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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• Serves as the State Fire Management Officer for BLM Fire - Alaska.
• Provides supervision and oversight of state fire programs to carry out the mission of the organization.
• Plans, organizes and oversees efforts and projects that improve the quality, effectiveness, and timeliness of the fire program.
• Serves as a senior advisor to management and executive leadership on developing and implementing strategic plans in support of the fire program objectives.
• Develops and implements fire plans and initiatives.
• Develops priorities for effective use of resources.
• Implements performance metrics to manage and monitor the operational efficiencies of the organization.
• Interprets national program guidance and leads the development of specific policies, plans, and programs necessary to carry out all aspects of the fire and aviation program.

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.
• Supervisory Probationary Period: If you are selected for this position, you will be required to serve a one year supervisory probationary period if one has not previously been completed.
• If selected for this position, you will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE-450 within 30 days of reporting to duty. You will be required to provide this information annually.
• 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. 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.
• This position may require regular and recurring overtime and shift work during peak fire season.
• May require completion of a one year probationary period.
• Applicants appointed to this position must POSSESS and maintain a valid state driver's license.

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-15 grade level, 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to GW/GS-14 is required. Examples of work experience include, but are not limited to: advising high level management officials on fire management planning at the district or state level (or equivalent); reviewing wildland fire preparedness actions and operating plans; evaluating, coordinating, directing and implementing policy to support wildland fire management programs and operations; familiarity with budget formulation and expenditure of funds; supervising and/or leading a staff of fire and aviation professionals responsible for fire and aviation programs.

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 the GW-15 grade level.

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.

This position has been identified as one of the key fire management positions under the Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) Standard. This position has been categorized as a Geographic Area Fire Program Manager, and requires selectee to meet the minimum qualification standards for IFPM prior to being placed into the position.

To meet IFPM requirements, you must have possessed all of the following National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) incident management qualifications and training requirements to be considered eligible for this position (currency not required at time of referral, but may be required to obtain and maintain currency if selected):

A) Task Force Leader (TFLD); AND
B) Incident Commander Type 3 (ICT3), OR Prescribed Fire Burn Boss, Type 2 (RXB2), OR Complex Incident Management Team Command and General Staff position (CIMT C&G). AND
C) M-581 "Fire Program Management," FML "Fire Management Leadership," OR M-582 Fire Program Management, LFML "Local Fire Management Leadership".

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

Physical Demands: Normally the work is sedentary but often requires physical exertion while overseeing fire suppression activities including walking over rough, mountainous, steep, uneven terrain in all types of weather. The incumbent is faced with emergency situations at all hours and must respond quickly.

Work Environment: The work is usually performed in an office setting. Occasionally, some exposure to discomfort or risk is encountered on field trips such as extreme heat or cold, or exposure to fire situations. Flight to remote field stations or Incident Bases will be done using small, fixed wing or rotor wing aircraft.

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.

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.
• Planning and Evaluating: Organizes work, sets priorities, and determines resource requirements; determines short- or long-term goals and strategies to achieve them; coordinates with other organizations or parts of the organization to accomplish goals; monitors progress and evaluates outcomes.
• Oral Communication: Expresses ideas and facts to individuals or groups effectively; makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others; facilitates an open exchange of ideas.
• Leadership: Inspires, motivates and guides others toward goal accomplishment; coaches, mentors, and challenges subordinates; adapts leadership styles to a variety of situations; models high standards of honesty, integrity, trust, openness, and respect for the individual by applying these values to daily behaviors.