Summary The position is in Gautier, MS for the Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR 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 HTiring Information: Direct Hire Fact Sheet Responsibilities As a Engineering Equipment Operator (Fire) your duties will include but are not limited to the following: Fire Operation Tasks The purpose of the position is to serve as a trained experienced primary firefighter (wildland firefighter) performing the following duties: Performs fire suppression and pre-suppression tasks. Uses a variety of gasoline or diesel-powered fire equipment with wheel or crawler traction, attachments, pumps and saws. May use specialized hand tools such as fire flaps, fire rakes, shovel, backpack pumps and cutting tools to suppress wildfire, or to maintain fire breaks and fire access roads. Operates unique/complex types of equipment, such as used in air support functions, heliport, helitorch and airport. Operates crawler tractors with fire plow attachments during fire suppression and prescribed and burning operations. Operates front end loaders, back hoes or motor graders and attachments during fire access road and firebreak construction with responsibility for proper fuel removal and grading or slopes, spreading materials and developii1g fire lanes. Such firework: may require operation close to buildings, towers, trees, drop-offs, paved surfaces, etc. Adjusts attachments for proper positioning and working order usually without stopping the power unit or the equipment, services, and fuels equipment before operations, checks and services attachments to be used. Performs daily preventative maintenance and makes repairs and adjustments to equipment and attachments. This includes but is not limited to replacing chains, and belt, cables, lubrication, oil and filter changes, battery checks, changing dozer blades, and safety inspections. Maintains equipment in a "fire ready" status. Participates in fire management using prescribed fire and or the control of wildfires on the refuge as a member of team approach. Participation will include operation of firefighting equipment, operation of multi-agency communications gear, aerial observation, and management of assigned portions of fire operations plans. Incumbent may serve as a member of a wildfire suppression or prescribed fire overhead team. Incumbent is responsible to prepare for this activity during a fire sequence. Safety of oneself, fellow workers and equipment is of the utmost importance and will take precedence over all me fighting activities. Receives training, passes courses and physical requirement of National Interagency Fire Qualifications System for all functional assignments filled. Non-Fire Operation Tasks Operates a variety of gasoline or diesel-powered engineering and construction equipment with wheeled or crawler-type traction and attachments, Work is generally performed on flat, rolling, and some irregular terrain where course to medium grades are required. Transports and hauls large and heavy equipment via truck tractor and low boy trailer where the distance exceeds 50 miles and cross state lines. Types of Equipment: Is proficient in operating the following equipment: crawler tractors with fire plow attachments; dozers (above the D-6 size) with implements; loader (front end); loader/backhoe; dump truck; straight truck (hauling small equipment); truck/tractor (hauling large equipment outside the local commuting area); farm tractors with implements; excavator; and road graders. Work Specifications: Conducts grading of slope, spreading materials, disking, chopping, mowing, rotovating, digging, loading and leveling to a medium, and/or grade for the purpose or shaping of roads and parking lots, and setting of culverts where levels are essential to accommodate rain runoff and water level functions. Maintenance and Repair: Services equipment by checking fluids, lubricating, and performing safety checks; performs regular scheduled service that includes changing fluids and filters, and replacing of components that require dismantling of the equipment such as radiators, hydraulic tanks, alternator, tracks, etc. and replaces worn items such as excavator bucket teeth Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications This key fire management position is a categorized under the Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) Standard as an Engineering Equipment Operator (Fire), Non-Sensitive: Low-Risk. 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. By the closing date of this announcement, you must meet the requirements of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Handbook X118C, Job Qualification System for Trades and Labor Occupation. http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/x-118c/ Although no specific amount of experience, education or training is required, applicants must meet a minimum level of ability in relation to the position and the Assessment Questionnaire in order to be rated qualified for consideration. To be qualified candidates must meet any screen out element(s) listed at an "acceptable" level, and must achieve an average rating of at least "acceptable" on all of the elements. Only education, training, or experience acquired before the closing date of this announcement will be considered. The maximum age is 37 (except for veterans preference eligibles). Individuals must be selected for these positions prior to their 37th birthday. Qualified preference eligibles may apply and be considered for vacancies regardless of whether they meet the maximum age requirements identified at 5 U.S.C. 3307, unless the hiring agency has determined age is essential to the duties of the job. SCREEN-OUT ELEMENT: Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element, which usually appears as question 1 in the on-line questionnaire. Those applicants who appear to possess at least the minimal acceptable qualification requirement are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated. The potential eligibles are then rated against the remainder of the Job Elements. The screen out element for this position is: Ability To Do The Work Of The Position Without More Than Normal Supervision Ability To Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc. (related to mobile equipment operation) Ability to Drive Safely (Motor Vehicles) Ability To Operate Safely (Non-Motor Vehicle) 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. Education There is no substitution of education for experience for Wage Grade (WG) positions. Additional Information A Relocation Incentive May Be Authorized for a Federal employee when the employee must move, as directed either through a management directed reassignment or selection for employment, to a different location at least 50 miles away from the one where his/her position of record held at time of selection is currently located, due to a need of the FWS. A relocation incentive is not the same as a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move and, as such, may be granted in conjunction with one another. PCS INFORMATION: Yes, entitlements for payment of basic moving expenses, as required and to the extent allowed by the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) 302-3.101, are 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. Discretionary entitlements are not authorized for this position Telework: This position is not suitable for telework. 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. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): CTAP or ICTAP applicants must be determined to be well-qualified for this position in order to receive special selection priority. To be well-qualified, a CTAP or ICTAP applicant must meet the following: OPM qualification requirements for the position, all selective factors, where applicable; special OPM approved qualifying conditions for the position; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate, to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and receives a rating of at least 85 on the questionnaire. . For more information visit: OPM's Employee Guide to Career Transition Reasonable Accommodation: The USFWS 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.