Engineering Equipment Operator

Forest Service (DOA); Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 38,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

The Forest Service (DOA) is seeking a heavy equipment operator to support fire management on initial attack and fuels projects. The position is located on a fire crew within a National Forest and involves operating various heavy equipment, maintaining equipment, and driving to job sites.

Occasional travel may be required; this temporary appointment includes background checks, drug testing, and compliance with federal firefighting standards. Salary is hourly and based on location.

Qualifications

• Ability to do the work of the position without more than normal supervision.
• Operation of Motor Vehicles
• Work Practices (includes keeping things neat, clean, and in order)
• Ability to Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc. (related to mobile equipment operation)
• Ability to Drive Safely (Motor Vehicles)
• Reliability and Dependability as an Engineering Equipment Operator

Responsibilities

• Operate one or more types of heavy equipment to push, pull, pile, or load materials for fire suppression.
• Perform initial attack duties with understanding of fire behavior, fuels, weather and topography.
• May perform suppression decisions independently under supervision.
• Maintain, adjust, and perform minor repairs on equipment as needed.
• Transport heavy equipment to job sites and complete required administrative duties.

Job description

Summary

This position is located within a National Forest. The position is located on a fire crew as a crewmember within the fire management organization. This position is established on a Forest Unit to serve primarily as an operator of heavy equipment on Initial attack, fire, and fuels management activities.

Overview

• Locations: Butte, MT; Dillon, MT
• Telework eligible: No
• Remote job: No
• Relocation expenses reimbursed: No
• Salary: $33.37 – $33.37 per hour
• Pay scale & grade: WG 8
• Promotion potential: None
• Work schedule: Full-time
• Travel Required: Occasional travel – Occasional overnight travel may be required for fire suppression or fire related assignment.
• Appointment type: Temporary
• Occupations and job series: 5716 Engineering Equipment Operating
• Supervisory status: No
• Federal service type: This job is in the Competitive Service
• Represented by a union: No
• Drug test: Yes
• Security clearance: Other
• Position sensitivity and risk: Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
• Background check type: Suitability/Fitness
• Financial disclosure required: No
• Announcement number: 27-TEMPF3-R1-FS2025-8DH
• Control number: 890781400

Open to

The public: U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency: Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position. Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.

Duties

• The primary purpose of this position is the operation of a variety of heavy equipment for fire suppression activities.
• Incumbent must have an understanding of fire behavior, fuels, weather and topography to safely and effectively perform initial attack on wildland fires.
• Suppression activities may be under immediate supervision, however, incumbent may be required to conduct suppression activities independently.
• Operates one or more types of heavy equipment to push, pull, pile, or load materials such as sand, gravel, and earth.
• Clears brush, tree stumps, and rocks while constructing fire lines for suppression and prescribed fire activities.
• Adjusts the attachments for proper level, angle, or depth, according to the work to be done and the type of equipment used.
• Work is generally done on flat or rolling terrain with simple terrain problems.
• May serve in positions as qualified on wildland and prescribed fire.
• May perform a full range of duties for fire, roads, timber, silviculture, recreation, wilderness, or research activities.
• Is required to have a good degree of mechanical ability and skill to perform preventive maintenance and minor repair of equipment.
• Transports heavy equipment to job site.
• Completes all agency required administrative duties.
• May provide direction and instruction to personnel assigned to assist.
• Performs wildfire suppression support as directed within training and physical capabilities.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Direct Deposit – Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of your choosing.
• Must be 18 years of age.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify.gov.
• This is a Test 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.
• If selected, you must register with the DOT Clearinghouse as a driver at https://clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov/Register and complete a Query Consent. You must respond to the consent within 24 hours.
• Willing to live/work in remote locations (volatile/unpredictable).
• Occasional overnight travel may be required for fire suppression or fire related assignment.
• Must pass the appropriate level of the Work Capacity Test for Wildland Firefighters.
• Incumbent is subject to medical screening and must meet the Federal Wildland Firefighter Medical Standards for appropriate duty level of wildland firefighting.
• Position is required to drive vehicles that require a Class A or Class B Commercial Driver's License, based on type or kind of equipment being operated.
• Incumbent ensures appropriate permits are obtained for transporting and operating assigned equipment.

