Forestry Technician (Prevention & Mitigation) - Direct Hire Authority

Duties Coordinates and disseminates information concerning wildland fire management activities.
Provides guidance and assistance on wildland fire prevention and mitigation programs to the field and provides expertise and materials to all supported programs.
Assists with the formulation and execution of the budget.
Provides wildland fire prevention and mitigation expertise by representing the unit at local, state and regional/national/tribal forums.
Educates the public about the ecology of wildland fire and its relationship to the mission of the organization.
Implements prevention plans to reduce human and equipment caused ignitions.
Requirements Conditions of Employment U.
S.
Citizenship Required You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit You may be required to successfully complete a probationary period A background security investigation will be required for all new hires.
Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication.
If you are a male applicant born after 12/31/1959 and are required to register under the Military Selective Service Act, the Defense Authorization Act of 1986 requires that you be registered or you are not eligible for appointment in this agency.
This position requires the incumbent to possess and maintain a valid state driver's license.
This is a Testing Designated Position and is subject to both pre-employment and random drug testing as a condition of employment.
Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test is received.
Qualifications EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: (OPM Operating Manual, Qualification Standards for Technical and Medical Support Positions and Individual Occupational Requirements for GS-0462: Forestry Technician Series; GS-7: 1 year of specialized wildland fire management experience or the equivalent, comparable to at least the GS-6 grade level in the Federal Service (obtained in either the public or private sector).
Examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to, experience with fire effects on cultural and natural resources; experience working in prescribed fire/fuels management; experience in fire management operations, and; assists in wildland fire management planning, coordination and implementation such as program coordination, fire rehabilitation planning and fire mitigation measures OR one full year of graduate level education in forestry, range management, agriculture, or a subject-matter field directly related to the position.
GS-6: 1 year of creditable specialized wildland fire management work experience or the equivalent, comparable to at least the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sector).
Examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to, experience in standard prevention strategy; experience that demonstrates an understanding of standard fuels reduction; and experience that demonstrates an understanding of fire causation.
SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTORS: These are MANDATORY qualification prerequisites to qualify for this position, therefore, the applicant must have possessed the following to be considered eligible for this position: Prior Wildland Firefighting Experience: This position requires a minimum of 90 days previous wildland firefighting experience which provided knowledge of the techniques, policies, and practices of wildland fire management.
Wildland fires are categorized into two distinct types: 1) Wildfires - unplanned ignitions or prescribed fires that are declared wildfires; 2) Prescribed Fires - Planned ignitions.
This description includes only fireline experience on a Prescribed Fire; it does not include experience in the planning stages NOTE: Selective factors are knowledges, skills, abilities, or special qualifications that are in addition to the minimum requirements in a qualification standard but are determined to be essential to perform the duties and responsibilities of the position.
Applicants who do not meet the selective factors are ineligible for further consideration.
FIREFIGHTER RETIREMENT COVERAGE: This position is covered under the secondary/administrative firefighter special retirement provisions of 5 U.
S.
C.
8336(c)(CSRS) and 5 U.
S.
C.
8412(d)(FERS) when it is filled by an incumbent who transfers directly from a primary or another secondary law enforcement or firefighting position with no break in service to this position.
Firefighter retirement coverage of the incumbent will depend upon his or her individual work history.
You may meet the qualification requirements, but not be eligible for special retirement coverage.
If you are not eligible for special retirement coverage, you will be placed in the regular retirement system.
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
Additional selections may be made from this announcement if identical vacancies occur within 90 days from the closing date.
Education If you are qualifying based on your education, you MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims.
Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course.
All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.
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.
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.
If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education which shows 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: FOREIGN EDUCATION Additional information Indian Preference Policy: Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Preference Act of 1934 (Title 25, USC Section 472).
Verification form BIA-4432 must be submitted with the application if claiming Indian Preference.
No other documents will be accepted as proof of Indian Preference.
All new hires earn the beginning salary of their pay grade (Step 1).
See 2023 Salary Tables here and select the duty station from Poplar, Montana to choose the appropriate pay chart.
If no specific chart is listed for this geographic location, see the "rest of U.
S.
" chart.
TRAVEL AND RELOCATION EXPENSES WILL BE AUTHORIZED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FEDERAL TRAVEL REGULATIONS.
TELEWORK: Indian Affairs has determined that the duties of the position are suitable for Situational telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.
The full performance level of this position is GS-7.
Promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date.
A career ladder promotion is at the discretion of management, and in no way guaranteed.
This position has been designated as an Incidental Operator under the Indian Affairs Motor Vehicle Safety Program and requires the incumbent to operate a motor vehicle in order to properly carry out his/her assigned duties but whose principal duties are not operating a motor vehicle and his/her position is not classified as a motor vehicle operator.
The incumbent will be required initially and annually to acknowledge and certify possession of a valid state driver's license.
This is a Bargaining Unit position, for more information see What are bargaining units? Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) OR Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) Programs provides placement assistance to permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated.
Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF50 noting position, grade level, duty location with their application.
To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, applicants must be qualified (i.
e.
, meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry.
For more information visit: https://www.
opm.
gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.
asp Benefits A career with the U.
S.
government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package.
As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.
Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.
Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How You Will Be Evaluated You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your resume will be evaluated after the closing date to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position described above.
Under this Direct-Hire announcement, all applicants who meet the minimum requirements at the grade level for which they apply will be forwarded to the Selecting Official for consideration.
Veteran's Preference and category rating DO NOT APPLY for this announcement under Direct-Hire Authority regulations.
All qualified candidates will be referred for consideration; the hiring office may conduct interviews at their discretion.
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.
You may preview the assessment questions here in the https://apply.
usastaffing.
gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12204919.
If a determination is made that an applicant has inflated qualifications or experience on the resume, the applicant will receive no consideration for the position, as per OPM regulations.
Benefits A career with the U.
S.
government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package.
As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.
Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.
Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
Required Documents As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits.
Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee.
You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
The following documents are required for this position: Resume which details work experience including dates worked (mm/yy-mm/yy); position title; position series and grade (if federal service); work schedule; hours worked per week; relevant duties performed; supervisor with contact information, and 3 professional references and contact information (Do not include current/former supervisors), etc.
Important! If your resume does not show complete information for each job entry, your application will be considered incomplete.
Specifically: Beginning and ending dates (mm/yy) of employment, Work schedule (Full-time or Part-time), and Hours worked per week.
For more information see What should I include in my federal resume On-line Assessment Questionnaire Transcripts (if using education to qualify) - Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; however, an official transcript may be requested at a later time.
Form BIA-4432, Verification of Indian Preference for Employment (if claiming Indian Preference).
If you are applying under CTAP and ICTAP, you MUST submit proof of eligibility under 5 CFR 330.
602(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.
704 for ICTAP.
This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, and a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your position, grade level, and duty location.
Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible.
Copy of current Incident Qualifications and Certification System (IQCS) Individual Master Report or agency equivalent documentation which verifies you meet the required NWCG qualifications for this IFPM position as identified in this announcement.
Failure to provide this documentation by the closing date of the announcement will result in you being rated as not qualified.
If you are unable to apply online, require reasonable accommodation in the application process if you are an applicant with a disability, or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.
ALL DOCUMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 11:59 PM Eastern Time ON THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
If your application package is incomplete in any way, you will not be considered for this position, and requests for extensions will not be granted.
Please double check your application package before you submit it.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL NOT BE SOLICITED OR ACCEPTED BY THIS OFFICE.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications.
Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply ONLINE APPLICATION SUBMISSION: To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
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 résumé 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 submitted.
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.
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/.
PLEASE NOTE - NO APPLICATION MATERIAL WILL BE ACCEPTED VIA E-MAIL.
Former Federal Employees are required to indicate whether they received a Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP) buyout in their previous employment with the Federal government, and are required to submit a copy of the applicable Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) regarding the VSIP.
Most individuals who accept reemployment with the Federal government within 5 years of receiving the VSIP amount, must repay the gross amount of the separation pay prior to reemployment.
Agency contact information Strategic Recruitment-Trust Phone 405-768-4060 Email bia_okc_hr@bia.
gov Address BIA Strategic Recruitment - Trust 301 NW 6th Room 311 Oklahoma City, OK 73102 US Next steps 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.
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.
This office will not respond to requests for status updates.
Fair and Transparent The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent.
Please read the following guidance.
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Reasonable accommodation policy Financial suitability Selective Service New employee probationary period Signature and false statements Privacy Act Social security number request Required Documents The following documents are required for this position: Resume which details work experience including dates worked (mm/yy-mm/yy); position title; position series and grade (if federal service); work schedule; hours worked per week; relevant duties performed; supervisor with contact information, and 3 professional references and contact information (Do not include current/former supervisors), etc.
Important! If your resume does not show complete information for each job entry, your application will be considered incomplete.
Specifically: Beginning and ending dates (mm/yy) of employment, Work schedule (Full-time or Part-time), and Hours worked per week.
For more information see What should I include in my federal resume On-line Assessment Questionnaire Transcripts (if using education to qualify) - Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; however, an official transcript may be requested at a later time.
Form BIA-4432, Verification of Indian Preference for Employment (if claiming Indian Preference).
If you are applying under CTAP and ICTAP, you MUST submit proof of eligibility under 5 CFR 330.
602(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.
704 for ICTAP.
This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, and a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your position, grade level, and duty location.
Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible.
Copy of current Incident Qualifications and Certification System (IQCS) Individual Master Report or agency equivalent documentation which verifies you meet the required NWCG qualifications for this IFPM position as identified in this announcement.
Failure to provide this documentation by the closing date of the announcement will result in you being rated as not qualified.
If you are unable to apply online, require reasonable accommodation in the application process if you are an applicant with a disability, or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.
ALL DOCUMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 11:59 PM Eastern Time ON THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
If your application package is incomplete in any way, you will not be considered for this position, and requests for extensions will not be granted.
Please double check your application package before you submit it.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL NOT BE SOLICITED OR ACCEPTED BY THIS OFFICE.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications.
Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Help This job is open to Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL) Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
The public U.
S.
Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.
S.
Clarification from the agency ALL U.
S.
CITIZENS.
DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: These positions will be filled using Direct Hire Authority for this occupation.
CTAP and ICTAP candidates in the local commuting area.