Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
- Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt.
- Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
- Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
- Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
- Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify.
- Must be 18 years of age.
- This is a drug testing designated position. You will be subject to pre-employment and random drug testing. Appointment is based on a negative result. This announcement constitutes 30 days advance notice.
- Must pass the Work Capacity Test for certain Interagency Fire Program Management or Fire Program Management positions.
- Willing to live/work in remote locations (volatile/unpredictable).
- Some Fire positions may have Conditions of Employment such as: a valid state driver's license; a commercial driver's license (CDL); pre-appointment and random drug testing; or a physical or medical examination.
- There may be additional Conditions of Employment not listed here, however applicants will be notified of any specific requirements at the time a tentative job offer is made.
- Under age 37; less than age 37 after subtracting the months of Permanent Federal Service in a primary or secondary firefighter/law enforcement position or a veteran preference eligible, older than age 37 and is requesting a waiver to the requirement.
In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.
Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary.
Experience Requirements
For the GS-03 level:
Applicants must have minimum six months experience of any type of work that demonstrates the ability to perform the work of the Forestry Technician position, or general experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the Forestry Technician occupation;
OR successful completion of 1 year of study above high school that included at least 6 semester hours in a combination of courses such as range management or conservation, agriculture, forestry, wildlife management, engineering, biology, mathematics, or other natural or physical sciences;
OR an appropriate combination of general experience and education as described above;
OR completion of an intensive, specialized course of study of less than one year at a technical school or through a military or government sponsored training program that was designed specifically as career preparation for the work of the position being filled. Any qualifying education must have been obtained in an accredited business, technical school, junior college, college or university.
Examples of qualifying general experience include: unpaid or volunteer work such as at a park, youth camp, scouting organization, hospital, community sports league, local fire department, etc.; Work with tools and equipment used in laboratories or at field sites; Observed field work projects and recorded data; Identified plant or wildlife species; Identified and catalogued artifacts and/or cultural resources.
For The GS-04 Level
Applicants must have minimum of six months of general experience (any type of work that demonstrated the ability to perform the work of the Forestry Technician position, or experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the Forestry Technician occupation) AND six months of specialized experience that is directly related to the work of the Forestry Technician position;
OR successful completion of 2 years of study above high school that included at least 12 semester hours in any combination of courses such as forestry, agriculture, crop or plant science, range management or conservation, wildlife management, watershed management, soil science, natural resources (except marine fisheries and oceanography), outdoor recreation management, civil or forest engineering, or wildland fire science (no more than 3 semester hours in mathematics is creditable);
OR an appropriate combination of experience and education as described above. Any qualifying education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university and include courses that are related to the occupation of the position.
Examples of qualifying 6-month general experience include: unpaid or volunteer work such as at a park, youth camp, scouting organization, hospital, community sports league, local fire department, etc.; Work with tools and equipment used in laboratories or at field sites; Observed field work projects and recorded data; Identified plant or wildlife species; Identified and catalogued artifacts and/or cultural resources.
Examples of qualifying 6-month specialized experience include: Forestry aid or technician work; Engineering, range, or soil conservation technician work that involved the application of cultural, resource conservation, or land management practices on non-forest or ranch lands when combined with knowledge of forestry operations and equipment; Farming or ranching work that involved application of cultural and soil and water conservation practices, including safety and use of equipment, and that provided a basic understanding of land use; Forest or range fire control, prevention, or suppression work.
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.
Selective Placement Factors
Primary firefighter positions include the following age requirements: Under age 37 -OR- less than age 37 after subtracting the months of Permanent Federal Service worked in a primary or secondary firefighter/law enforcement position -OR- a veteran preference eligible, older than age 37 and is requesting a waiver to the maximum age requirement -OR-currently occupy a permanent position with primary fire fighter retirement coverage.
For those who do not currently occupy a permanent Federal position covered under primary fire fighter retirement, you must be under age 37; less than age 37 after subtracting the months of Permanent Federal Service in a primary or secondary firefighter/law enforcement position; or a veteran preference eligible, older than age 37 and requesting a waiver to the requirement.
FIREFIGHTER RETIREMENT COVERAGE: This is a primary/rigorous position covered under the special retirement provisions of 5 USC 8336(c) for the Civil Service Retirement System and of 5 USC 8412(d) for the Federal Employees Retirement System.
WORK CAPACITY TEST (WCT) for Wildland Firefighters: This position participates in wildland firefighting activities. Based on the type of work performed, TAKING and PASSING the WCT at the ARDUOUS level is a condition of employment.
Selective Placement Factor For Promotion To GS-5
This position has been identified as High Complexity under the Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) or Forest Service Fire Program Management (FS-FPM) and is subject to selective placement factor requirements contained in the Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) Standard and Guide when filling this vacancy. IFPM or FS-FPM selective placement factors are made up of a primary and secondary National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) core Incident Management Qualifications and Required Training.
Additional Requirement for Promotion Eligibility to the Full Performance GS-05 grade level:Successfully complete the Primary NWCG Core Requirement of Fire Fighter Type 1 (FFT1) -AND- Successfully complete the NWCG Course S-290 Wildland Fire Behavior.
Education
See QUALIFICATIONS Section For Education Requirements.
Additional information
LOCATION NEGOTIABLE - REGION 5 SPECIFIC - Position(s) will be located at Forest Office within Region 05. Final determination of the duty station will be made by the selecting official at the time of the job offer. To see where Region 5 Forest Service offices are located, click here. Pay rates vary depending on location, the salary shown is for the Rest of the U.S. See OPM.gov for additional information on pay rates
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors.
These are permanent positions with varying tours of duty and may include weekend work. Some positions may have irregular and protracted hours of work. Tours of duty include full-time or less than full time (guaranteed minimum 13 pay periods full-time employment).
Availability of government housing, federal day care facilities, and telework may be available.
Recruitment or Relocation Incentive may be authorized. Final determination to pay an incentive will be made by the hiring official at time of job offer.
The Forest Service may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract highly qualified candidates. Additional information is available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-and-leave-flexibilities-for-recruitment-and-retention/
Selectee will be responsible for tax obligations related to payments for moving expenses - 2017 Tax Cuts and Job Act, Public Law 115-97. Questions should be directed to the Travel Help Desk, 877-372-7248, Option 1, or email SM.FS.asc_tos@usda.gov
PROMOTION POTENTIAL: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied or guaranteed.
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