Supv Wildland Firefighter (Geographic Area Assist Chief of Fire Operations) - Direct Hire Authority

JobSummary

These positions will serve as the Assistant Chiefs of Fire Operations, GW-0456-14, within the Geographic Areas of the U.S. Wildland Fire Service (USWFS). Please see Duties section for more information on the Geographic Areas. Additional Vacancies: One or more positions may be filled from applications received under this announcement in the advertised office or other U.S. Wildland Fire Service offices in the local commuting area.

LowGrade

14

HighGrade

14

PromotionPotential

None

SubAgencyName

US Wildland Fire Service (USWFS)

OrganizationCodes

IN/IN01

Relocation

True

HiringPath

• fed-transition
• public

MCOTags

• Hiring Freeze Exempt - SO 3427

AgencyMarketingStatement

The U.S. Wildland Fire Service (USWFS), an organization within the Department of the Interior (DOI), responds to wildfires and promotes fire-resilient landscapes across more than 500 million acres of public and tribal lands nationwide. The USWFS has full program authority and coordinates the DOI wildland fire management program in its entirety. It ensures coordination within DOI, the Bureaus it serves, other federal agencies -- particularly the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service -- as well as non-federal agencies, state foresters, tribes, and a variety of stakeholder groups representing volunteer firefighters.

TravelCode

2

ApplyOnlineUrl

https://apply.usastaffing.gov/Application/Apply

DetailStatusUrl

https://apply.usastaffing.gov/Application/ApplicationStatus

MajorDuties

• Multiple positions will be placed in each of the established Geographic Areas (GAs) listed below for the US Wildland Fire Service. Candidates must use the linked map below to determine which GA(s) they would like to be considered for. Please note, location is negotiable within the Geographic Areas that incumbents are selected for. Incumbents must physically report to a DOI Federal Office. Please select EACH Geographic Area you wish to be considered for during the application process. You will only be considered for the Geographic Areas you select. US Wildland Fire Service Geographic Areas Map 1 or few vacancies in the Northwest GA 1 or few vacancies in the California GA (includes Northern/Southern California, & Hawaii) 1 or few vacancies in the Great Basin GA 1 or few vacancies in the Northern Rockies GA 1 or few vacancies in the Southwest GA 1 or few vacancies in the Eastern GA 1 or few vacancies in the Southern GA 1 or few vacancies in the Alaska GA 1 or few vacancies in the Rocky Mountain GA As a Supervisory Wildland Firefighter (Geographic Area Assist Chief of Fire Operations), your duties will include but are not limited to the following: Provides leadership, oversight, and supervision over a fire operations management program within a large and highly complex wildland fire organization. Ensures the safe and effective implementation of fire operations across the assigned geographic area and provides strategic direction, recommends policy, and operational oversight in alignment with national fire management goals and objectives. Plans, organizes, and oversees a fire operations management program that is aimed at achieving and improving wildland fire management. Serves as a senior advisor to executive leadership on developing and implementing strategic plans in support of achieving national wildland fire program objectives. Oversees the integration and cooperation of multiple disciplines to accomplish fire operations management; strategic planning; workforce planning; budget formulation and justification; quality improvement methods and initiatives; financial analysis; measurement and support, programmatic internal controls, analytics, and reporting tools.

Education

IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE: There is no qualifying education for the 0456 series at the GW-14 grade level.

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 may 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. Notice of Financial Disclosure Report Requirement: This position is subject to a financial disclosure requirement, and you will be required to complete either OGE Form 278e or OGE Form 450 as applicable within 30 days of your appointment Individuals assigned male at birth after 12-31-59 must be registered for the Selective Service. To verify registration, visit SSS.gov. This position may require regular and recurring overtime during peak fire season. You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 25% of the time. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes. You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.

