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Forestry Technician (Assistant Wildland Fire Module Leader)-Direct Hire Authority

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
Fire and Aviation Management
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Positions are located at Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve and Denali National Park and Preserve; Fire and Aviation Management (FAM) Division; duty locations; Denali Park and Fairbanks Alaska.

If you have additional questions about these positions, please contact either Isaac_Hull@nps.gov for Yukon-Charley National Park or Matt_Koller@nps.gov for Denali National Park and Preserve.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
08/16/2023 to 02/16/2024
Salary
$52,636 to - $68,426 per year

Salary includes a 3.53% Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) which is subject to annual review and adjustment.

Pay scale & grade
GS 7
Locations
Denali Park, AK
1 vacancy
Fairbanks, AK
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
50% or less - You may be expected to travel 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
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
NS-AKR-1537-23-12089885-DH
Control number
743136800

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

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

Duties

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Major Duties:

  • Assists in the supervision of the Wildland Fire Module program and crewmembers while at the home unit, during fuels work, and on wildland fire assignments throughout the nation.
  • In coordination with the supervisor, is responsible for ensuring the mission of the module program is accomplished while balancing the needs of module members, home unit, and the region.
  • Assists in the development and implementation of module training programs (mandatory, formal and informal) to comply with policy and regulations.
  • Manages and coordinates with supervisor to submit times, travel, and credit cards statements for the module.

Requirements

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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.
  • 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 will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
  • Positions are career seasonal, 20/6; meaning there is a guaranteed 20 pay periods in pay status and can be up to 6 pay periods in non-pay status within a year.
  • You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
  • 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.
Employer paid and reimbursed relocation expenses are considered taxable income. The NPS does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. Employees should consult professional tax, legal and accounting advisors regarding concerns about the financial implications of a Permanent Change of Station (PCS).

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 periodic medical examinations throughout employment.

The Work Capacity Test (WCT-Pack Test) is a method for assessing an employee's fitness levels for fire qualifications in the positions covered by this recruitment notice. Arduous fitness (WCT-Pack Test) will consist of completing a three-mile hike, within 45 minutes, while carrying a 45-pound pack. NOTE: Arduous Work Capacity Test

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement 02/16/2024 unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

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. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.

NOTE: If your firefighting experience includes both structural and wildland, it is essential that your application materials clearly separate and document your wildland experience.

Selective Factors: The applicant must have possessed all the following National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) incident management qualifications and training requirements to be considered eligible for this position:

1. Incident Commander Type 5 (ICT5) AND Firing Boss (FIRB)
-AND-
2. Engine Boss (ENGB) OR Crew Boss (CRWB)
-AND-

This position is covered by the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336 (c) and 5 U.S.C. 8412 (d) as a Primary/Rigorous Firefighter. Applicants must be 18 years of age, but not have reached their 37th birthday by the closing date of this announcement. These positions are covered by the special enhanced annuity retirement provisions for Federal Firefighters and Law Enforcement officers and have a mandatory retirement age of 57. Two exceptions are allowed: 1) an applicant has prior Federal service in documented special retirement covered position(s) sufficient to count toward 20 years of covered service on or before the mandatory retirement age of 57; or 2) an applicant is a qualified veterans' preference eligible, in which case the MEA is waived and their corresponding retirement age may be higher than 57 after completing 20 years of service. Applicants must submit proof of their previous and/or current status in the Fire Fighter or Law Enforcement special enhanced annuity retirement system.

-AND-

To qualify for this position at the GS-07 level, you must possess one of the following:

One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-06 level in the Federal service. Examples of qualifying specialized for this position is the experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of this position. Examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to, forestry technician work; forest or range fire control, prevention or suppression work; reviewing, preparing, administering a prescribed fire/fuels plan, mechanical fuels treatments, smoke and wildland fire monitoring; preparing field surveys or study plots; conducting field reconnaissance of prescribed fire/fuels treatments and recommending prescriptive criteria to meet program objectives; identifies training needs to support prescribed fire and fuels management programs;

-OR-

One year of graduate level college education in a field directly related to range technician fire work such as a major study in forestry, fire science or a field directly related to this position that has equipped me with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of this position. A copy of your transcripts is required.

-OR-

Equivalent combination of specialized experience and education as described in the vacancy announcement to qualify for this position.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are using education to qualify, you must submit a legible copy of your transcripts

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.

Education

When submitting college transcripts, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your 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.

Additional information

This notice is being issued to recruit personnel to occupations for which a critical hiring need has been identified. To assist in filling these positions, OPM has granted the Department of the Interior "Direct Hire Authority".

A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.

A Recruitment Incentive May Be Authorized for a newly selected employee when appointed to a permanent, temporary, or term position. A Federal employee who is transferring to the National Park Service from another component, bureau or Federal agency and who does not meet the conditions under 5 CFR 575.102 is not eligible for a recruitment incentive.

A Relocation Incentive May Be Authorized for a Federal employee when the employee must move, as directed by the National Park Service (NPS) either through a management directed reassignment or selection for employment, to a different location at least 50 miles away from the one where his/her position of record held at time of selection is currently located, due to a need of the NPS. A relocation incentive is not the same as a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move and, as such, may be granted in conjunction with one another.

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Physical Demands: Duties involve arduous fieldwork requiring above-average physical performance, endurance, and superior conditioning. Work requires prolonged standing, walking over uneven ground and recurring bending, reaching, lifting, and carrying of items weighing over 50 pounds and shared lifting and carrying of heavier items, and similar strenuous activities requiring at least average agility and dexterity. Duties include demands for strenuous activities in emergencies under adverse environmental conditions and over extended periods of time. Operation of some specialized fire equipment can place extended physical stress on incumbent during fire activities.

Working Conditions: Work is primarily performed outdoors where surfaces may be extremely uneven, rocky, covered by thick vegetation, in smoky conditions, etc. Risks include smoke inhalation, fire entrapment, snake or insect bites and stings, exposure to excessive machinery noise, and falling and rolling material. Personnel must adjust and cope with exposure to weather elements, dust and smoke, poor bivouac and eating situations under an unpredictable set of circumstances. Incumbent may be required to live in remote backcountry camps for extended periods of time. The hazardous nature of the job requires that protective clothing be worn (hard hats, gloves, boots, flame-resistant clothing, and other personal protective equipment).

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document that you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application. Click the following link for more information, https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Alternate_Application_Information.

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 how well they meet the qualification requirements.

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

This vacancy will be filled through DOI's 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 employee will receive no consideration for the position, as per OPM regulations.

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