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Airplane Pilot (Aviation Training Pilot)

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
Inflation Reduction Office
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position will be assigned to the Alaska Regional Aviation Program, under the Ranger Services Division. Duty station will be determined at time of selection. This position will serve as the Regional Aviation Training Pilot.

This position is being advertised concurrently under Open to the Public, Announcement Number: NPS-IRA-24-12424364-DE

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
05/23/2024 to 06/21/2024
Salary
$120,564 to - $156,729 per year

In addition to your annual salary, you will receive a 1.69% Cost of Living Allowance (COLA), subject to annual review and adjustment.

Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Locations
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Alaska Region Aviation Office
Anchorage, AK
Alaska Region Aviation Office
Fairbanks, AK
Alaska Region Aviation Office
Location Negotiable After Selection
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
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 - See "Duties" section for additional information.
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
NPS-IRA-24-12424365-ST
Control number
792760000

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Duties

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Major Duties of this position include but are not limited to:

  • Serve as pilot-in-command of single-engine, fixed-wing aircraft equipped with wheels, skis, and floats. Aircraft operations involve flights over remote terrain, and are conducted from gravel bars, beaches, unimproved tundra strips, ridge tops, lakes, and swift flowing rivers. Flights may be conducted in adverse weather, turbulence, and at low altitudes.
  • Performs pre-mission planning, prepares, and files flight plans using flight planning publications and maps, obtains, and evaluates aviation weather reports and briefings. Performs preflight maintenance and operational checks on aircraft to determine airworthiness. Checks loading of aircraft to ensure that weight and balance limitations are not exceeded. Job requires an in-depth working knowledge of safety regulations and procedures. Performs after maintenance run-up and flight checks to ensure correctness of repairs.
  • Provide staff and aviation support for activities such as the following: transport of people and cargo; establishment and resupply of remote field camps, hunting and subsistence activities monitoring, wildlife and natural resource data collection, search and rescue missions, law enforcement patrols, and other related aviation activities as directed.
  • During non-flying hours, the position will be assigned other duties. For example, the incumbent may coordinate or assist in emergency operations, including search and rescue, wildfire management, law enforcement and emergency medical operations; provide support to field rangers for criminal investigations; plan and coordinate logistical arrangements for field camps; perform resource management projects including wildlife capture and tracking, population counts, vegetation studies, and erosion monitoring; etc.
This position has the option to be filled as a Permanent, Full-Time year-round position or as a Permanent, Full-Time Career-Seasonal position. Career-Seasonal appointments are permanent positions and include the same benefits as Career appointments, but do not provide work on a year-round basis. You will work from approximately February - November, and you will be in a non-pay status for the remainder of the year. Work schedule will be determined at the time of selection.

Please visit find a park for additional park information.

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.
  • Any individual who is currently holding, or has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet time-in-grade requirements (must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent in the Federal service); with few exceptions as outlined in 5 CFR 300.603(b). Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal civilian employees applying for reinstatement who have had a break in service of less than one year, as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointments. Time-in-grade does not apply to new excepted service appointments. Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
  • 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 submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record.
  • You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
  • If you are a new employee in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
  • You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to7-10 nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
  • You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
  • Applicants must be at least (1)18 years old or (2) at least 16 years old and: (a) Have graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or (b) Have completed a formal vocational training program; or (c) Have received a statement from school authorities agreeing with their preference for employment rather than continuing their education; or (d) Be currently enrolled in a secondary school and either work only during school vacation periods or work part-time during the school year under a formal student employment program.
  • Requirements continued in "Qualifications" section

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-06/21/2024-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 for each federal position listed as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of qualifying experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, your resume must state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying 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.

SELECTIVE FACTORS: This position performs duties as an Airplane Pilot (including serving as a pilot in command). Candidates must meet ALL of the following requirements by close of this announcement or they will receive no further consideration for this position. You must provide documentation in your resume or provide certificates for each selective factor by the closing date of this announcement or you will be rated ineligible.
1. Must possess currentFAA Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) or military equivalent rating. Must submit copy, front and back.
2. Must possess and maintain a current FAA Commercial Pilot-Airplane or Airline Transport Pilot-Airplane with Single Engine Land and Instrument Rating --or-- military equivalent. Must submit copy, front and back.
3. Must possess and maintain a FAA Medical Certificate First or Second Class --or-- a current military flight physical. Must submit copy.
4. Must have flown a minimum of 1,500 hours total flight time, of which at least 1,200 hours will have been as pilot-in-command (PIC) with 500 hours PIC airplane.
5. Must have flown 100 hours in the last twelve months.
6. Must have 75 hours of night flying time.
7. Must have Recent Flight Experience in accordance with 14 CFR 61.57 - Certification: Pilots, Flight Instructors, and Ground Instructors.

Although not required, a document listing the flight time requirements would be helpful in determining your qualifications for this position.

AND

To qualify for this position at the GS-12 grade level, you must possess the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: serving as pilot-in-command of a single-engine, fixed-wing aircraft; performing pre-mission planning to include filing flight plans; obtaining and evaluating weather. You must include hours per week worked in your resume.

REQUIREMENTS Continued:

  • You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
  • Pre-employment flight evaluation as described in 351 DM 3.5 to be given by an OAS inspector pilot or bureau certified flight instructor is required.
  • 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.
  • Ability to lift 50 lbs.
  • Pre-employment and periodic physical and respirator fit test required.

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

There is no substitution of education for experience at the grade level of this announcement.

Additional information

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.

The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

Physical Demands: Duties include office work with frequent trips to all parts of Alaska for field work, flight training, monitoring mentor pilots, and conducting safety classes. Intense concentration is necessary for extended periods while flying and may involve physical discomfort due to sitting in cramped quarters in noisy small aircraft. This is a uniformed position and meets the required medical & fitness standards. The incumbent is required to maintain an FAA Second Class Flight Physical.

Working Conditions: The work requires extensive travel to the field where the incumbent will encounter biting insects, dangerous animals and inclement weather. Weather can be severe and unpredictable, with forecasts not readily available. Aircraft operations will involve hazardous conditions such as low altitude and slow speed flying, landing on remote lakes or tundra, and unimproved landing and takeoff areas. Winter flying is affected by short daylight hours and low temperatures. Overnight travel to field camps or villages requires special safety precautions and procedures. Aggravating cabin noise and physical discomfort is unavoidable at times during extended flights in certain aircraft. The incumbent is expected to conduct duties in a safe and orderly manner so as not to endanger self, co-workers, or property with which entrusted, and in a manner consistent with the policies of the NPS.

Documentation for the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) eligibility, you must submit ALL SF-50s and performance information for each period of temporary/term employment that qualifies for LMWFA. Performance documentation can be obtained by contacting the supervisors for the positions you served in during your 24 months. If they did not complete performance appraisals, ask them to provide a statement of performance for each period of service. The statement must specify the dates for each employment period and your level of performance consistent with your SF_50s.

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 how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessments required for this position. A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score will be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions can affect your rating.

Candidates who apply under Competitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are highly qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Best qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

Candidates who apply under Noncompetitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are minimally qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

You will be evaluated on the following competencies:

  • Partnering
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Technical Competence
  • Technical Competence


In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessments, including a Subject Matter Expert (SME) Panel resume review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.

Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation and 2) a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process.

If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.

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