Evaluations

Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. Headers may be slightly larger but must remain legible. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. You will be evaluated based on how your application materials reflect the minimum qualification requirements of this position. Once the job opportunity announcement closes, your resume and all supporting documents will be reviewed by HR to determine if you are minimally qualified for the position. If an applicant's resume is incomplete or does not support the requirements for minimum qualifications or specialized experience a rating of "ineligible" or "not qualified" will be applied and no consideration for employment will be granted. Due to this vacancy being filled through OPM's Direct Hire Authority, Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to positions filled under this announcement. Applications received as a result of job fairs, recruitment events, and emergency hiring mechanisms in support of this hiring initiative will also be accepted during the duration of the announcement. All minimally qualified candidates will be referred for consideration. Please note that the hiring office may conduct interviews at their discretion. Interviews may be conducted on a pass/fail basis. The competencies below provide an overview of what this position entails once encumbered: Fire Management - Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and theories of fire management, including the characteristics, behavior, and ecology of fire; methodologies, strategies, and equipment used in prescribed fires; fire detection, prevention, and suppression strategies; and integration of fire with natural resource management. Planning and Evaluating - Organizes work, sets priorities, and determines resource requirements; determines short- or long-term goals and strategies to achieve them; coordinates with other organizations or parts of the organization to accomplish goals; monitors progress and evaluates outcomes. Leadership - Inspires, motivates and guides others toward goal accomplishment; coaches, mentors, and challenges subordinates; adapts leadership styles to a variety of situations; models high standards of honesty, integrity, trust, openness, and respect for the individual by applying these values to daily behaviors. Conflict Management - Encourages creative tension and differences of opinions. Anticipates and takes steps to prevent counter-productive confrontations. Manages and resolves conflicts and disagreements in a constructive manner.

HowToApply

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/12929815. Please ensure you check the acknowledgement checkbox then click the Submit Application button to submit your application. Applications must be received by 04/21/2026, 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.

WhatToExpectNext

Once you submit all the required documents and the online application in USAJOBS, you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After the evaluation process is complete, you will be notified of your status and/or referral to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted by the hiring official. You will be notified if this job is filled or canceled. Timelines for this process vary widely. You may check the status of your application at any time by logging in to your USAJOBS account as we will not be responding to inquiries about the status of applications as long as the system has been updated. If you were not referred and/or have questions or concerns regarding your rating determination or referral status, in the interest of time, please submit your inquiry in writing within seven (7) calendar days of receiving a Notice of Results and Referral notification email. Inquiries may be submitted to contact listed on this announcement. Be sure to include the announcement number to assist our team in reviewing your inquiry.

RequiredDocuments

You must submit a complete application package. The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 04/21/2026. Resumes must show relevant experience and other information. Your resume MUST list your education and work experience including (1) the dates (mm/yy) of each employment, along with (2) the number of hours worked per week, and (3) work experience duties listed under each job entry. In addition, Civil Service employees must provide their current OPM title, series, and grade. If experience is for a career ladder position, please ensure to clearly show how long you were working in each grade level. Your resume will be used to validate your responses to the assessment tool(s). Failure to provide required information will result in loss of eligibility. No assumptions will be made about your experience and/or education. You are welcome to submit a cover letter. Resumes must also include name and how to best contact you, including email address and phone number. Do not include the following types of information in your resume: Classified or government sensitive information Social Security Number (SSN) Photos of yourself Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc. Encrypted and digitally signed documents. In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. Visit the USAJOBS Help Center for more information on What should I include in my federal resume and/or OPM Resume Writing Tips. In addition to the online application (resume and responses to the questionnaire), you are required to submit the following supplemental documentation as applicable: IFPM Requirement - 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 NWCG minimum qualifications for this IFPM position. Failure to provide this documentation will result in you being rated as not qualified. CTAP/ICTAP Documentation: documentation verifying your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility - this includes a copy of the agency notice and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level and duty location. Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

Benefits

BenefitsUrl

https://www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/Guide-Me/New-Prospective-Employees/

OtherInformation

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. Reemployment Priority List (RPL): The RPL is the mechanism agencies use to give reemployment consideration to their former competitive service employees separated by a RIF or who have fully recovered from a compensable injury after more than one year. If you are currently on an RPL, you may be given priority consideration. PCS INFORMATION: -Entitlements for payment of basic moving expenses, as required and to the extent allowed by the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) 302-3.101, MAY be authorized for eligible applicants changing duty station when the change meets the distance tests as provided in FTR 302-1.1 and 302-2.6. All moving expenses are taxable. Incentives: If eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. Reasonable Accommodation: The USWFS provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. Please visit USAJOBS Help Center | Reasonable accommodation policy if you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process. Cost of Living Allowance (AK/HI): In addition to the yearly salary, this position is entitled to a 1.49% - 8.64% cost-of-living allowance (COLA) as determined by https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-systems/nonforeign-areas/#url=COLA-Rates .This allowance is subject to annual review, adjustment, and rate decrease. Probation/Trial Period Con't: The probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the goals and mission of the agency, and/or promote the efficiency of the service. As 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. Under completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

KeyRequirements

WithinArea

False

CommuteDistance

0

ServiceType

01

AnnouncementClosingType

01

AgencyContactEmail

catherine_preston@ios.doi.gov

AgencyContactPhone

(208) 387-5514

SecurityClearance

Not Required

DrugTestRequired

True

PositionSensitivitiy

Moderate Risk (MR)

AdjudicationType

• Credentialing
• Suitability/Fitness