Department: Department of the Interior
Location(s): Fairbanks, Alaska, Soldotna, Alaska
Salary Range: $81536 - $121720 Per Year
Job Summary: This position will be filled under the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority and is open to all United States citizens and U.S. nationals. Veteran's preference and traditional rating and ranking of applications do not apply. All qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration for this position. To learn more about Direct-Hire authority, go to: OPM.GOV Hiring Information: Direct Hire Fact Sheet
Major Duties:
Qualifications: This key fire management position is a categorized under the Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) Standard as a Prescribed Fire and Fuels Specialist, Moderate Complexity. Minimum IFPM qualification standards must be met prior to being placed into the position. Detailed information regarding IFPM positions can be found at https://www.ifpm.nifc.gov/. Prior experience in wild land firefighting is required in order to carry out the duties of this position. You will not be considered for this position if you do not have prior wild land firefighting experience. This is a secondary-administrative firefighter position under the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S. C. 8336 (c) (CSRS) and 5 U. S. C. 8412 (d) (FERS). PLEASE NOTE: Applicants may meet qualification requirements but may not be eligible for special retirement coverage. If such an applicant is selected, they will be placed in the regular retirement system. Only experience and education obtained by 12/23/2025 will be considered. ***Your resume MUST include BEGINNING and END DATES specified in MONTH/YEAR to MONTH/YEAR format. In addition, your resume MUST reflect FULL-TIME/PART-TIME or total number of HOURS worked per week*** You may qualify at the GW-09 level, if you fulfill the following qualification requirement: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GW-08 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience may include: work closely with other resource specialists to integrate vegetation management project designs in fuels program direction; provide input and recommend strategies for fuels and fire management; develop resource objectives and guidance for implementation of projects and programs; and evaluate post burn fire effects, identify potential problems and make appropriate recommendations. You may qualify at the GW-11 level, if you fulfill one of the following qualification requirements: If you are a current or former federal employee who served in a competitive or excepted appointment, your resume must show that you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GW-09 grade level which includes assisting in leading a prescribed fire/ fuels management program. Examples of specialized experience may include: assist in the review and evaluation of fire management plans for ecological soundness and technical adequacy; participate in field inspections before and after prescribed or wildland fires to determine if resource objectives were achieved and/or to evaluate the effectiveness of actions taken; and assist with providing analyses on the ecological role of fire and its use and/or exclusion, and smoke management. OR If you have never been or are NOT a current federal employee who served in a competitive or excepted appointment, your resume must show that you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GW-10 grade level which includes leading a prescribed fire/fuels management program. Examples of specialized experience may include: review and evaluate fire management plans for ecological soundness and technical adequacy; conduct field inspections before and after prescribed or wildland fires to determine if resource objectives were achieved and/or to evaluate the effectiveness of actions taken; and develop analyses on the ecological role of fire and its use and/or exclusion, and smoke management. In addition to the specialized experience above, you must have the qualifications described below: IFPM Qualifications for Prescribed Fire and Fuels Specialist (PFFS) (Moderate Complexity) (Selective Factor): Primary Core Requirement: Prescribed Fire Burn Boss, Type 2 (RXB2) AND Secondary Core Requirement: Single Resource Boss, Engine (ENGB) OR Single Resource Boss, Crew (CRWB) OR Single Resource Boss, Helicopter (HMGB) NOTE: 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 minimum qualifications for this IFPM position. Failure to provide this documentation by the closing date of the announcement will result in you being rated as not qualified. 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. Promotion Potential: This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed represent the full performance level of GW-11. At lower grade levels, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GW-11. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher level work, and availability of funds. The selectee may be promoted without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: TESTING DESIGNATED POSITION: All applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS: You must pass a pre-employment medical examination. Also, you may be subject to post-employment medical examinations to determine if you are maintaining the fitness standards for this position. DRIVER'S LICENSE: 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.
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 following criteria, you will not be considered for this position under this announcement. Resume or Application. At a minimum to be considered for this position, your resume MUST contain job title (include job series and grade, if federal), duties, starting and ending dates (month/day/year), work schedule (Full-Time/Part-Time) and hours worked per week. USAJOBS has a template to ensure a complete resume. You must also complete the online application and assessment questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. DEADLINE DATE: A complete application package must be received by 11:59 PM (EST) on 12/23/2025 to receive consideration. 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 received. 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. You will be considered for all eligibilities for which you select "yes" and submit the required documents and supporting documentation (e.g. DD 214, Schedule A letter, etc.). The supporting documentation you submit will be used to determine your eligibility. Please review the list of documentation provided in the eligibilities language to ensure you provide the appropriate information. Please note, your eligibility will be based solely on the selections you have indicated "yes" in this section. You must provide the supporting documentation to support your claim to be considered. You may choose more than one eligibilities in this section. To view the assessment questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12800543 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/. If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact the Human Resources Office via email at fwshiring@fws.gov. 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. Additional Vacancies: One or more positions may be filled from applications received under this announcement in the advertised office or other U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service offices in the local commuting area.
Application Deadline: 2025-12-23