Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. Citizen. DIRECT HIRING AUTHORITY will be used to fill this position. Veteran's preference and traditional rating and ranking of applications do not apply. All qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration for this position.

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As a Forestry Technician (Smokejumper) 'Assistant Crew Supervisor' - Direct Hire Authority your duties will include but are not limited to the following:

• Serves as an active smokejumper and smokejumper spotter. Parachutes into mountainous terrain, landing in timbered areas or on rough ground for fire suppression, point protection, or monitoring.
• Plans and directs the aerial attack of single or numerous fires from different smokejumper aircraft. Evaluates fire size and behavior, determines personnel and retardant needs, and selects the best course of action.
• Assists in developing, modifying, and improving relevant internal guidelines and standard operating procedures in the crew handbook, which outlines policies, priorities and objectives associated with smokejumper crew operations.
• Implements, tests, monitors, and communicates physical fitness standards for the entire smokejumper crew.
• Provides technical and administrative supervision for up to ten smokejumper crew members.

Conditions of employment

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.

Suitability for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.

Direct Deposit 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.

Selectees must pass a pre-employment medical examination and may be subject to post-employment medical examinations to determine if they are maintaining the fitness standards for this position.

You must also pass the work capacity test for arduous positions.

This position requires the incumbent to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of their official duties. Selectee must hold and maintain a valid state driver's license throughout their employment in this position.

Supervisory Probationary Period: Selectees who have not previously completed a supervisory probationary period, will be required to serve a one-year supervisory/managerial probationary period for this position.

Individuals assigned male at birth after 12-31-59 must be registered for the Selective Service. To verify registration visit SSS.gov.

You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.

Qualifications

In order to qualify for this position you must possess the Minimum Qualification requirements listed below.

Selective Placement Factor(s): This position requires a special qualification that has been determined to be essential to perform the duties and will be used as a screen out element. Those who do not provide evidence they possess the following selective factor(s) will be rated not qualified.

1.) Prior on-the-line firefighting: This experience must be clearly documented in your resume with specific to and from dates, description of work performed, and hours worked per week in order to be considered. This is an administrative position in an organization having a firefighting mission and is in an established career path. Prior firefighting experience, as gained by substantial service in a primary firefighter position or equivalent experience outside the Federal government, is a MANDATORY PREREQUISITE. Candidates must possess substantial wildland firefighting experience, gained through fire line work in containment, control, suppression or use of wildland fire. The Department of the Interior defines wildland firefighting experience as any non-structure fire that occurs in the wildland. Wildland firefighting experience is gained through work on the fire line in containment, control, suppression or use of wildland fire. This experience can be met by serving in a temporary, seasonal, or equivalent private sector fire position. Wildland fires are categorized into two distinct types: (1) Wildfires - Unplanned ignitions or prescribed fires that are declared wildfires; and (2) Prescribed Fires - Planned ignitions. This description includes only fireline experience on a Prescribed Fire; it does not include experience in the planning stages. Prescribed fire experience must be supplemented by fire suppression experience in order to be creditable as previous wildland firefighting experience.

2.) Prior smokejumping experience required. This experience must be documented in the online application or resume with specific to AND from dates (MM/YY), description of work performed, AND hours worked per week.

Minimum Qualification

For the GW-09 level: 1 year of credible specialized experience equivalent to GS-08 level. Specialized experience is performing aerial delivery of personnel and equipment into rugged terrain; performing aerial firefighting tactics and aerial delivery of firefighting personnel and equipment; working with logistics, and interface with management, cooperators, and the public; operating as an Initial Attack.

For the GW-10 level: 1 year of credible specialized experience equivalent to GS-09 level. Specialized experience is performing aerial delivery of personnel and equipment into rugged terrain; performing aerial firefighting tactics and aerial delivery of firefighting personnel and equipment; working with logistics, for administrative functions, and interface with management, cooperators, and the public; instructing or independently directing work projects of crewmembers; operating as an Initial Attack.

Substitution of Education for Experience:
For the GW-09 level: Two full years (36 semester hours) of GRADUATE level college education or received a master's degree in a field related to range work such as a major study in fire science, fire management or a field directly related to this position; OR an equivalent combination of specialized experience and education.

There is no substitution of education for experience for the GS-10 grade level.

You must meet all qualification and selective placement factor requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Medical Requirements Please see the Department of the Interior Medical Standards Program website for the Federal Interagency Wildland Firefighter Medical Standards for your position: http://www.nifc.gov/medicalstandards/index.html

Physical Requirements Employment in this position is conditional upon your successful completion of the following BLM smokeumper physical fitness performance tests: When you report for duty, you will be given a physical condition test. The test is given in one time period wit a 5-minute break between exercises. The test consists of performing the following exercises:

30 Push ups
6 pull ups
Run 1.5 miles in 10.47 minutes or less OR backpacking a 110 pound load three miles in less than 65 minutes.

Work capacity test at the Arduous level: All arduous wildland firefighters must backpack a 45 pound load for three miles in 45 minutes or less.

Secondary Firefighter Retirement Coverage - Applicants for this secondary administrative fire fighter position under the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336 (c) (CSRS) and 5 U.S.C. 8412 (d), must possess knowledge of the principles, methods, and techniques of wildland firefighting as demonstrated by direct wildland firefighting experience. In order to receive credit, you must provide a written description of your experience in wildland firefighting. Education without hands-on wildland firefighting experience does not meet this requirement. Periods of wildland firefighting experience, gained through militia and rural fire departments, can also be credited. Wildland fire is defined as any non-structure fire that occurs in the wildland. Two distinct types of wildland fire have been defined and include wildfire and prescribed fires as follows: Wildfire: Unplanned ignitions or prescribed fires that are declared wildfires. Prescribed Fires: Planned ignitions. This description includes only fire line experience on a Prescribed Fire; it does not include experience in the planning stages. Prescribed fire experience must be supplemented by fire suppression experience in order to be creditable as previous wildland firefighting experience.

Physical Demands: The incumbent must be able to work under extreme physical exertion, regularly working 13 hour shifts or longer on the fireline. Work on the fireline requires considerable strenuous physical exertion, e.g., long periods of standing; digging; bending; kneeling; running chainsaws; and hiking over rough uneven, rocky surfaces and trough wooded or bosky areas. These activities can be performed day or night, when the incumbent may be required to responds immediately from a sedentary activity to an extremely arduous activity.

Working Conditions: Forty five percent of the work is performed out of doors in a wide variety of hazardous conditions, including: inclement weather, rugged terrain, and in a crowded aircraft flying at low altitudes. Meals frequently consist of cold rations and sleeping accommodations may be a sleeping bag and a piece of plastic. The remainder of the work is accomplished in a sometimes tense and stress-full office environment. Incumbent risks death or serious injury during parachute jumps aerial cargo dropping and firefighting.

How you will be evaluated

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

Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. Headers may be slightly larger but must remain legible. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.

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. 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. 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 below provide an overview of what this position entails once encumbered:

• Fire Management - Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and theories of fire management, including the characteristics, behavior, and ecology of fire; methodologies, strategies, and equipment used in prescribed fires; fire detection, prevention, and suppression strategies; and integration of fire with natural resource management.
• Technical Competence - Knowledge of how to perform one's job. Refers to specialized knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience.
• Leadership - Influences, motivates, and challenges others; adapts leadership styles to a variety of situations.