Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results
 

Wildland Firefighter (Aviation) Unit Aviation Manager - Direct Hire Authority

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
BLM Fire

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.

These positions are located in, Vale, OR, Las Vegas, NV and Winnemucca, NV. Click location names for more information.

We expect to fill 3 vacancies at this time; however, additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available.

Overview

Help
Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
12/03/2025 to 12/17/2025
Salary
$82,812 to - $109,958 per year

See Additional Information for more details.

Pay scale & grade
GW 11
Locations
Las Vegas, NV
1 vacancy
Winnemucca, NV
1 vacancy
Vale, OR
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—The BLM has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.
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
None
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
FADHA-26-12842375-AO
Control number
851414500

This job is open to

Help

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.

Videos

Duties

Help
  • Responsible for the unit’s Aviation Program to include oversight, budget planning, development, execution, and monitoring of all aviation operations.
  • Serves as liaison for the interagency coordination and use of tactical and logistical aircraft on multi-agency emergency incidents, mutual aid responses, military operations/coordination.
  • Develops Unit Aviation Plans, manuals, handbooks, and instructional materials and conducts workshops that provide direction and guidance to field/zone/interagency offices.
  • Responsible for the unit’s Aviation Safety and Training Program. Conducts training needs analysis and sponsors, conducts, or coordinates aviation training. Is an Office of Aircraft Services (OAS) certified Interagency Aviation Trainer.
  • Ensures that the unit’s dispatch center(s) operates within current accident/incident response measures.
  • Follow-ups with recommended corrective actions issued in bureau safety reporting system record.
  • Participates in investigations for aircraft incidents and accidents.
  • Exercised delegated supervisory authorities and responsibilities 15% of the time (authorities exceed those typical of a work leader and include assigning and reviewing work on a continual basis to ensure production requirements are met).
  • The position plans work to be accomplished by subordinates; sets and adjust short-term priorities; and prepares schedules for completion of work assignments.

Requirements

Help

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.
  • 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.
  • You must pass a pre-employment physical. You must also pass the work capacity test for arduous positions.
  • May require completion of a one year probationary period.
  • Applicants appointed to this position must POSSESS and maintain a valid state driver's license.
  • Driver’s License required – GSA Form 3607 will be required to be completed during onboarding process.

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 GS/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 GS/GW-09 grade level. Examples include, but are not limited to: assisting as an aviation specialist or related position with experience in using aviation program resources in support of natural resources management and fire management operations; experience and/or assisting with oversight, budget planning, development, execution, and monitoring of aviation operations; assisting fire managers or managers on implementing firefighting aircraft requirements; working general aviation polices for federal and state agencies; identifying and assisting with training for personnel using aviation resources; assisting in aircraft incident investigations; assisting with the coordination of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or other agency officials for aviation activities; working/training as a Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) on aviation contracts.
  • 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 GS/GW-10 grade level. Examples of experience include, but are not limited to: performing as an aviation specialist or related position with experience in using aviation program resources in support of natural resources management and fire management operations; experience with oversight, budget planning, development, execution, and monitoring of aviation operations; advising fire managers or managers on firefighting aircraft requirements; working general aviation polices for federal and state agencies; identifying and providing training for personnel using aviation resources; participating in aircraft incident investigations; coordinating with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or other agency officials for aviation activities; working as a Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) on aviation contracts.
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 this grade level.

You must meet all qualifications 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: Although 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

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.

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.

Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service.

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 suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.

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.

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. 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:

  • 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.
  • Risk Management -Knowledge of the principles, methods, and tools used for risk assessment and mitigation, including assessment of failures and their consequences.
  • Leadership -Influences, motivates, and challenges others; adapts leadership styles to a variety of situations.

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.