Dispatch Center Manager

Summary

This is a Direct-Hire advertisement. Veterans preference is not applicable. Learn more at: Direct Hire Authority These Supervisory Wildland Firefighter (Fire Dispatching) (Dispatch Center Manager) positions are with the US Wildland Fire Service, GW-0456-12 and working in the following location(s): Bishop, CA Porterville, CA San Bernardino, CA Susanville, CA Idaho Falls, ID Shoshone, ID Elko, NV Ely, NV Las Vegas, NV Winnemucca, NV Cedar City, UT Salt Lake City, UT Vernal, UT

Duties

• As a Dispatch Center Manager your duties will include but are not limited to the following: Directs and oversees daily dispatch center operations to ensure adequate staffing, balanced workloads, operational readiness. Manages the dispatch center budget, including planning, allocating, monitoring, and reconciling expenditures across multiple funding sources and agency partners. Develops and implements long-range plans for dispatch center operations to support wildland fire management objectives and interagency priorities. Coordinates with partner agencies during multi-jurisdictional incidents to assess resource needs, identify values at risk, support operational planning, and maintain situational awareness. Establishes incident priorities and coordinates the mobilization, demobilization, and reassignment of resources to support current and anticipated incident response and logistical operations at the local, geographic, and national levels.

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. 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 Center Manager, 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): EDSD (Expanded Dispatch Support Dispatcher) AND S-491 (Intermediate National Fire Danger Rating System), AND 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. This means I have worked directly on the fireline performing tasks such as containing, controlling, suppressing, or managing wildland fires. This experience may come from serving in a permanent, temporary, seasonal, or comparable private-sector, Tribal or other government role on an Engine Crew, Fire Effects Crew, Prescribed Fire/Fuels Crew, Hand Crew, Helitack Crew, Hotshot Crew, Smokejumpers, Wildland Fire Module, or Fire Suppression Crew, etc. This experience has been documented in my work history/experience blocks on my resume. - 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. Minimum Qualification At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GW-11 level, or higher, in the Federal service, or equivalent, which includes all of the following: Serving as an Assistant Dispatch Center Manager providing technical, operational, and leadership support for dispatch center activities serving Federal, State, Tribal, and local cooperating partners. Responsible for coordinating dispatch operations, fire preparedness, aviation activities, resource mobilization, situational awareness, emergency response, logistical support, and policy implementation. 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. 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. Physical Demands: The work is primarily sedentary and performed in an office or dispatch center environment. The position requires extended periods of sitting while using computers, telephones, and other communications equipment. Occasional standing, walking, bending, and lifting of light office materials may be required. Periodic travel by vehicle or aircraft to attend meetings, training, field visits, or other official assignments is required. Work Environment: Work is performed primarily in an office or dispatch center environment. During periods of peak activity, the work area is characterized by frequent radio traffic, multiple telephone communications, and simultaneous communications requiring sustained attention and coordination. Work may involve extended or irregular hours during periods of increased fire activity or emergency operations. Occasional travel to field locations may involve exposure to outdoor weather conditions, smoke, uneven terrain, and wildland fire environments.

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 during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated. Supervisory Probationary Period: Selectees who have not previously completed a supervisory probationary period, will be required to serve a one-year supervisory/managerial probationary period for this position. Individuals assigned male at birth after 12-31-59 must be registered for the Selective Service. To verify registration visit SSS.gov. You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work. You may be required to travel overnight away from home. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.

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/13059598. Please ensure you check the acknowledgement checkbox then click the Submit Application button to submit your application. Applications must be received by 09/25/2026, 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. 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.