Forestry Technician (Smokejumper) Direct Hire Authority

Duties

• Parachutes into rugged terrain and performs fire suppression and related duties.
• Maintains smokejumper and firefighting equipment, tools, and supplies.
• Repairs, packs, and maintains parachutes and related equipment.
• Performs wildland fire suppression and prescribed fire operations safely and effectively in accordance with identified appropriate management response.
• May direct fire line activities and tactics for firefighters, equipment, aircraft and other resources.

Requirements 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 Lands.
• Direct Deposit Required.
• Appointment will be subject to a favorably adjudicated background/suitability investigation/determination.
• Your resume must contain enough information to show that you meet the qualification requirements as defined in the announcement. In addition, your responses to the questions must adequately reflect in your resume.
• This position requires regular and recurring overtime and shift work.
• You must be 18 years of age or older to be assigned to a hazardous position.
• You must pass a pre-employment physical.
• You must meet specified levels on annual physical fitness tests, and pass periodic medical exams for wild land fire personnel, commensurate with current incident management qualifications.
• You must also pass the work capacity test for arduous positions.
• An applicant appointed to this position must possess and maintain a valid state driver's license while employed in this position.
• May require a one year probationary period.
• 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.
• Background Investigation Required.

Qualifications Specialized Experience:
In order to be rated as minimally qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the minimum qualification requirements - please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience. Failure to provide required information on resume could result in ineligibility for consideration.

To qualify for the GS-05 grade level, 1 year of creditable specialized experience equivalent to the GS-04 is required. Examples of work experience include, but are not limited to: wildland fire suppression as a member of a handcrew, a helitack crew, or an engine crew, and previous smokejumper experience.

To qualify for the GS-06 grade level, 1 year of creditable specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 is required. Examples of work experience include, but are not limited to: wildland fire suppression as a member of a handcrew, a helitack crew, or an engine crew, including one (1) season of smokejumping using either Ram-Air or FS parachutes, supervision of one or more employees (with little or no direct supervision) on wildland fires while anticipating fire behavior, determining suppression tactics, and taking the necessary action to control fires.

Substitution of Education for Experience:

To qualify for the GS-05 grade level, Successful completion of a 4 year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with either a major study in forestry, range management, or agriculture, or a subject matter field directly related to the position, or at least 24 semester hours in any combination of the following courses: forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources (except marine biology and oceanography), outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire science. No more than 6 semester hours of mathematics is creditable. The level of the course work must have been equivalent to at least the junior- and senior-year levels of a baccalaureate program; OR A combination of education and experience that is directly related to the work of this position.

To qualify for the GS-06 grade level, Successful completion of 1 full year of graduate level education which is directly related to the position; OR
A combination of education and experience that is directly related to the work of this position.

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.

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

Selective Placement Factors:
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: 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 for no less than 90 days. 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. This experience must be documented in the online application or resume with specific to and from dates, description of work performed, and hours worked per week.

2.)This position is a Primary Firefighter position and is subject to a maximum entry age (MEA). The MEA is the date immediately preceding your 37th birthday. Applicants must not have reached age 37 at the time of appointment, unless proof is provided of prior Federal service in another primary covered position, or you are a preference eligible veteran. If you are a preference eligible veteran, you may be eligible for this position after your 37th birthday. You must supply a copy of your Defense Department Form 214 (DD-214) along with Standard Form 15 (if applicable) and any associated documentation in accordance with the instructions in this vacancy announcement. Failure to provide this documentation with your application may result in loss of consideration. Please refer to the Required Documents section for further guidance on what documentation is required to meet this requirement.

3.) Prior smokejumping experience required - This experience must be documented with specific dates in the resume.

4.) Firefighter Type 1 (FFT1) required - You must provide the required document as instructed in the 'Required Documents' section of this announcement.

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

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

Physical Requirements Employment in this position is conditional upon your successful completion of the following BLM smokejumper 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 with 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.

Physical Demands:
The incumbent must be able to work under extreme physical exertion regularly working 16 hour shifts or longer on the fireline. Work on the fireline requires considerable strenuous physical exertion.

Work Environment:
The majority of work is performed outdoors in a wide variety of weather and terrain conditions or in a crowded airplane. 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 E-Verify.

