and coordinating fire training and instructional curriculum for interagency, multicultural and multi-lingual environment; Developing course objectives, including instructional and performance objectives, and prepared and developed course content and format; Creates/develops program budget and evaluates instructional methods/curriculum to determine objectives are met.

Selective Placement Factors:

Must be proficient in Spanish both verbally and in writing.

This is a secondary firefighter position under 5 USC 8336© (CSRS) and 8412(d) (FERS). Prior wildland firefighting experience is required. There is no age limit for entry into secondary positions. Firefighter retirement coverage of the incumbent depends upon his or her individual work history.

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. Prior wildland firefighting experience is required. There is no age limit for entry into secondary positions. Firefighter retirement coverage of the incumbent depends upon his or her individual work history.

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.

TIME IN GRADE REQUIREMENT: If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. This requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Reemployment Priority List (RPL): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.

This is a Detail/Temporary Promotion not-to-exceed (NTE) 1 year but may be extended additional 3 years for a total of 4 years, or may end earlier due to lack of work or funds, or at the discretion of the Hiring Manager. At the end of the temporary promotion you will be returned to your former position and your salary will be adjusted to the grade level and step that you would normally have been in had you remained in your position.

The duty station for this position is Remote and will be confirmed at time of selection. 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.

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.

Forest Service daycare facilities and Government Housing are not available.

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be evaluated based on your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the experience, education, and training you described in your application package, as well as the responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine the degree to which you possess the competencies listed below:

  • Administration and Management
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Technical Competence


Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position.

If you meet the qualification requirements and are determined to be among the best qualified, you will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Noncompetitive candidates and applicants under some special hiring authorities must meet minimum qualifications to be referred.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered to more accurately reflect the submitted documentation. 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.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12612502

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