Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our greatest natural resource. This position is located with the BLM Fire & Aviation Directorate, located at the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), in Boise, Idaho. Information about the surrounding area can be found at https://www.boisechamber.org/. We expect to fill thirteen (13) positions at this time; however, additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available.

Duties

Incumbent parachutes into rugged terrain and performs fire suppression and related duties. Serves as an Initial Attack Incident Commander (Type 4). Incumbent is responsible for oversight of initial attack resources in wildland fire suppression activities on a nationwide basis. Gathers initial fire and weather data, anticipates fire behavior, develops incident action plans, and implements fire line strategy and tactics. Provides for the safety, welfare, and accountability of assigned resources during the period of command, including aircraft, fireline personnel and equipment. Coordinates with the dispatch office regarding fire behavior, fire conditions, logistical needs, additional support, demobilizing resources, and concerns or problems. Incumbent maintains smokejumper and firefighting equipment, tools, and supplies. Repairs, packs, and maintains parachutes and related equipment. Orients newer employees, providing on the job training, written instructions, reference material, and technical advice as required or requested. Leads crews on prescribed fire and other projects, providing instruction on objectives, strategies, and expectations.

Requirements

• 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.
• An applicant appointed to this position must possess (or obtain within 30 days of entrance on duty) and maintain a valid state driver's license while employed in this position.
• Passage of a pre-employment physical is required. You must also pass the work capacity test for arduous positions.
• May require completion of a one year probationary period.

Qualifications

Selective Placement Factors (SPFs): This position requires special qualifications that have 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 factors will be rated not qualified: SPF #1: Prior Smokejumping Experience - Thisexperience must be documented with specific dates in your application. SPF #2: Incident Commander Type 4 Qualified - You must provide your IQCS record or equivalent document as instructed in the 'Required Documents' section of this announcement. SPF #3: Maximum Entry Age - This position is a Primary Firefighter position and is covered under Special Fire Retirement. In accordance with Public Law 107-27, applicants must be age 37 or under at the time of appointment, unless proof is provided of prior Federal service in another 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. Specialized Experience: In order to be rated as 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. To qualify for the GS-07 grade level, 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-06 is required. Experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is directly related to the work of the position to be filled. Qualifying experience includes but is not limited to: experience in forest and range land fire suppression as an initial attack incident commander. Experience in Smokejumper operations including parachuting into rugged terrain, parachute rigging and repair, and the use of smokejumper specific firefighting tools and equipment. Experience also includes instructing or leading firefighters in both fire and non-fire assignments. -OR- 1 full year (18 semester hours) of graduate education which is DIRECTLY related to work of the position; -OR- an equivalent combination of specialized experience and education. 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 within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement. Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade requirement in accordance with 5 CFR 300.604. If you are a current Federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must have completed a minimum of 52 weeks at the next lower grade level. This is a career seasonal position. You will be in pay status for at least 6 months, but less than 12 months per calendar year. When work and/or funds are unavailable, you will be placed into non-pay status. Pay status may be less than 6 months during initial appointment. Medical Requirements: Please see the U.S. Office of Personnel Management website for the Medical Standards for Smokejumper Positions: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0400/forestry-technician-series-0462/. 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. Firefighter Special Retirement (Primary Coverage): This is a primary fire position under the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336(c) (CSRS) and 5 U.S.C. 8412(d) (FERS). The position is subject to maximum entry age (MEA) requirements. The MEA for this position shall not exceed age 37; unless you have sufficient prior Federal civilian firefighter or you are a preference eligible veteran. If you are a preference eligible veteran, you may be eligible for this position on or 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 will result in loss of eligibility to receive a waiver of the maximum entry age requirement. If over the MEA and you are not a Veteran, proof of prior covered service must be submitted prior to employment. Acceptable proof consists of SF-50s showing beginning and ending dates of covered/creditable appointments and copies of approved letters based on individual claims. THIS IS A DRUG TESTING DESIGNATED POSITION in accordance with Executive Order 12564, and under the Department's Drug Free Workplace Program. 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.

Education

Proof of Education:
All applicants who are using education or a combination of education and experience to qualify must submit copies of official or unofficial transcripts which include grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, institution name, and student name. If any required coursework is not easily recognizable on transcripts, or if you believe a portion of a particular course can be credited toward meeting an educational requirement, you must also provide a memorandum on letterhead from the institution's registrar, dean, or other appropriate official stating the percentage of the course that should be considered to meet the requirement and the equivalent number of units. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; however, if you are selected for the position, you will be required to produce the original official transcripts.

Pass/Fail Courses:
If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.

Graduate Education:
One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

Foreign Education:
If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/

Contacts

• Address NIFC, Fire and Aviation Human Resources (MS-1700) 3833 South Development Avenue Boise, ID 83705 US
• Name: FA-HR-Internal NIFC
• Phone: 208-387-5523
• Email: [email protected]