Wildland Firefighter (Aviation) (Unit Aviation Manager) - Direct Hire Authority

US Office of the Secretary of the Interior; Baker City (OR); On-site; USD 62,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

US Office of the Secretary of the Interior in Baker City, Oregon, is seeking qualified Wildland Firefighter (Aviation) professionals for GW-0456-11. Positions involve managing wildland fire aviation operations across multiple aircraft types and mission needs.

Applicants must provide detailed fire line experience in their resume, including months, days, and hours per week, to receive credit towards qualification. Direct-Hire Authority applies.

Qualifications

• Candidates must possess primary/ridg[?] wildland firefighting experience with fire line work.
• Resume must state months, days and hours per week to earn credit.
• Documented prior primary wildland firefighting experience is required.

Skills

Primary wildland firefighting

Fire line work

Hours per week documentation

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

There are four Wildland Firefighter (Aviation) (Unit Aviation Manager) positions with the US Wildland Fire Service, GW-0456-11 working in the following location(s):

• Baker City, Oregon
• Burbank, Washington
• Hines, Oregon
• Medford, Oregon
• Roseburg, Oregon
• Springfield, Oregon
• Vale, Oregon
• Wenatchee, Washington

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.

Candidates must possess Primary/Rigorous wildland firefighting experience, gained through fire line work in containment, control, suppression or use of wildland fire. You must clearly demonstrate this experience in your resume, including the months, days, and hours per week at which the work was performed to be considered.
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.

Only experience and education obtained by 10/29/2026 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 Qualifications: GW-0456-11

For the GW-11 level:

At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GW-09 level, or higher, in the Federal service, or equivalent, which includes the following: Examples of specialized experience include: - Managing wildland fire aviation operations across multiple aircraft types and mission needs.- Applying aviation safety principles and fire behavior knowledge to incident aviation decisions.- Developing and interpreting aviation plans, procedures, and policy.- Working with federal aviation regulations and coordinating airspace with aviation and military partners.- Administering aviation contracts, evaluating contractors, and integrating new aviation technologies.

OR

At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GW-10 level, or higher, outside of the Federal service, which includes the following: Examples of specialized experience include: - Managing wildland fire aviation operations across multiple aircraft types and mission needs.- Applying aviation safety principles and fire behavior knowledge to incident aviation decisions.- Developing and interpreting aviation plans, procedures, and policy.- Working with federal aviation regulations and coordinating airspace with aviation and military partners.- Administering aviation contracts, evaluating contractors, and integrating new aviation technologies.
IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE: There is not an option to qualify for the 0456 series utilizing education at this grade level.

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 firefighting 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 firefighting experience.

Physical Demands: The work is primarily sedentary, although a level of physical fitness is required which will allow for work during periods of extended stress and in the field when wildland fire situations arise. During the fire season, extended fire assignments away from the unit may be required under very stressful conditions.
Working Conditions: Although work is generally performed in an office setting. Field work involves exposure to temperature extremes, both from weather and fire conditions where falling trees and the presence of smoke and/or dust conditions create hazardous conditions. The nature of fire investigation work requires that protective clothing (boots, hard hats, etc.) be worn. The incumbent must exercise a variety of safety practices and precautions for the well-being of self and of others.