Qualifications

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 Federal Wage System Qualifications 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.

Applicants will be evaluated on their ability to perform the duties of the position rather than length of experience. Eligibility will be determined by the relevance, scope and quality of all experience and training, regardless of where or how acquired.

Applicants will be ranked and rated based on their knowledge of the job elements identified in this announcement.

• Ability to do the work of the position without more than normal supervision.
• Operation of Motor Vehicles
• Work Practices (includes keeping things neat, clean, and in order)
• Ability to Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc. (related to mobile equipment operation)
• Ability to Drive Safely (Motor Vehicles)
• Reliability and Dependability as an Engineering Equipment Operator

There is no substitution of education for this position.

Selective Placement Factors

• Position is required to drive vehicles that require a Class A or Class B Commercial Driver's License, based on type or kind of equipment being operated. Incumbent ensures appropriate permits are obtained for transporting and operating assigned equipment.
• This position is a Test Designated Position (TDP) under the Forest Service/Department of Transportation (DOT) Alcohol and Controlled Substances Testing Program.
• This is a testing designated position which requires a negative test result for illegal drug use prior to appointment and randomly thereafter.
• Incumbent is subject to medical screening and must meet the Federal Wildland Firefighter Medical Qualification Standards for moderate level wildland firefighting.

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 MODERATE level is a "condition of employment." The Moderate fitness (Field) test requires completing a two (2) mile hike within thirty (30) minutes, while carrying a twenty-five (25) pound pack.

In accordance with USDA Department Regulation 4430-792-2, this position is a Testing Designated Position (TDP) under the USDA Drug Free Workplace Program and subject to pre-employment drug testing. All applicants selected for this position will be required to submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Incumbents of this position will be required to submit to a urinalysis on an ongoing random basis, after appointment as directed.

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.

Additional information

PLEASE NOTE: This vacancy is being used to fill positions for FY2027 Temporary Employment Hiring season. The expected start date for this position will be between April 18, 2027 to June 13, 2027.

By selecting the "Location Negotiable" option during the application process, implies your willingness to be considered for any official duty location listed on this announcement and/or those duty locations not listed for this Regional announcement. 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.

This position is temporary, has a Not-to-Exceed date and will be filled for up to 6 months or as a not to exceed (NTE) 1 year, however an extension of the appointment may be possible without further competition. The appointment may also end early due to lack of work or lack of funds.

Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other groups within the Region who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in any of the geographic location(s) listed on the announcement. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.

The duty station for this position will be at one of the duty locations listed in this announcement. Please visit the Office of Personnel Management’s website for additional information on pay rates in your duty location State.

The USDA Forest Service has legislative authority to recruit and fill Permanent (Career/Career-Conditional), Temporary, and Term Appointments under the USDA Demonstration Project. Under this authority, any U.S. citizen may apply.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP eligible must meet the agency’s definition for a quality candidate as provided in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of this announcement to be considered.

If you are retired from the Federal Government and are selected for this vacancy, your retirement annuity may be offset from your pay.

This position is not eligible for telework. Availability of government housing and federal day care facilities will vary by location.

Positions filled from this announcement may be a bargaining or a non-bargaining unit position represented by either NFFE, AFGE or NAGE.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

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

• Resume that includes: Personal Information: name, address, contact information; Education ; Work Experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); other qualifications . Resume cannot exceed 2 pages.
• If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit the NACES website. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
• Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), current performance appraisal with rating of at least "Fully Successful" or equivalent, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.

Agency contact information

Phone: [phone] X2

Email: [e-mail]

Address: USDA Forest Service HRM Contact Center, Albuquerque, NM 87109, US

Fair and Transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

• Criminal history inquiries
• Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
• Financial suitability
• New employee probationary period
• Privacy Act
• Reasonable accommodation policy
• Selective Service Signature and false statements
• Social security number request