Wildland Firefighter (Fuels Management) - Direct Hire Authority

US Office of the Secretary of the Interior; Barstow (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Office of the Secretary of the Interior seeks a Supervisory Wildland Firefighter to lead fire management operations in Barstow, CA and surrounding locations such as Bishop, El Portal, Lee Vining, Needles, Ridgecrest, and Yosemite National Park.

This Direct-Hire vacancy emphasizes IFPM qualifications and on-the-line firefighting experience for eligibility, including RXB2 and ICT3/TFLD/HEBM, with a focus on primary wildland firefighting and comprehensive risk management.

Qualifications

• This position requires primary wildland firefighting experience on the fire line.
• Experience with selecting and applying fire management plans is expected.
• Ability to document months, days, and hours per week of firefighting work in the resume.

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 position is with the US Wildland Fire Service, GW-0456-11 working in the following location(s):

• Barstow, California
• Bishop, California
• El Portal, California
• Lee Vining, California
• Needles, California
• Ridgecrest, California
• Yosemite National Park, California

In order to qualify for this position you must possess the Minimum Qualification requirements listed below.

Selective Placement Factor(s)

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.

Prior on-the-line firefighting

• 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.

2. IFPM Requirements

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 Prescribed Fire and Fuels Specialist - 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):

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

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

Only experience and education obtained by 10/20/2026 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-11 level

At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GW-09 level, or higher, in the Federal service, or equivalent; Examples of specialized experience include: assist with developing, reviewing and evaluating fire management plans for ecological soundness and consistency with land management goals and objectives; analyzing fuel loadings and determining appropriate fuel treatment methods; performing land use planning and environmental coordination to determine if resource objectives were achieved; assist with analyzing the ecological role of fire and its use and/or exclusion, and smoke management.

OR

At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GW-10 level, or higher, outside of the Federal service; Examples of specialized experience include: developing reviewing and evaluating fire management plans for ecological soundness and consistency with land management goals and objectives; analyzing fuel loadings and determining appropriate fuel treatment methods; performing land use planning and environmental coordination to determine if resource objectives were achieved; analyzing the ecological role of fire and its use and/or exclusion, and smoke management.

IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE: There is not an option to qualify for the 0456 series utilizing education at the GW-11 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

Work in the office is primarily sedentary. Field work does require frequent physical exertion, involving walking over rough terrain, sometimes for extended periods, and working under occasionally inclement (hot, cold, snow, wind, etc.) weather conditions.

Working Conditions

Work is performed in both an office and field setting with field work. 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 management 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.