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Assistant Director (Fire and Aviation Management, Operations)

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service

Summary

This position is located within the Pacific Northwest Region, Region 6.

This position serves as the Regional Assistant to the Assistant Director of Operations with primary responsibility for day-to-day planning, organizing and directing Region-wide activities in wildland fire protection systems.

For additional information about the duties of this position and the location negotiable, please see the ADDITIONAL INFORMATION section below.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
01/13/2026 to 01/22/2026
Salary
$112,824 to - $146,671 per year
Pay scale & grade
GW 13
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
Location Negotiable After Selection
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel overnight on fire suppression, fire related assignments, meetings and/or training 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
13
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
26-FIRE-P2R6-ADFAMOP-13DH
Control number
854224800

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position. Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.

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Duties

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  • Establishes allocation priorities for all firefighting resources. Advises and provides support to the coordination center, allocates and the coordinates the movement of wildland fire resources.
  • Monitors fire situation and informs the FMOs and/or Forest Supervisors of critical fire situations.
  • Coordinates and provides regional guidance, support and outlooks based on wildland fire conditions, decision support tools, activity and weather.
  • Participates in general management reviews of all aspects of wildland fire.
  • Advises on legal and technical compliance with the Stafford Act and Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) Program.
  • Coordinate wildland fire management activities according to cooperative agreements. May assist or lead in the development of cooperative agreements.
  • Establishes operational liaison contact with federal, state, local, and voluntary (non-governmental) agencies and organizations, as well as international firefighting and other disaster-related organizations participating in the operation.
  • Estimates and recommends budget allocations and expenditures of funds within the respective program area and maintains necessary documentation.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt.
  • Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
  • Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served. Refer to the Next Steps section for more information.
  • Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify.
  • Must be 18 years of age.
  • This is a drug testing designated position. You will be subject to pre-employment and random drug testing. Appointment is based on a negative result. This announcement constitutes 30 days advance notice.
  • Subject to one year supervisory/managerial probationary period unless prior service is creditable. New USDA supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required training program before the end of their probationary period.
  • Secondary Coverage: Prior wildland firefighting experience is required.
  • Willing to live/work in remote locations (volatile/unpredictable).
  • Some Fire positions may have Conditions of Employment such as: a valid state driver's license; a commercial driver's license (CDL); pre-appointment and random drug testing; or a physical or medical examination.
  • There may be additional Conditions of Employment not listed here, however applicants will be notified of any specific requirements at the time a tentative job offer is made.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.

Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements.

Specialized Experience Requirement:

For the GW-13: Applicants must display one year specialized experience equivalent to at least the GW-12 grade level in the Federal Service. Examples of Specialized Experience are: managing, directing and evaluating a fully integrated wildland and/or prescribed fire management program; developing, coordinating and implementing a full fire program budget; effectively managing and utilizing available dollars taking into consideration changing priorities; negotiating, managing and implementing agreements with cooperators; forming and maintaining liaison with entities external to the organization, and speaking for the organization on fire management program issues.

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.

FIREFIGHTER RETIREMENT COVERAGE: This is a secondary position covered under the special retirement provisions of 5 USC 8336(c) for the Civil Service Retirement System and of 5 USC 8412(d) for the Federal Employees Retirement System.

To receive consideration for this position, you must provide updated required documents and meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

There is no Education Substitute for this position.

Additional information

Location Negotiable - Position(s) will be located at Forest Office within Region 6. Final determination of the duty station will be made by the selecting official at the time of the job offer. Pay rates vary depending on location, the salary shown is for the Rest of the U.S. See OPM.gov for additional information on pay rates

For additional information about the duties and location(s) of these positions, please contact regional representative: Click to see the different locations within the Regional Offices | US Forest Service (usda.gov)

Region 6: Pacific Northwest Region - Jason Heinz at Jason.heinz@usda.gov

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors.

Government housing, federal day care facilities, and telework may be available. This is dependent upon unit location.

The duty station for this position will be at one of the duty locations listed in this announcement. Salary range as shown is the locality pay Rest of U.S. (RUS). Pay rates vary by location. Please visit the Office of Personnel Management's website for additional information on pay rates.

Recruitment or Relocation Incentive may be authorized. Final determination to pay an incentive will be made by the hiring official at time of job offer.

The Forest Service may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract highly qualified candidates. Additional information is available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-and-leave-flexibilities-for-recruitment-and-retention/

Selectee will be responsible for tax obligations related to payments for moving expenses - 2017 Tax Cuts and Job Act, Public Law 115-97. Questions should be directed to the Travel Help Desk, 877-372-7248, Option 1, or email SM.FS.asc_tos@usda.gov

Subject to one-year supervisory/managerial probationary period (unless prior service is creditable). New USDA supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required new supervisory training program before the end of their probationary period.

This is a non-bargaining unit position.

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.

This is a Direct-Hire Authority position, all applicants who meet the minimum qualifications, to include any selective placement factor(s), if applicable, will be referred to the selecting official. Before a certificate is issued to the selecting official, the resume is reviewed to ensure that you meet all the qualification requirements. A rating will not be used; veteran's preference does not apply due to the existence of the Direct Hire authority for this position.

Selections made under this authority will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees would be given a new appointment.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12860205

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