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Wildland Firefighter (Prevention) - Direct Hire Authority

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

Summary

This is a Direct-Hire advertisement. Veterans preference is not applicable to this advertisement. Learn more about this authority at: Direct Hire Authority

Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our most precious resource.

This position is located in Las Cruces, NM. Information about the surrounding area may be found here.

We expect to fill one vacancy at this time; however, additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
09/11/2025 to 09/24/2025
Salary
$72,111 to - $107,650 per year

See 'Additional Information' for further details.

Pay scale & grade
GW 9 - 11
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Las Cruces, NM
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
50% or less - Travel is required to attend training, conferences, workshops, and/or field visits. Frequent travel MAY be required during times of peak fire activity.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Travel and relocation expenses will be paid consistent with the Federal Travel Regulation, Chapter 302, and Departmental policy. Please Note: The selectee will be responsible for tax obligations related to payments for moving expenses - 2017 Tax Cuts and Job Act, Public Law 115-97. Refer to the "Additional Information" section for Information on 2017 Tax Cuts as related to PCS.
Appointment type
Permanent - This is a permanent appointment.
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11 - This position is considered a career ladder opportunity, with a full performance level of GW-11. Please see "Additional Information" for more details.
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
FADHA-25-12798500-ARE
Control number
845675100

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.

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Duties

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  • Duties listed are for the full performance level (GW-11).
  • Develops, coordinates, and implements educational school programs, meetings, and events with tribal governments and local communities to reduce loss resulting from wildland fire.
  • Leads the wildfire prevention and mitigation program and facilitates local, state, and regional/national/tribal forums.
  • Offers technical recommendations to local and state levels regarding wildfire prevention and mitigation programs.
  • Develops and implements strategic wildfire mitigations and protection plans during wildfire events to assess actual and potential risks and hazards.
  • Leads planning and implementation of overall wildfire prevention and mitigation programs and activities for the unit/tribe (or tribes), communities, and the general public.
  • Leads, develops, and implements wildfire restriction and closure plans.
  • Directs the identification and analysis of major causes of wildland fire and ensures that these causes are addressed in wildland fire management plans.
  • Leads unit level annual wildfire prevention readiness reviews.
  • Provides oversight to ensure adherence to, and implementation of, fire investigation program requirements at the unit level.
  • Assigns work to lower graded staff based on priorities.
  • Performs administrative leadership responsibilities to include timekeeping, travel administration, government credit card management and maintaining records.
  • Leads and/or participates in internal and external workshops to present key aspects of wildfire prevention and mitigation program.

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.
  • Background Investigation 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 meet specified levels on annual physical fitness tests, and pass periodic medical exams for wildland fire personnel, commensurate with current incident management qualification.
  • You must pass a pre-employment physical. AND You must also pass the work capacity test for arduous positions.
  • Applicant(s) tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use and to pass the test prior to appointment. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use.
  • May require completion of a one year probationary period.
  • Applicants appointed to this position must POSSESS (or OBTAIN within 30 days of entrance on duty) and maintain a valid state driver's license.
  • Driver’s License required – GSA Form 3607 will be required to be completed during onboarding process.
  • Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service.

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 be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade of the position to be filled.

To qualify for the GW-09 grade level, 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to GW/GS-08 is required. Examples of work experience include, but are not limited to: writing plans for wildland fire mitigation; coordinating wildland fire educational programs with other agencies, institutions, and/or communities; serving as a spokesperson on controversial issues or policies to media, interest groups, public, and government officials; developing prevention campaigns for wildfire causes; and acting as a wildland fire investigator and supporting the district fire trespass program.

