Supervisory Wildland Firefighter (Wildland Fire Operations Specialist) - Moderate Complexity

US Office of the Secretary of the Interior; Harrison (AR); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The US Office of the Secretary of the Interior in Harrison, Arkansas seeks a Supervisory Wildland Firefighter (Wildland Fire Operations Specialist) at GW-10 level with IFPM qualifications and documented wildland firefighting experience. This is a Direct-Hire authority position, with selective placement factors required for eligibility.

Applicants must document prior primary wildland firefighting experience or 14 days of fireline work, plus meet IFPM pathway requirements (TFLD/ICT3/RXB2 or HEBM

Qualifications

• Documented prior wildland firefighting experience as described in resume.
• Must meet IFPM-based qualifications for Wildland Fire Operations Specialist at MODERATE complexity.

Skills

Wildland firefighting

IFPM qualifications

Leadership

Job description

This is a Direct-Hire advertisement. Veterans preference is not applicable to this advertisement. Learn more about this authority at: Direct Hire Authority

This Supervisory Wildland Firefighter (Wildland Fire Operations Specialist) Moderate Complexity position is with the US Wildland Fire Service, GW-0456-10 working in the listed locations.

In order to be considered for any duty location, ensure desired locations are selected. Applicants will not be considered for locations not selected.

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. Prior Wildland Firefighting Experience:

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. This means I have worked directly on the fireline performing tasks such as containing, controlling, suppressing, or managing wildland fires. This experience may come from serving in a permanent, temporary, seasonal, or comparable private-sector, Tribal or other government role on an Engine Crew, Fire Effects Crew, Prescribed Fire/Fuels Crew, Hand Crew, Helitack Crew, Hotshot Crew, Smokejumpers, Wildland Fire Module, or Fire Suppression Crew, etc. This experience has been documented in my work history/experience blocks on my resume.

- 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.

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.
2. IFPM Qualification Requirement: 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 Wildland Fire Operations Specialist - MODERATE 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 in Pathway 1 or Pathway 2 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):

Pathway #1:

A.) Task Force Leader (TFLD); AND B.) Incident Commander Type 3 (ICT3), OR Prescribed Fire Burn Boss Type 2 (RXB2).

-OR-

Pathway #2:

A.) Helibase Manager (HEBM); AND B.) Incident Commander Type 3 (ICT3).

Applicants must meet all selective placement factor requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

In addition to the requirements described above, the following additional experience is required.

Only experience and education obtained by 10/02/2026 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

To qualify for the GW-10 grade level:

• If you are a current or former federal employee who served in a competitive or excepted appointment, your resume must show that you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GW-08 grade level. Examples of work experience include: on-the-line wildland fire experience leading a module in fire control, prevention or suppression work; predicting and monitoring fire behavior; and monitoring need for equipment and resources used to respond to wildland fires. Please provide an SF50 with your application package to verify that you are a current or former federal employee.
• If you have never been or are NOT a current federal employee who served in a competitive or excepted appointment, your resume must show that you have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GW-09 grade level. Examples of work experience include: on-the-line wildland fire experience supervising a module in fire control, prevention or suppression work; monitoring and analyzing fire behavior; overseeing and evaluating needs for equipment and resources used to respond to wildland fires; and assisting in the development of incident strategies and tactics.

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.

Secondary Firefighter Retirement Coverage -

Applicants for this secondary administrative fire fighter position under the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336 (c) (CSRS) and 5 U.S.C. 8412 (d), must possess knowledge of the principles, methods, and techniques of wildland firefighting as demonstrated by direct wildland firefighting experience. In order to receive credit, you must provide a written description of your experience in wildland firefighting. Education without hands-on wildland firefighting experience does not meet this requirement. Periods of wildland firefitting experience, gained through militia and rural fire departments, can also be credited. Wildland fire is defined as any non-structure fire that occurs in the wildland. Two distinct types of wildland fire have been defined and include wildfire and prescribed fires as follows: Wildfire: Unplanned ignitions or prescribed fires that are declared wildfires. Prescribed Fires: Planned ignitions. This description includes only fire line 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 firefitting experience.

Physical Demands:

Arduous exertion for protracted periods of time such as, but not limited to, extensive running, walking, climbing, kneeling, stooping, pulling hoses, jumping and twisting, prolonged standing, walking over uneven ground, and recurring bending, reaching, lifting and carrying of items weighing over 50 pounds and shared lifting and carrying of heavier items, and similar activities requiring at least average agility and dexterity.

Working Conditions:

Forest, range, and desert environments in steep terrain where surfaces may be extremely uneven, rocky, covered with thick tangled vegetation, smoky conditions, etc. Temperatures commonly exceed 100 degrees F and may fall below freezing. Risks include smoke inhalation, fire entrapment, snake or insect bites and stings, exposure to excessive machinery noise, and falling and rolling material. May be required to live in backcountry camps for extended periods of time.