Alaska- In addition to the base pay and locality pay, you will also receive a 2.86% cost of living allowance. Allowance is subject to annual review.

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

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 fall within the Well or Best Qualified categories on the rating criteria 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.

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

Travel and relocation expenses will not be paid by the Department of the Interior. Any travel, transportation and relocation expenses associated with reporting for duty in this position will be the responsibility of the selected employee.

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

BLM may use certain incentives, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract high quality applicants. The incentives that may be offered include Student Loan Repayments, Relocation Incentives and/or Recruitment Incentives.

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

FACT SHEET for Fire & Law Enforcement Positions: Information on Special Retirement.

• Benefits

  A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

  Review our benefits

  Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Once the job opportunity announcement closes, your resume and all supporting documents will be reviewed by HR to determine your eligibility for Federal employment and your qualifications for this position specifically.

Because this vacancy will be filled through OPM's Direct Hire Authority, Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do not apply to positions filled under this announcement. All qualified candidates will be referred for consideration; the hiring office may conduct interviews at their discretion. The interviews may be conducted on a pass/fail basis.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics). You do not have to respond to the competencies separately, but your resume should contain sufficient information to demonstrate possession of the following competencies:

• Fire Management
• Technical Competence

• Benefits

  A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

  Review our benefits

  Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

• Required Documents

  As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

  Resumes must show relevant experience and other information. Your resume MUST list your education and work experience including (1) the dates (mm/yy) of each employment, along with (2) the number of hours worked per week, and (3) salary information. In addition, Civil Service employees must provide their current OPM title, series, and grade. Your resume will be used to validate your responses to the assessment tool(s). Failure to provide required information will result in loss of eligibility. You are welcome to submit a cover letter.
  
  In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. Visit the USAJOBS Help Center for more information on What should I include in my federal resume and/or OPM Resume Writing Tips.
  
  In addition to the online application (resume and responses to the questionnaire), you are required to submit the following supplemental documentation as applicable:

  • If you are qualifying with education, you must provide copies of all your transcripts for verification that include hours and grades from an accredited U.S. college/university by the closing date. If your degree is from a Foreign Institution, See Foreign Education. All selections and tentative offers of selection are contingent upon submission and verification of 'official' transcripts.
  • You must provide a copy of your Incident Qualification and Certification System (IQCS) Master Record or other equivalent documentation which verifies you meet the required NWCG minimum qualifications for this IFPM position. Failure to provide this documentation will result in you being rated as not qualified.
  • As this is a covered primary firefighter position, your application package MUST include official documentation (SF-50, driver's license, etc) indicating your date of birth. Failure to submit required documentation may result in loss of consideration.
  • Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) eligibles: documentation verifying your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility - this includes a copy of the agency notice and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level and duty location.
  • GSA Form 3607, Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record (optional during the application process; however, selectees will be required to submit as part of the pre-appointment process.)
  Submitting Required Documents: Please note that documents selected for transfer from your USAJOBS profile are NOT automatically added do your application. You need to transfer your document(s) in the "Documents" step during the application process.
  
  Hard copy paper supplemental documents, submitted without prior Human Resources approval, will be considered as an incomplete application.
  
  Required documentation must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on the closing date of this announcement.
  
  If you are determined to be eligible and best qualified, you will be referred to the selecting official for consideration. Applicants should monitor their status for positions by regularly checking their public status notifications in the USAJOBS profile.
  If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

  Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

  Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

• How to Apply

  THIS IS AN ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS THROUGH USAJOBS. Your application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time by 08/22/2022. If you need assistance in applying on-line, please contact the HR Office at blm_fa_nifc_hr_external@blm.gov. If applying on-line poses a hardship for you (i.e. you do not have access to the Internet) you must contact us prior to the closing date of the announcement for an alternative method of applying. PLEASE NOTE: If you have access to a public library, State Job Service Office, etc., you should use these resources to apply online. You must follow the steps described below to complete the application process:
  
  YOU MUST HAVE OR CREATE A PROFILE IN USAJOBS. Your profile must contain a current resume for submission. See Required Documents section for what to include in your resume.
  
  INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION COULD RESULT IN AN INELIGIBLE RATING.
  
  The USAJOBS Resume Builder was designed to ensure that your resume includes the standard information needed. The Resume Builder is an available tool when you login to your USAJOBS account.