To qualify for the GW-11 grade level:

  • If you are a current or former federal employee who served in a competitive or excepted appointment, your resume must show that you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GW/GS-09 grade level. Examples of specialized experience include, but not limited to: writing and implementing plans for wildland fire mitigation; developing and coordinating information pertaining to wildfire prevention and mitigation activities; coordinating wildland fire educational programs with other agencies, institutions, and/or communities; serving as a spokesperson on controversial issues or policies to media, interest groups, public, and government officials; developing prevention campaigns for wildfire causes; and acting as a wildland fire investigator and supporting the district fire trespass program. Please provide an SF50 with your application package to verify that you are a current or former federal employee.
  • If you have never been or are NOT a current federal employee who served in a competitive or excepted appointment, your resume must show that you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GW/GS-10 grade level. Examples of specialized experience include, but not limited to: writing and implementing plans for wildland fire mitigation; developing and coordinating information pertaining to wildfire prevention and mitigation activities; coordinating wildland fire educational programs with other agencies, institutions, and/or communities; serving as a spokesperson on controversial issues or policies to media, interest groups, public, and government officials; developing prevention campaigns for wildfire causes; and acting as a wildland fire investigator and supporting the district fire trespass program; and providing training and guidance for new fire investigators.
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:
There is no substitution of education for experience at these grade levels.

You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Physical Demands: The work is primarily sedentary, although a level of physical fitness is required which will allow for work during periods of extended stress and in the field when wildland fire situations arise. During the fire season, extended fire assignments away from the unit may be required under very stressful conditions.
Work Environment: Work is generally performed in an office setting. Field work involves exposure to temperature extremes, both from weather and fire conditions where falling trees and the presence of smoke and/or dust conditions create hazardous conditions. The nature of fire investigation work requires that protective clothing (boots, hard hats, etc.) be worn. The incumbent must exercise a variety of safety practices and precautions for the well-being of self and of others.

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

See Qualifications Section.

Additional information

The new Special Base Rate (SBR) Salary Table for Federal wildland firefighters, General Wildland Firefighter (GW) pay plan effective March 23, 2025 was used to indicate the salary in this announcement. Salaries may vary dependent upon location selected. You can access the new pay schedule here.

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.

This position is considered a career ladder opportunity, with a full performance level of GW-11. If selected at a lower grade level, you may be non-competitively promoted to the next grade level at the discretion of your supervisor and is contingent upon meeting regulatory and legal requirements for promotion, satisfactory performance, and the availability of higher-level work. Promotion is not guaranteed, and no promise of promotion is implied.

Tax Law Impact for PCS: Moving expenses reimbursement is a taxable benefit. However, the Federal Travel Regulation18-05 issued by the General Services Administration has authorized agencies to use the Withholding Tax Allowance and Relocation Income Tax Allowance to pay for "substantially all" of the increased tax liability resulting from the "2018 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" for certain eligible individual

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.

CTAP and ICTAP eligibles will be considered well qualified if they meet minimum qualifications for this position.

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.

Certain incentives, such as, Recruitment, Relocation, or Student Loan Repayment, may be authorized to eligible selectees. If eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis, and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentives (OPM.gov), or Relocation Incentives (OPM.gov), or Student Loan Repayment (OPM.gov)

The BLM has determined that the duties of this position are not suitable for telework.

Government facilities are required to provide a smoke free environment for their employees. Smoking will be permitted only in designated areas.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

PLEASE LIMIT YOUR RESUME TO NO MORE THAN 2 PAGES. IF MORE THAN 2 PAGES ARE SUBMITTED, ONLY THE FIRST 2 PAGES WILL BE REVIEWED TO DETERMINE YOUR ELIGIBILITY/QUALIFICATIONS. Help with the New 2 Page Resume Requirement

You will be evaluated based on how your application materials reflect the minimum qualification requirements of this position. Once the job opportunity announcement closes, your resume and all supporting documents will be reviewed by HR to determine if you are minimally qualified for the position. Due to this vacancy being filled through OPM's Direct Hire Authority, Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does 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 minimally qualified candidates will be referred for consideration. Please note that the hiring office may conduct interviews at their discretion. Interviews may be conducted on a pass/fail basis.

The competencies or job elements below provide an overview of what this position entails once encumbered:

  • Education and Training - Knowledge of teaching, training, research, making presentations, lecturing, testing, and other instructional methods.
  • Planning and Evaluating - Determines objectives and strategies; coordinates with other parts of the organization to accomplish goals; monitors and evaluates the progress and outcomes of operational plans; anticipates potential threats or opportunities.
  • Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the
    audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and
    convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.
  • Leadership - Influences, motivates, and challenges others; adapts leadership styles to a variety of situations.

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