Wildland Firefighter (Assistant Engine Captain)

U.S. Department of the Interior; Wyoming (OH); On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of the Interior is seeking a Wildland Firefighter (Assistant Engine Captain) at Fort Washakie, Wyoming. The role supports a direct-hire authority with duties including leading a crew, building firelines, and applying fire management knowledge.

Applicants must meet safety and medical requirements, pass drug testing, and may travel or work on-call. This is a probationary, federal employment opportunity.

Qualifications

• Lead a wildland firefighter crew and direct tasks.
• Understand safety, fire behavior, topography, weather, fuels.
• Possess ability to manage timekeeping, travel, and records.

Responsibilities

• Directs a small crew on building firelines, burnout, mopping up, and patrolling.
• Oversees fuels projects such as prescribed fire and mechanical treatments.
• May supervise documentation, travel, and use of government charge cards.

Skills

Leadership

Fire management

Safety awareness

Job description

Summary

This is a Direct-Hire advertisement. Veterans preference is not applicable to this advertisement. Learn more about this authority at: Direct Hire Authority This Wildland Firefighter (Assistant Engine Captain) position is with the US Wildland Fire Service, GW-0456-6/7 working in the following location(s): Fort Washakie, Wyoming

Major Duties

As a Wildland Firefighter (Assistant Engine Captain) your duties will include but are not limited to the following: Serves as a lead wildland firefighter and member of a wildland fire module or crew. Directs the work of a small crew of firefighters in building firelines, burnout, mopping up, and patrolling firelines. Applies an understanding of firefighter safety, fire behavior, topography of the area, weather, fuels, and training in fire management. Performs administrative lead duties such as: timekeeping, travel, government credit card management, maintaining records, etc. Manages fuels projects such as prescribed fire, mechanical and biological treatments, inventorying fuel beds, and piling vegetation debris. Probationary Period: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated. The probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary period, such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Education

There is not an option to qualify for the 0456 series using education at this grade level.

Requirements

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National. Suitability for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation. Direct Deposit Required. Form BIA-4432, Verification of Indian Preference for Employment (if claiming Indian Preference). 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. Selectees must pass a pre-employment medical examination and may be subject to post-employment medical examinations to determine if they are maintaining the fitness standards for this position. You must also pass the work capacity test for arduous positions. This position requires the incumbent to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of their official duties. Selectee must hold and maintain a valid state driver's license throughout their employment in this position. Individuals assigned male at birth after 12-31-59 must be registered for the Selective Service. To verify registration, visit www.sss.gov. You must be 18 years of age or older to be assigned to a hazardous position. Must meet the maximum age requirement. See qualifications section for more information. You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work. You may be required to travel overnight away from home. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes. You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.

Evaluations

Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. Headers may be slightly larger but must remain legible. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. You will be evaluated based on how your application materials reflect the minimum qualification requirements of this position. Once the job opportunity announcement closes, your resume and all supporting documents will be reviewed by HR to determine if you are minimally qualified for the position. If an applicant's resume is incomplete or does not support the requirements for minimum qualifications or specialized experience a rating of \"ineligible\" or \"not qualified\" will be applied and no consideration for employment will be granted. Due to this vacancy being filled through OPM's Direct Hire Authority, Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to positions filled under this announcement. Applications received as a result of job fairs, recruitment events, and emergency hiring mechanisms in support of this hiring initiative will also be accepted during the duration of the announcement. All minimally qualified candidates will be referred for consideration. Please note that the hiring office may conduct interviews at their discretion. Interviews may be conducted on a pass/fail basis. The competencies below provide an overview of what this position entails once encumbered: Leadership: Inspires, motivates and guides others toward goal accomplishment; coaches, mentors, and challenges subordinates; adapts leadership styles to a variety of situations; models high standards of honesty, integrity, trust, openness, and respect for the individual by applying these values to daily behaviors. Fire Management: Knowledge of the concepts, principles, and theories of fire management, including the characteristics, behavior, and ecology of fire; methodologies, strategies, and equipment used in prescribed fires; fire detection, prevention, and suppression strategies; and integration of fire with natural resource management. Technical Competence: Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.

Required Documents

You must submit a complete application package. The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 08/27/2026. Resumes must show relevant experience and other information. Your resume MUST list your education and/or work experience including (1) the dates that include month/year (mm/yy) of each employment, along with (2) the number of hours worked per week, and (3) work experience duties listed under each job entry. If experience is for a career ladder position, please ensure to clearly show how long you were working in each grade level. Your resume will be used to validate your responses to the assessment tool(s). Failure to provide required information will result in loss of eligibility. No assumptions will be made about your experience and/or education. You are welcome to submit a cover letter. Resumes must also include name and how to best contact you, including email address and phone number. Do not include the following types of information in your resume: Classified or government sensitive information Social Security Number (SSN) Photos of yourself Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc. Encrypted and digitally signed documents. In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. Visit the USAJOBS Help Center for more information on What should I include in my federal resume and/or OPM Resume Writing Tips. In addition to the online application (resume and responses to the questionnaire), you are required to submit the following supplemental documentation as applicable: IFPM Requirement: You must provide a copy of your Incident Qualification and Certification System (IQCS) Master Record or other equivalent documentation which verifies you meet the required NWCG minimum qualifications for this IFPM position. Failure to provide this documentation will result in you being rated as not qualified. CTAP/ICTAP Documentation: documentation verifying your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility - this includes a copy of the agency notice and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level and duty location. Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted. Proof of Age: As this is a covered primary fire position, your application package MUST include official government issued documentation (SF-50, driver's license, etc) indicating your date of birth. If over the maximum entry age (MEA), and you are not a Veteran, proof of prior covered service must be submitted (i.e. initial primary covered SF-50, copies of approved coverage letters based on individual claims, and any additional SF-50s showing beginning and ending dates of covered/creditable appointments if a break occurred). If over the MEA and you are a Veteran, you must supply a copy of your Defense Department Form 214 (DD-214) along with Standard Form 15 (if applicable) and any associated documentation. Failure to submit required documentation may result in loss of consideration. Form BIA 4432: Verification of Indian Preference (if claiming preference). Note, this is the only form accepted for verification. Failure to supply documentation will result in ineligibility of preference.

Other Information

Indian Preference Policy: Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Preference Act of 1934 (Title 25, USC Section 472). Verification Form BIA-4432 must be submitted with the application if claiming Indian Preference. No other documents will be accepted as proof of Indian Preference. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Department of Interior (DOI) Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) procedures apply in filling this vacancy. These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors and experience requirements for the position, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp. Reemployment Priority List (RPL): The RPL is the mechanism agencies use to give reemployment consideration to their former competitive service employees separated by a RIF or who have fully recovered from a compensable injury after more than one year. If you are currently on an RPL, you may be given priority consideration. This position is considered a career ladder opportunity, with a full performance level of GW-07. If selected at a lower grade level, you may be non-competitively promoted to the next grade level at the discretion of your supervisor and is contingent upon meeting regulatory and legal requirements for promotion, satisfactory performance, and the availability of higher-level work. Promotion is not guaranteed, and no promise of promotion is implied. PCS Information: No PCS entitlements authorized. 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. Wildland Fire Service offices in the local commuting area. Reasonable Accommodation: The USWFS 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.