  • Review the Appointment Eligibility Criteria: The eligibility section of the application process is designed to allow you to choose how you wish to be considered for this vacancy announcement. You will ONLY be considered for the appointment eligibilities that you selected. You must provide proof of your eligibility to be considered.
  • You must submit a resume and also complete the online application and assessment questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section.
  • To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
  • Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
  • You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
  • The eligibility portion of the application process is designed to allow you to choose how you wish to be considered for this announcement. You may choose more than one eligibility. You must provide proof of your eligibility and will only be considered for the questions that you answer "yes".
  • Please note, your eligibility will be based solely on the selections you have indicated in this section. You must provide the supporting documentation to support your claim to be considered. You may choose more than one eligibility in this section.
  • To view the assessment questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11595964
  To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
  
  FOLLOW UP. Check your application status before the announcement closes. It is your responsibility to ensure that a complete application (including a resume, on-line questionnaire, and applicable supplemental documentation) is received by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on 08/22/2022 . NOTE: Technical problems may take at least 1 business day to resolve; therefore, you are highly encouraged to complete the application process prior to the closing date.
  
  To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a Federal job announcement includes the requirement that applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to Executive Order 14043, that requirement does not currently apply. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.
  
  Agency contact information FA-HR-External-6 NIFC Phone

  208-387-5322

  Email

  blm_fa_nifc_hr_external@blm.gov

  Address
  NIFC, Fire and Aviation
  Human Resources (MS-1700)
  3833 South Development Avenue
  Boise, ID 83705
  US Next steps

  You can track the progress of your application package via your USAJobs account. You will receive an acknowledgement email from USAJobs that your submission was successful once we have received your online questionnaire, resume, and any supporting documentation. You will be notified of the status of your application and/or referral to the hiring official via your USAJobs account after the evaluation process is complete. You will be contacted if further evaluation or interviews are required.
  
  Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.

• Fair and Transparent

  The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

  • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
  • Reasonable accommodation policy
  • Financial suitability
  • Selective Service
  • New employee probationary period
  • Signature and false statements
  • Privacy Act
  • Social security number request

Required Documents

Resumes must show relevant experience and other information. Your resume MUST list your education and work experience including (1) the dates (mm/yy) of each employment, along with (2) the number of hours worked per week, and (3) salary information. In addition, Civil Service employees must provide their current OPM title, series, and grade. Your resume will be used to validate your responses to the assessment tool(s). Failure to provide required information will result in loss of eligibility. You are welcome to submit a cover letter.

In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. Visit the USAJOBS Help Center for more information on What should I include in my federal resume and/or OPM Resume Writing Tips.

In addition to the online application (resume and responses to the questionnaire), you are required to submit the following supplemental documentation as applicable:

• If you are qualifying with education, you must provide copies of all your transcripts for verification that include hours and grades from an accredited U.S. college/university by the closing date. If your degree is from a Foreign Institution, See Foreign Education. All selections and tentative offers of selection are contingent upon submission and verification of 'official' transcripts.
• You must provide a copy of your Incident Qualification and Certification System (IQCS) Master Record or other equivalent documentation which verifies you meet the required NWCG minimum qualifications for this IFPM position. Failure to provide this documentation will result in you being rated as not qualified.
• As this is a covered primary firefighter position, your application package MUST include official documentation (SF-50, driver's license, etc) indicating your date of birth. Failure to submit required documentation may result in loss of consideration.
• Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) eligibles: documentation verifying your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility - this includes a copy of the agency notice and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level and duty location.
• GSA Form 3607, Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record (optional during the application process; however, selectees will be required to submit as part of the pre-appointment process.)

Submitting Required Documents: Please note that documents selected for transfer from your USAJOBS profile are NOT automatically added do your application. You need to transfer your document(s) in the "Documents" step during the application process.

Hard copy paper supplemental documents, submitted without prior Human Resources approval, will be considered as an incomplete application.

Required documentation must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on the closing date of this announcement.

If you are determined to be eligible and best qualified, you will be referred to the selecting official for consideration. Applicants should monitor their status for positions by regularly checking their public status notifications in the USAJOBS profile.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

Help This job is open to

• Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

  Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.

• The public

  U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

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.