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Fire Management Specialist (Prescribed Fire and Fuels) - Direct Hire Authority

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

Summary

This position is located with the Alaska Region, Deputy Regional Director - Trust Services, Branch of Fire Management in Anchorage, Alaska, Duty Station TBD in following locations: Fairbanks, Anchorage or Juneau, AK. It will be filled from Standard PD Number FDI222B/A.

This announcement will be used to fill vacancies utilizing the Direct-Hire Authority (5CFR 337.201). Category rating, veteran's preference, and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do NOT apply for this vacancy.

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
07/03/2023 to 07/24/2023
Salary
$64,384 to - $101,263 per year

A supplemental pay increase of $20,000 or 50% of base pay per year, is authorized under Bipartisan Infrastructure Law through 9/30/2023.

Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Locations
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Fairbanks, AK
Juneau, AK
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - Travel required for work assignments and/or training and may require travel by light fixed-wing or rotor-wing aircraft. Frequent travel may be required during peak fire activity.
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
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
DHA-23-12034451-CBXH-CB
Control number
735056800

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

ALL U.S. CITIZENS. DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: These positions will be filled using Direct Hire Authority for this occupation. CTAP and ICTAP candidates in the local commuting area.

Duties

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  • Oversees a unit fuels management program with responsibility and provides professional advice and assistance to meet resource management objectives for prescribed fire, fuels management, smoke management, and wildfire response.
  • Develops mid and long-term programs of work which support the units land and resource management plan alternatives.
  • Coordinates multi-disciplinary and interagency field studies related to fuels management program issues to determine effectiveness of treatments.
  • Responsible for the smoke management program to ensure compliance with state air quality standards.
  • Performs fiscal analysis, formulates the annual fuels management budget, and maintains a system of accounts to track program expenditures, which includes managing the budget from out-year planning to year-end closure.
  • Serves as a member of an interdisciplinary team planning, developing, and implementing land management plans, compliance documents and agreements.
  • Implements and administers wildland fire incidents, and other fuels management activities to ensure targets are achieved, management objectives are met and mitigation measures are adequate.
  • Plan, assign and evaluate work to be accomplished by subordinates; approves leave; and is responsible for the on-the-job safety and health of all employees.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship Required
  • You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit
  • You may be required to successfully complete a probationary 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.
  • This position requires the incumbent to possess and maintain a valid state driver's license.
  • This is a Testing Designated Position and 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.

Qualifications

NOTE: 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 - High 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/.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: (OPM Operating Manual, Qualification Standards for Professional and Scientific Positions and Individual Occupational Requirements for GS-401: General Natural Resources Management and Biological Science Series; and Interagency Fire Program Management Qualifications Standards and Guide)

BASIC REQUIREMENT FOR GS-0401:
A. Degree (bachelor's or higher) in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resources management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
-OR-
B.
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, PLUS appropriate experience or additional course work. The quality of the combination must demonstrate that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the work of the position and is comparable to that normally acquired through the completion of a full four-year course of study with a major as described above.

IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENT FOR THE GS-0401 SERIES, APPLICANTS MUST ALSO HAVE THE FOLLOWING:

GS-11: 1 year of creditable specialized wildland fire management experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal service; OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D degree (54 semester hours, 81 quarter hours or equivalent) or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, in a field of study that is directly related to this position.
Specialized Experience must include all of the following Fire Program Management elements 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 Fire Program Management elements listed above, appropriate 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
GS-09: 1 year of creditable specialized wildland fire management experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level or equivalent pay band in the Federal service; OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree (36 semester hours, 54 quarter hours or equivalent) or Master's or equivalent graduate degree, in a field of study that is directly related to this position.
Specialized 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:
  • Wildland fire activities (such as planning and/or implementing prescribed fire or managing wildfires) to ensure resource objectives can be met from a fire management standpoint.
  • Developing and/or implementing initial attack incident management strategies and tactics to meet the stated resource objectives.
  • Implementing mitigation measures during wildland fire activities to protect sensitive habitats, endangered species, sensitive plants, or cultural values.

SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTORS: These are MANDATORY qualification prerequisites to qualify for this position. This position has been categorized as a Prescribed Fire and Fuels Specialist (PFFS) - High Complexity, therefore, 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 Qualification: Prescribed Fire Burn Boss, Type 2 (RXB2) or higher.
  • Secondary Core Qualification: Incident Commander Type 3 (ICT3) or Task Force Leader (TFLD) or Helibase Manager (HEBM) or higher.
  • Prior Wildland Firefighting Experience: 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 fires 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 stages.
NOTE: Selective factors are knowledges, skills, abilities, or special qualifications that are in addition to the minimum requirements in a qualification standard, but are determined to be essential to perform the duties and responsibilities of the position. Applicants who do not meet the selective factors are ineligible for further consideration. You MUST provide a current copy of your Incident Qualification and Certification System (IQCS) Master Record or other agency equivalent documentation which verifies you meet the required NWCG qualifications for this IFPM position when submitting your application. Selectees for IFPM positions requiring currency will be required to obtain and maintain currency for the NWCG qualifications listed above.

FIREFIGHTER RETIREMENT COVERAGE: This position is covered under the secondary/administrative firefighter special retirement provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336(c)(CSRS) and 5 U.S.C. 8412(d)(FERS) when it is filled by an incumbent who transfers directly from a primary or another secondary law enforcement or firefighting position with no break in service to this position. Firefighter retirement coverage of the incumbent will depend upon his or her individual work history. You may meet the qualification requirements, but not be eligible for special retirement coverage. If you are not eligible for special retirement coverage, you will be placed in the regular retirement system.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

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.

One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

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

Indian Preference Policy: Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Preference Act of 1934 (Title 25, USC Section 472). Verification form BIA-4432 must be submitted with the application if claiming Indian Preference. No other documents will be accepted as proof of Indian Preference.

All new hires earn the beginning salary of their pay grade (Step 1). See 2023 Salary Tables here and select the duty station from Fairbanks, Alaska and Juneau, Alaska to choose the appropriate pay chart. If no specific chart is listed for this geographic location, see the "rest of U.S." chart. A supplemental pay increase of $20,000 or 50% of base pay per year, is authorized under Bipartisan Infrastructure Law through 9/30/2023.

COLA (COST OF LIVING ALLOWANCE): Government employees in Alaska receive a cost of living allowance presently equivalent to 2.01% of the base salary. This allowance is tax free for federal income tax purposes. The COLA is subject to annual OPM Review. Survey results may determine that the COLA could possibly be reduced or eliminated at specified times.

TRAVEL AND RELOCATION EXPENSES INCLUDING REIMBURSABLE REAL ESTATE EXPENSES WILL BE AUTHORIZED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FEDERAL TRAVEL REGULATIONS, EXCLUDING CONTRACTOR-PROVIDED HOME SALE.

The pay flexibilities of the recruitment bonus, relocation bonus, and student loan repayment may be authorized by the manager (pending availability of funds and higher management approval).

TELEWORK: Indian Affairs has determined that the duties of the position are suitable for CORE/Scheduled telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

This position has been designated as an Incidental Operator under the Indian Affairs Motor Vehicle Safety Program and requires the incumbent to operate a motor vehicle in order to properly carry out his/her assigned duties but whose principal duties are not operating a motor vehicle and his/her position is not classified as a motor vehicle operator. The incumbent will be required initially and annually to acknowledge and certify possession of a valid state driver's license.

The full performance level of this position is 11. Promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. A career ladder promotion is at the discretion of management, and in no way guaranteed.

This is a Bargaining Unit position, for more information see What are bargaining units?

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) OR Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) Programs provides placement assistance to permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF50 noting position, grade level, duty location with their application. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, applicants must be qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp

Additional selections may be made from this announcement if identical vacancies occur within 90 days from the closing date.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your resume will be evaluated after the closing date to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position described above.

Under this Direct-Hire announcement, all applicants who meet the minimum requirements at the grade level for which they apply will be forwarded to the Selecting Official for consideration. Veteran's Preference and category rating DO NOT APPLY for this announcement under Direct-Hire Authority regulations.

All qualified candidates will be referred for consideration; the hiring office may conduct interviews at their discretion.

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.

You may preview the assessment questions here in the https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12034451.

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.

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