Wildland Firefighter (Aviation)

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 (Aviation) position is with the US Wildland Fire Service, GW-0456-9/11 working in the following location(s): Baker City, Oregon Ontario, Oregon Vale, Oregon 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 (Aviation) your duties will include but are not limited to the following: Manages the interagency Air Attack program within the assigned Geographic Area (GA) boundaries by ensuring only qualified Air Attack are working in the GA; coordinates movement of Air Attack and trainees within the GA; monitors Aviation Safety Communique (SAFECOM) submittal within the GA for aerial supervision related concerns; collaborates with local, state/regional, and national aviation managers to review and develop aerial supervision policy and program direction.. Collaborates with local aviation managers to ensure adequate aerial supervision is present KSA 1 - Knowledge of wildland fire behavior and incident management KSA 2 - Knowledge of interagency aviation and Air Attack doctrine KSA 3 - Ability to manage and evaluate an interagency Air Attack program within the geographic area for current/expected needs Performs flight crewmember duties including mission/flight checklists, navigation, hazard identification, risk mitigation, and other duties as required. Serves as a primary ATGS E/FE. Coordinate units mentoring for Air Attack trainees and conduct proficiency evaluations. Assists in the development of training plans, courses, course aids. Coordinates a training and currency program for qualified Air Attack and trainees on an interagency basis at the unit, state/regional or national level. Physical Demands: Air Attack work has significant physical demands with the requirement for a high degree of focus during tactical flight operations. The work requires long, and irregular hours and frequent travel is required for training and fire assignments. Air Attack flight assignments require considerable time spent in cramped spaces, turbulent atmospheric conditions, high noise levels while receiving or sending multiple radio transmissions and performing other aircrew tasks which require significant physical demands. Other assignments are sedentary in nature. Working Conditions: Air Attack in-flight work is performed enroute, over, and returning from fire assignments or other emergencies. Risks and discomforts involved are those of air travel compounded by required flight in dense smoke, turbulent air, over mountainous terrain, and in high-density air traffic (with and without radar control). Considerable emergency travel on short notice is common and considerable time is spent away from home base.

Qualifications

Basic Qualification Requirements: Applicants must have documented prior primary firefighting experience, with substantial service defined as either: At least one full fire season working in a primary wildland firefighting role (e.g., Engine Crew, Fire Effects Crew, Prescribed Fire/Fuels Crew, Hand Crew, Helitack Crew, Hotshot Crew, Smokejumper, Wildland Fire Modules or Fire Suppression Crews, etc.) with a federal, state, tribal, local, or private-sector organization;- OR - At least 14-days of on-the-ground fireline experience (cumulative or consecutive). Prior primary wildland fire experience must be clearly documented in your resume. Note: an IQCS Master Record or equivalent document will not be used to determine or calculate prior primary wildland fire experience eligibility for this requirement. 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. In addition to the requirements described above, 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 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 Wildland Firefighter (Aviation), 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 here: Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM). 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.) Air Tactical Group Supervisor (ATGS) To meet additional IFPM training requirements, as a "condition of employment", you must complete the following within one year of the entry on duty date: Only experience and education obtained by 09/10/2026 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 GW-09 At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GW-08 level, or higher, in the Federal service, or equivalent, which includes all of the following: Examples of specialized experience include: assisting with the management and daily operation of Air Attack activities, helping coordinate incident airspace, and supporting tactical aircraft operations in collaboration with senior aerial supervision personnel. Applied Crew Resource Management (CRM) principles and aviation safety practices to identify hazards and mitigate risks during aerial operations. For the GW-11 level: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GW-09 level, or higher, in the Federal service, or equivalent, which includes all of the following: Examples of specialized experience include: Managing or supporting an interagency Air Attack or aerial supervision program; coordinating incident airspace and directing tactical aircraft operations during wildland fire incidents; applying Crew Resource Management (CRM) and aviation safety practices to mitigate risks during aerial operations; conducting or developing Air Attack training, evaluations, or refresher programs; reviewing aviation safety reports (such as SAFECOMs) and recommending corrective actions; collaborating with federal, tribal, state, local, and contractor partners on aviation operations; and providing technical guidance regarding aircraft capabilities, aerial supervision standards, or aviation policy At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GW-10 level, or higher, outside of the Federal service; Managing or supporting an Air Attack or aerial supervision program; coordinating incident airspace and directing tactical aircraft operations during wildland fire incidents; applying Crew Resource Management (CRM) and aviation safety practices to mitigate risks during aerial operations; conducting or developing Air Attack training, evaluations, or refresher programs; reviewing aviation safety reports (such as SAFECOMs) and recommending corrective actions; collaborating with federal, tribal, state, local, and contractor partners on aviation operations; and providing technical guidance regarding aircraft capabilities, aerial supervision standards, or aviation policy. *Applicants must meet all minimum qualification requirements for the position of interest by the closing date of the Job Announcement. Secondary Firefighter Retirement Coverage - Applicants for this secondary administrative fire fighter position under the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336 (c) (CSRS) and 5 U.S.C. 8412 (d), must possess knowledge of the principles, methods, and techniques of wildland firefighting as demonstrated by direct wildland firefighting experience. In order to receive credit, you must provide a written description of your experience in wildland firefighting. Education without hands-on wildland firefighting experience does not meet this requirement. Periods of wildland firefighting experience, gained through militia and rural fire departments, can also be credited. Wildland fire is defined as any non-structure fire that occurs in the wildland. Two distinct types of wildland fire have been defined and include wildfire and prescribed fires as follows: Wildfire: Unplanned ignitions or prescribed fires that are declared wildfires. Prescribed Fires: Planned ignitions. This description includes only fire line 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.

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. 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. A condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a [1-year probationary period OR 2-year trial 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. Selectees will be expected to travel in (not pilot) a small single-engine aircraft. You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work. You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.

Education

IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE: There is no qualifying education for the 0456 series at this grade level.

How to apply

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/13047119. Please ensure you check the acknowledgement checkbox then click the Submit Application button to submit your application. Applications must be received by 09/10/2026, 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/. If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please refer to the contact information listed at the bottom of the announcement. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Department of Interior (DOI) Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) procedures apply in filling this vacancy. These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements) for the position with a score of 85 or above on the assessment questionnaire, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp.