Supervisory Wildland Firefighter (Assistant Unit Fire Chief)

Office of the Secretary of the Interior; Hines (OR); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The Office of the Secretary of the Interior in Hines, Oregon seeks a Supervisory Wildland Firefighter (Assistant Unit Fire Chief) under Direct-Hire authority. The position requires meeting extensive NWCG/IFPM qualifications and full-time work in wildland fire management with federal partners.

Applicants must document prior firefighting experience, including primary wildland fire roles or on-the-ground fireline time, and complete required training within one year of hire date.

Qualifications

• Experience in wildland fire management and incident management required.
• Knowledge of NWCG qualifications and IFPM standards preferred.
• Ability to coordinate with multiple agencies and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Advise high-level management on multiple incident responses and/or directing suppression/fuels work projects.
• Coordinate wildland fire logistical needs and interface with management, cooperators, and the public.
• Review wildland fire preparedness actions and operating plans; implement policy to support programs.

Job description

Position Overview

Direct-Hire advertisement. Veterans preference is not applicable to this advertisement. Learn more about this authority at: Direct Hire Authority. This Supervisory Wildland Firefighter (Assistant Unit Fire Chief) position is with the US Wildland Fire Service, GW-0456-12 working in the following location(s): Hines, Oregon.

In order to qualify for this position you must possess the Minimum Qualification requirements listed below. To receive credit for experience, 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. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying 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 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.

1. This position has been identified as one of the key fire management positions under the Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) Standard. This position has been categorized as a Unit Fire Program Manager (UFPM) - High Complexity, and requires selectee to meet the minimum qualification standards for IFPM prior to being placed into the position. Detailed information regarding IFPM positions can be found here: Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM). To meet IFPM requirements, you must have possessed all of the following National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) incident management qualifications and training requirements to be considered eligible for this position (currency not required at time of referral, but may be required to obtain and maintain currency if selected):

1. Pathway #1 A.) Division/ Group Supervisor (DIVS); AND B.) Incident Commander Type 3 (ICT3); OR Prescribed Fire Burn Boss Type 2 (RXB2) -OR- Pathway #2 A.) Air Support Group Supervisor (ASGS); AND B.) Incident Commander Type 3 (ICT3)

To meet additional IFPM training requirements, as a "condition of employment", you must complete the following within one year of the entry on duty date: Fire Program Management (M-581).

Applicants must have documented prior primary firefighting experience, with substantial service defined as either: At least one full fire season working in a primary wildland firefighting role (e.g., Engine Crew, Fire Effects Crew, Prescribed Fire/Fuels Crew, Hand Crew, Helitack Crew, Hotshot Crew, Smokejumper, Wildland Fire Modules or Fire Suppression Crews, etc.) with a federal, state, tribal, local, or private-sector organization; -OR- At least 14-days of on-the-ground fireline experience (cumulative or consecutive). Prior primary wildland fire experience must be clearly documented in your resume.Note: an IQCS Master Record or equivalent document will not be used to determine or calculate prior primary wildland fire experience eligibility for this requirement. In addition to the requirements described above, the following additional experience is required. Only experience obtained by 09/18/2026 will be considered. Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. Please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience.

Minimum Qualification For the GW-12 level: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GW-11 level, or higher, in the Federal service, or equivalent, which includes all of the following: Examples of specialized experience include: advising high level management officials on multiple incident responses and/or directing suppression/fuels work projects; advising or coordinating wildland fire logistical needs, and/or interfacing with management, cooperators, and the public; reviewing wildland fire preparedness actions and operating plans; advising, coordinating and implementing policy to support wildland fire management programs and operations. 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.

*Applicants must meet all minimum qualification requirements for the position of interest by the closing date of the Job Announcement.