Summary These positions are located at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and Mount Rainier National Park in the Visitor and Resource Protection Division and/or Branch of Wildland Fire and Aviation. One position is available at each park. Responsibilities Performs as a helicopter specialist on a park or multi-park (zone) providing technical expertise for helicopter projects. Schedules, organizes, and carries out a wide variety of phased projects such as aerial ignition, seeding, search and rescue, wildfire, etc. Operates, maintains, inspects, and services a wide range of specialized accessory equipment needed for technical missions. During wildfires, natural disasters, search and rescues, and other emergencies, serves in the capacity of helicopter manager. Responses may occur on the park, or in support of local agreements or on an interagency basis in support of regional and national interagency mission needs. Provides pilots, crews, and dispatchers with detailed briefings on incident objectives, situations, and tactics. Determines incident needs and orders personnel, equipment and supplies through appropriate incident ordering channels. Assists the Helicopter Program Manager in the execution of the operational aspects of complex helicopter operations, utilizing different helicopter models with varying capabilities. Responsible for helicopter safety and compliance with applicable policies and procedures. Ensures adherence to all flight-following policies and procedures. Monitors and tracks flight and/or duty hours of pilots, mechanics, and fuel truck drivers to ensure that contract limitations are not exceeded. Conducts preflight and post-flight briefings with pilots and helitack crew. Assist the Helicopter Program Manager with ensuring helicopter contract specifications are followed and coordinate with COR for any discrepancies. This includes but does not limit verifying turbine engine power checks are completed and reviews of aircraft log book are completed to ensure appropriate aircraft maintenance is documented. Coordinates, and serves as a unit instructor for park and geographic area courses or workshops which instruct helitack, park, and other cooperating agency personnel in helicopter operations, wildland fire, and other related subject areas. Conducts training in the use of specialized and aircraft specific equipment and procedures. Conditions of Employment, Continued You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work. If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period. Subject to frequent extended travel up to 14 or more nights per month particularly during fire season, and you must obtain a government charge card for travel. You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority. Position with Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park is a Full-Time, Permanent position. Position with Mount Rainier National Park is a Full-Time Career Seasonal position. Selectee is guaranteed to work at least 22 Bi-Weekly pay periods and be placed into non-pay time of 4 Bi-Weekly pay periods per year, with the work schedule determined upon appointment. You will be expected to go into non pay status from December through January each year and you will be in pay status from February through November. Annual salary represents the GS annual salary for the Rest-of-US. Annual salary for Enumclaw will be under the Seattle, WA locality. For more information, please visit: General Schedule (opm.gov) Requirements Conditions of Employment U.S. Citizenship required. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males. Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program. 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. Prior to appointment, you must be determined physically fit by an authorized government physician to perform strenuous and physically demanding duties; and also pass a medical examination (which includes vision, hearing, cardiovascular, and mobility of extremities) given by an authorized government physician. You will also be required to undergo periodic medical examinations throughout employment. The Work Capacity Test (WCT-Pack Test) as a method for assessing an employee's fitness levels for fire qualifications in the positions covered by this recruitment notice. Employees required to pass a WCT-Pack Test as a "condition of employment". Arduous fitness (WCT-Pack Test) will consist of completing a three-mile hike, within 45 minutes, while carrying a 45 pound pack. You may be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record. You must also submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that disclose all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. Selectees may be expected to travel in (not pilot) a small single-engine aircraft. You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided. Qualifications All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-02/14/2024-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, your resume must state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected. Selective Factors: The applicant must have possessed all of the following National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) incident management qualifications and training requirements for this position specified in the current version of the Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations, PMS 310-1 (Redbook) to be considered eligible for this position: 1: Incident Commander Type 4 (ICT4) 2: Helicopter Manager (HMGB) - AND - Applicants must meet the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-7 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of this position. Examples of specialized experience could include (1) personally performing in Wildland Fire Helicopter Operations and at least one of the following wildland firefighting functions: Initial attack and Fireline Suppression Operations; Prescribed Fire Operations; Helitack Operations; and (2) 1 season as a Helicopter Squad boss personally leading others in any two of the following functions: initial attack and suppression hand-crew operations; prescribed fire operations; wildland fire engine crew operations; helitack fire crew operations; providing on-the-job training and conducting daily crew briefings, safety sessions, and/or other basic wildland fire training. You must include hours per week worked. -AND- This position is covered by the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336 (c) and 5 U.S.C. 8412 (d) as a Primary/Rigorous Firefighter. Applicants must be 18 years of age, but not have reached their 37th birthday by the closing date of this announcement. These positions are covered by the special enhanced annuity retirement provisions for Federal Firefighters and Law Enforcement officers and have a mandatory retirement age of 57. Two exceptions are allowed: 1) an applicant has prior Federal service in documented special retirement covered position(s) sufficient to count toward 20 years of covered service on or before the mandatory retirement age of 57; or 2) an applicant is a qualified veterans' preference eligible, in which case the MEA is waived and their corresponding retirement age may be higher than 57 after completing 20 years of service. Applicants must submit proof of their previous and/or current status in the Fire Fighter or Law Enforcement special enhanced annuity retirement system. Volunteer Experience: 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. 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). PLEASE NOTE: Applicants may meet qualification requirements but may not be eligible for special retirement coverage. If such an applicant is selected, they will be placed in the regular retirement system. Education When submitting college transcripts, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work. If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your 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. Additional Information This notice is being issued to recruit personnel to occupations for which a critical hiring need has been identified. To assist in filling these positions, OPM has granted the Department of the Interior "Direct Hire Authority". A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay. A Recruitment Incentive May Be Authorized for a newly selected employee when appointed to a permanent, temporary, or term position. A Federal employee who is transferring to the National Park Service from another component, bureau or Federal agency and who does not meet the conditions under 5 CFR §575.102 is not eligible for a recruitment incentive. A Relocation Incentive May Be Authorized for a Federal employee when the employee must move, as directed by the National Park Service (NPS) 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 NPS. 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. This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate. Physical Demands: The Assistant Helicopter Manager is typically an initial attack responder for many incidents. Duties include demands for strenuous activities in emergencies under adverse environmental conditions and over extended periods of time. Operation of some specialized fire equipment can place extended physical stress on the incumbent during fire activities. The work frequently involves long shifts and complex decision making, and extended periods of time away from home. Working Conditions: The work is performed at remote locations, airstrips, helibases, unimproved helispots, and park environments of extreme high and low temperatures, steep terrain, and uneven work surfaces. The hazardous nature of the work requires that personal protective equipment be worn (boots, hardhat, gloves, flame resistant clothing, etc.). Work may require travel by light fixed-wing or rotor-wing aircraft, and operating fire trucks (engines) under adverse conditions. Due to the mission requirements of low-level flight in mountainous terrain, firefighting, and incident support, the work involves exposure to potentially dangerous situations caused by uncontrolled wildfire and low-level, high performance flight missions. With numerous aircraft being flown in close proximity and in mountainous terrain, errors could be catastrophic and result in serious injury or death. Other hazards include, the handling of hazardous materials, carbon monoxide, dust and debris and the use of other mechanical or motorized equipment. The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are not suitable for telework. If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document that you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application. Click the following link for more information, https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Alternate_Application_Information.