Wildland Firefighter (Lead)

Summary

This is a Direct-Hire advertisement. Veterans preference is not applicable to this advertisement. Learn more about this authority at: Direct Hire Authority This Wildland Firefighter (Lead) position is with the US Wildland Fire Service, GW-0456-4/5/6 working in the following location(s): Sierra Vista, Arizona Tucson, Arizona In order to be considered for any duty location, ensure desired locations are selected. Applicants will not be considered for locations not selected.

Duties

• As a Wildland Firefighter (Lead) your duties will include but are not limited to the following: Serves as a senior wildland firefighter and member of an engine crew. Performs fireline activities such as line construction, hose layout, operations of pumps and accessories, and mop-up operations. Gathers information on weather data, topography, fuel types, and fire behavior in responding to wildland fire incidents. Participates in fuels management projects and prescribed fires and may serve as a situational leader on wildland fires. Responsible for operation and maintenance of specialized equipment used to respond to wildland and prescribed fire situations. Duties listed are at the GW-06 full performance level.

Qualifications

In order to qualify for this position you must possess the Minimum Qualification requirements listed below. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected. 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.) 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. 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. 2.) Requirement for the GW-06 grade level ONLY: 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 Senior Firefighter, and requires selectee to meet the minimum qualification standards for IFPM prior to being placed into the position. Detailed information regarding IFPM positions can be found at www.ifpm.nifc.gov. To meet IFPM requirements for this position, 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): A.) Firefighter Type 1 (FFT1); AND B.) Intermediate Fire Behavior (S-290) If selected at the GW-05, you must meet the IFPM training requirements above for the GW-06 as a condition of employment before being eligible for promotion to the GW-06 grade level. In addition to the requirements described above, the following additional experience is required. Only experience and education obtained by 09/11/2026 will be considered. Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. Please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience. Minimum Qualification For the GW-04 level: Six months of general experience and six months of specialized experience equivalent to the GW-03 level in the federal service; Examples of general experience include: any work experience or military service that demonstrates the ability to follow directions and to read, understand, and retain a variety of instructions, regulations, and procedures and that otherwise demonstrates the ability to perform, or learn to perform, the duties of the position. Examples of specialized experience include: controlling or extinguishing fires as a member of an organized military, industrial, volunteer, or governmental fire department or brigade; forest fire control, prevention, or suppression work; rescue operations; detection, reduction, or elimination of potential fire hazards ; operation of fire communications equipment requiring specialized knowledge of firefighting techniques, equipment, and procedures to prevent and manage fires; controlling hazardous materials incidents; developing, implementing, or providing training in fire protection and prevention. -OR- Successfully completed 2 years of study above high school, from an accredited college or university that included at least 12 semester hours in any combination of courses such as forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources (except marine fisheries and oceanography), outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire science. No more than 3 semester hours in mathematics is creditable. Transcripts must be attached to application package. -OR- An equivalent combination of experience and education. Transcripts must be attached to application package. IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE: If you are using education to qualify you must submit a legible copy of your transcripts (A copy of your official transcripts will be required before entrance on duty, if selected). For the GW-05 level: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GW-04 level in the federal service. Examples of specialized experience include: on-the-line wildland fire experience in forest/range fire control, prevention, or suppression work as a skilled wildland firefighter, utilizing a variety of specialized wildland fire tools and equipment. -OR- Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study (120 semester hour or 180 quarter hours) leading to a bachelor's degree with a major study in Fire Science, Fire Technology or other related fields of study (e.g.: Forestry, Range Management, Agriculture, Fire suppression and Prevention). Transcripts must be attached to application package if qualifying based on education. -OR- An equivalent combination of experience and education. Transcripts must be attached to application package. For the GW-06 level: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GW-05 level in the federal service. Examples of specialized experience include: experience serving as a senior wildland firefighter on a wildland fire module or crew with on-the-line wildland fire experience in fire control, prevention or suppression work; and utilizing and maintaining a variety of specialized wildland fire tools and equipment. IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE: There is not an option to qualify for the 0456 series utilizing education at this grade level. 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. *Applicants must meet all minimum qualification requirements for the position of interest by the closing date of the Job Announcement. Physical Demands and Work Environment: see "Next Steps" for details.

Requirements

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. You MAY be required to operate a fire engine and various motor vehicles as part of your official duties; a valid Commercial Driver's License is required. If using a valid Driver's License with Firefighter endorsement to qualify, you will be required to obtain a Commercial Driver's License [within 90 days of employment]. You will be required to submit your Commercial Driver's License and Driving Record. You must also submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that disclose all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. A condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated. Individuals assigned male at birth after 12-31-59 must be registered for the Selective Service. To verify registration visit SSS.gov. You must be 18 years of age or older to be assigned to a hazardous position. Must meet the maximum age requirement. See qualifications section for more information. You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work. Subject to frequent extended travel 50% particularly during fire season, and you must obtain a government charge card for travel. You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.

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 programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).

How to apply

** THIS VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT HAS BEEN EXTENDED; PREVIOUS APPLICANTS NEED NOT REAPPLY ** Applicants who previously applied do not need to apply again to be considered but may take this opportunity to update information/resume/responses or submit required documentation outlined in the vacancy announcement. Review the appointment eligibility criteria in the application preview linked below. The eligibility section of the application allows you to choose how you wish to be considered for this vacancy announcement. You will ONLY be considered for the eligibilities that you select "yes" to and submit the required supporting documentation, as listed in the Required Documents section or the application text. You may qualify for more than one eligibility, so please choose carefully. If you respond that you do not meet any of the eligibility criteria, you will not be considered for this position under this announcement. To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package. See required documents section. Click 'Apply' to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire and upload required documents. To preview the assessment questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13043328. Please ensure you check the acknowledgement checkbox then click the Submit Application button to submit your application. Applications must be received by 09/11/2026, 11:59pm ET to receive consideration. Check application status by logging into your USAJOBS account, in Applications tab, click the position title you applied to for the status. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. 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. Probation/Trial Period Continued: Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.