Summary This is a Direct-Hire advertisement. Veterans preference is not applicable to this advertisement. Learn more about this authority at: Direct Hire Authority Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our most precious resource. This position is located in Fairbanks, AK. We expect to fill one vacancy at this time; however, additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available. Responsibilities Analyzes Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System (CFFDRS) outputs to assess fuels and fire danger concerns, and anticipated fire behavior. Determines appropriate method and system(s) to develop fire behavior predictions. Evaluates associated data and techniques to develop improved incorporation into wildland fire management and planning. Analyzes fire weather elements, including Red Flag Warnings, and their effects on fire behavior. Uses Wildland Fire Decision Support System (WFDSS) to create fire perimeters and keep fire managers informed. Creates and improves strategic documents using long term fire growth and fire probability support programs. Works with all agencies to develop and review fuel models and critical break points, and how those can be incorporated into long-term plans. As a Fire Analyst, serves on and/or organizes interagency committees, meetings, and conferences. Institutes or recommends changes in the development and trial of new methods and approaches for fire behavior analyses. Incorporates existing and emerging technologies to address issues in wildland fire management and towards advancing the program. Communicate complex fire danger and fire behavior topics to managers and staff with varying levels of knowledge, including clear technical direction and guidance in application of such information. Establishes and maintains contact with all levels of fire management officials within federal and state agencies. Organize and conduct training on fire danger, behavior, and analysis tools and technologies. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Basic Education Required: Must have a degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. -OR- Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in biological sciences, agriculture or natural resources management, or at least 24 semester hours in biological sciences, natural resources, wildland fire management, forestry, or agriculture equivalent to a major field of study, plus appropriate experience or additional education that is comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in the biological sciences, agriculture, or natural resources. Additional Experience Required: In addition to meeting the basic education requirements, you must meet specialized experience requirements. Specialized Experience Requirements: In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the specialized experience requirement(s); please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade of the position to be filled. To qualify for the GS-11 grade level, 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-09 is required. Experience must have included ALL of the fire program management elements described as: 1) developing, reviewing and evaluating fire management plans for ecological soundness or consistency with land management goals and/or potentially adverse impacts to cultural and natural resources; 2) conducting field inspections before and after prescribed or wildland fires to determine if resource objectives were achieved and/or evaluating the effectiveness of actions taken; and 3) analyzing the ecological role of fire and its use and/or exclusion, and smoke management. IN ADDITION to fire program management elements listed above, appropriate experience must have included EITHER prescribed fire/fuels management - OR - fire management operations. 1) Prescribed fire/fuels management: examples include: performing professional forest or range inventory methods and procedures, (e.g. Brown's planar intercept for dead and down fuels; live fuel loading assessments); analyzing fuel loadings and determining appropriate fuel treatment methods and programming; performing land use planning and environmental coordination; and/or evaluating prescribed burn plans or fire management plans to ensure fire containment is possible and identifying appropriate suppression contingencies if fire containment is not obtained; -OR- 2) Fire Management Operations: experience in analyzing and/or applying fire management strategies in at least five of the following activities: a) Mobilization and dispatch coordination; b) Fire prevention and education; c) Training; d) Logistics; e) Equipment development and deployment; f) Fire communication systems; g) Suppression and preparedness; h) Aviation. To qualify for the GS-12 grade level, 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-11 is required. Experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is directly related to the work of the position to be filled. Examples of work experience include but are not limited to: providing ongoing analysis of wild land fire potential and decision support; utilize wildland fire behavior programs to develop and review fire management plans; training others in fire management program use. 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. Substitution of Education for Experience: To qualify for the GS-11: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree -OR-3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree in a field of study that is directly related to this position. There is not substation of education for the GS-12 grade level. 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. Prior on-the-line firefighting: The Department of the Interior defines wildland firefighting experience as any non-structure fire that occurs in the wildland. Wildland firefighting experience is gained through work on the fire line in containment, control, suppression or use of wildland fire. Wildland fires are categorized into two distinct types: (1) Wildfires - Unplanned ignitions or prescribed fires that are declared wildfires; and (2) Prescribed Fires - Planned ignitions. This description includes only fireline 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. This experience must be documented in the online application or resume with specific to AND from dates (MM/YY), description of work performed, AND hours worked per week. You must meet all qualification and selective placement factor requirements by the closing date of the announcement. Physical Demands: Work is predominantly sedentary but does require some intermittent physical exertion such as walking long distance over rough, steep, and rocky terrain. High stress levels are common due to the pressure of responding in a timely matter to emergency demands, the analysis required for regularly produced products and interpretations in short timeframes, and the need to resolve complex problems arise. The position requires the ability to adjust to frequent interruptions and outside demands, and thus the ability to multitask. Work Environment: Work is usually performed in an office setting with some travel to the field to review operations and perform fire duties and meet with interagency fire personnel. In either situation, extended working hours during the summer fire season is routine and national rest guidelines are followed. 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). While secondary positions are not subject to the maximum entry age policy, the selectee must have prior service in a primary position (3 years of service in primary/rigorous position(s)) and meet the transfer requirement for movement from a primary to secondary position to be eligible for special retirement coverage. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure this office has enough information to determine your retirement status to ensure you do not lose benefits (normally through submission of your SF-50). YOU MUST LET US KNOW IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY IN A PRIMARY POSITION. FACT SHEET for Fire Positions: Information on Special Retirement. Education See Qualifications Section. Additional Information DOI uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.dhs.gov/e-verify. Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service. Travel and relocation expenses will not be paid by the Department of the Interior. Any travel, transportation and relocation expenses associated with reporting for duty in this position will be the responsibility of the selected employee. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. Information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility is available from OPM's Career Transition Resources website at CTAP or ICTAP. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration or that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) This vacancy is within your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility; 2) You apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) You are found well-qualified for this vacancy. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, or a copy of your separation personnel action form. CTAP and ICTAP eligibles will be considered well qualified if they exceed minimum qualifications for this position. 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 a RPL, you may be given priority consideration. Certain incentives, such as, Recruitment, Relocation, or Student Loan Repayment, may be authorized to eligible selectees. 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. For information visit: Recruitment Incentives (OPM.gov), or Relocation Incentives (OPM.gov), or Student Loan Repayment (OPM.gov) The BLM has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster. Government facilities are required to provide a smoke free environment for their employees. Smoking will be permitted only in designated areas.