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Fire Ecologist - Direct Hire Authority

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
BLM Fire - Nevada
This job announcement has closed

Summary

** THIS VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT HAS BEEN EXTENDED; PREVIOUS APPLICANTS NEED NOT REAPPLY **.

We expect to fill 1 vacancy in each location at this time: Las Vegas, NV; Battle Mountain, NV; Winnemucca, NV; and Ely, NV.

General Schedule Salary Table for "Rest of US" without locality was used to indicate the salary. Salaries may vary dependent upon location selected. Please refer to the Salary Tables here: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2022/general-schedule/.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
01/31/2023 to 02/22/2023
Salary
$57,118 to - $89,835 per year

General Schedule Salary Table for "Rest of US" without locality was used to indicate the salary. Salaries may vary dependent upon location selected.

Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Locations
Battle Mountain, NV
1 vacancy
Ely, NV
1 vacancy
Las Vegas, NV
1 vacancy
Winnemucca, NV
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Travel is required to attend training, conferences, workshops, and/or field visits.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent - This is a permanent appointment.
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11 - If filled at a lower grade level, subsequent promotion to the next grade level will be processed without further competition dependent upon administrative approval and the continuing need and performance of higher-level duties.
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
FADHA-23-11823089-BT
Control number
703520900

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens - No previous federal service is required. This position is being advertised under an OPM government-wide Direct Hire authority. CTAP and ICTAP candidates in the local commuting area.

Duties

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  • Coordinates and develops fire management input in the Bureau planning documents and environmental review process to ensure full integration of fire and fuels management techniques within ecosystem management.
  • Prepare analyses for fire ecology, fuels management projects, smoke management, fire occurrences, and fire behavior for various resources, program and planning/environmental review documents.
  • Provide technical assistance to the district as well as on-the-ground advice and assistance to project teams in fuels and fire management, fire rehabilitation and vegetation manipulation.
  • Participates on interdisciplinary teams as the technical expert on vegetation manipulation in the development of resource related activity plans.
  • Develops hazardous fuels reduction planning documents for fuels management. Considers ecological factors, assesses fuels, soils, values, suppression capabilities, ignition probabilities, fire behavior, suppression resistance, damage, and benefits.
  • Develops local fuels management goals, objectives, and standards.
  • Coordinates the use of fire and mechanical methods for hazard fuel reduction, maintenance of fuel breaks, forage composition, rangeland and wildlife habitat improvements, watershed enhancement, and site preparation for seeding.
  • Develops and coordinates study efforts for fuels management and vegetation manipulation to ensure that management objectives are being met.
  • Monitors these programs on a yearlong to ensure objectives are met.

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.
  • Appointment will be subject to a favorably adjudicated background/suitability investigation/determination. Failure to possess or obtain a favorable determination will result in the cancellation of the offer or will be grounds for termination.
  • You must be 18 years of age or older to be assigned to a hazardous position.
  • May require completion of a one year probationary period.
  • Applicants appointed to this position must possess and maintain a valid state driver's license.

Qualifications

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(s); please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience.

To qualify for the GS-09 grade level, 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-07 is required. Experience must demonstrate an understanding of fire behavior relative to fuels, weather, and topography and how fire affects natural and cultural resources. Examples of experience may include: 1) participating in wildland fire activities (such as planning and/or implementing prescribed fire or managing wildfires) ensuring resource objectives are being met from a fire management standpoint; 2) developing and/or implementing initial attack incident management strategies and tactics to meet the stated resource objectives; and/or 3) implementing mitigation measures during wildland fire activities to protect sensitive habitats, endangered species, sensitive plants, or cultural values.

To qualify for the GS-11 grade level, 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-09 is required. Experience must have included ALL of the fire program management elements described as: 1) 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; 2) conducting field inspections before and after prescribed or wildland fires to determine if resource objectives were achieved and/or evaluating the effectiveness of actions taken; and 3) analyzing the ecological role of fire and its use and/or exclusion, and smoke management.IN ADDITION to fire program management elements listed above (for the GS-11), appropriate experience must have included EITHER prescribed fire/fuels management - OR - fire management operations.

  1. Prescribed fire/fuels management: examples include: performing professional forest or range inventory methods and procedures, (e.g. Brown's planar intercept for dead and down fuels; live fuel loading assessments); analyzing fuel loadings and determining appropriate fuel treatment methods and programming; performing land use planning and environmental coordination; and/or evaluating prescribed burn plans or fire management plans to ensure fire containment is possible and identifying appropriate suppression contingencies if fire containment is not obtained; -OR-
  2. Fire Management Operations: experience in analyzing and/or applying fire management strategies in at least five of the following activities: a) Mobilization and dispatch coordination; b) Fire prevention and education; c) Training; d) Logistics; e) Equipment development and deployment; f) Fire communication systems; g) Suppression and preparedness; h) Aviation.
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.

Substitution of Education for Experience:
To qualify for the GS-9: Master's (or equivalent graduate degree) -OR- 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree, in a field of study that is directly related to this position.

To qualify for the GS-11: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree -OR-3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree in a field of study that is directly related to this position.

Selective Placement Factor: This position requires a special qualification that has been determined to be essential to perform the duties and will be used as a screen out element. Those who do not provide evidence they possess the following selective factor(s) will be rated not qualified.

1.) Prior on-the-line firefighting: The Department of the Interior defines wildland firefighting experience as any non-structure fire that occurs in the wildland. Wildland firefighting experience is gained through work on the fire line in 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. Wildland fires are categorized into two distinct types: (1) Wildfires - Unplanned ignitions or prescribed fires that are declared wildfires; and (2) 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. This experience must be documented in the online application or resume with specific to AND from dates (MM/YY), description of work performed, AND hours worked per week.

*You must meet all qualification and selective placement factor requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

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 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 firefighter 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 policy, the selectee must have prior service in a primary position (3 years of service in primary/rigorous position(s)) 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.

FACT SHEET for Fire Positions: Information on Special Retirement.

Education

Basic Education Required: This position has a positive education requirement which requires that you have a:

Degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. -OR- 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.

Additional information

DOI uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.dhs.gov/e-verify.

Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service.

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.

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

Reemployment Priority List (RPL): The RPL is the mechanism agencies use to give reemployment consideration to their former competitive service employees separated by a RIF or who have fully recovered from a compensable injury after more than one year. If you are currently on a RPL, you may be given priority consideration.

BLM may use certain incentives, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract high quality applicants. The incentives that may be offered include Student Loan Repayments, Relocation Incentives and/or Recruitment Incentives.

The BLM has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework. The official worksite for the selectee is the duty station identified on the selection certificate and identified in this vacancy announcement 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.

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the job opportunity announcement closes, your resume and all supporting documents will be reviewed by HR to determine your eligibility for Federal employment and your qualifications for this position specifically.

Because this vacancy will be filled through OPM's Direct Hire Authority, Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do not apply to positions filled under this announcement. Applications received as a result of job fairs, recruitment events, and emergency hiring mechanisms in support of this hiring initiative will also be accepted during the duration of the announcement. All qualified candidates will be referred for consideration; the hiring office may conduct interviews at their discretion.

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