Wildland Firefighting Manager Branch Chief Equipment Development - Direct Hire Authority

U.S. Department of the Interior; Boise (ID); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Department of the Interior, National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, ID, seeks a Branch Chief for Equipment Development to lead national equipment programs for wildland fire operations.

This includes directing engineering and safety initiatives, coordinating with federal partners, and guiding program direction from concept through deployment. You will provide technical leadership, oversee budgets and contracts, and ensure equipment designs meet national standards and safety

Qualifications

• U.S. citizenship required.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with Selective Service or qualify for exemption.
• Prior primary/rigorous wildland firefighting experience is required.
• Must successfully complete a background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Must be at least 18 years old by the announcement closing date.
• May be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime, and shift work.
• First appointment may include a 1-year probationary period.

Responsibilities

• Direct national wildland fire equipment development programs, from concept through deployment.
• Provide technical and administrative direction to staff and coordinate multiple national equipment programs.
• Exercise expert engineering, safety, and risk-management authority over equipment designs, testing, inspections, recalls, and post-deployment evaluations.
• Develop and implement national policies, standards, specifications, and guidance for equipment design, testing, procurement, and modification.
• Coordinate with interagency fire management organizations and technical committees to ensure equipment interoperability and alignment with national standards.
• Provide technical leadership for equipment development budgets, contracts, and funding priorities.
• Evaluate program effectiveness through inspections, safety analyses, and post-incident reviews to support strategic planning.

Education

No qualifying education for the 0456 series at this grade level

Job description

Summary

This position will be filled at the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), duty location Boise, ID, servicing USWFS. Incumbent serves as Branch Chief for Equipment Development providing national leadership, technical direction, and program direction for the development and safety of wildland fire equipment used in interagency fire management operations. For additional questions about this position, or duty location, please contact Dennis Strange at [e-mail].

Major Duties

Direct national wildland fire equipment development programs, including fire engines, tenders, heavy equipment, command and support vehicles, IHC vehicles, helitack equipment, and specialized fire equipment, from concept through deployment. Provide technical and administrative direction to subordinate staff and supervisors and coordinate the integration of multiple concurrent national equipment development programs. Exercise expert engineering, safety, and risk-management authority over equipment designs, specifications, testing protocols, inspections, investigations, recalls, corrective actions, and post-deployment evaluations. Direct research, development, and innovation initiatives involving vehicle design, materials, suppression systems, telematics, and mission-specific configurations, integrating validated technologies into standardized national equipment programs. Coordinate with interagency fire management organizations, Fleet and Equipment Management functions, technical committees, and working groups to ensure equipment interoperability and alignment with national standards. Develop and implement national policies, technical standards, specifications, and guidance for equipment design, testing, procurement, and modification while supporting Federal acquisition requirements. Provide technical leadership for equipment development budgets, cost estimates, funding priorities, contracts, cooperative agreements, and interagency agreements supporting equipment research, development, and production. Evaluate national equipment program effectiveness through inspection data, operational feedback, safety analyses, and post-incident reviews and use findings to support strategic planning, senior leadership decisions, and continuous improvement.

Education

IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE: There is no qualifying education for the 0456 series at this grade level.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship required. Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with Selective Service or qualify for an exemption. Prior primary/rigorous wildland firefighting experience is required. Must successfully complete a background investigation and/or fingerprint check. Federal salary payments are made by direct deposit per Public Law 104-134. Must be at least 18 years old by the announcement closing date. May be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime, and shift work. Must complete required training and obtain/maintain a government travel and/or purchase charge card. This is a drug-testing position. A negative pre-employment drug test is required, and the position is subject to random drug testing. Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license and operate a government vehicle as required. If new to the federal government, and this is your first appointment, 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. This 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 or trial 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 or trial 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.

Evaluations

Applicants will be evaluated based on how whether they meet the qualification requirements. Upon receipt of the completed application package, a review of your application will be made to ensure basic qualification requirements are met. This vacancy will be filled through a Direct Hire Authority. Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants do not apply to positions filled under this Authority. All qualified applicants, as determined by the SHRO, will be referred for consideration. While managers and supervisors are not required to conduct interviews, it is highly recommended that they do so in order to assess the competencies of each applicant. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. You may only submit one resume. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed. 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. If a determination is made that an applicant has inflated qualifications or experience on the resume, the applicant will receive no consideration for the position, as per OPM regulations.

Required Documents

• 1. Resume: Your 2-page resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, dates specified in month and year format, and the resume and must reflect total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time or part-time, hours must be included). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the of amount qualified specialized experience. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade. If you do not include hours worked per week (or just indicate full-time part-time status), you will not be given credit for that experience. 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. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade. 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.
• 2. Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) - If you are applying under CTAP and ICTAP, you MUST submit proof of eligibility under 5 CFR 330.602(a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, and a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) showing your position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible.
• 3. If a qualified veteran preference eligible as applicable: If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives. If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation. If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability. Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc. If included your application package will be marked as ineligible. Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices. Your application package will be marked as ineligible.

Other Information

This notice is being issued to recruit personnel to occupations for which a critical hiring need has been identified. To assist in filling these positions, OPM has granted the Department of the Interior "Direct Hire Authority". A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay. A Recruitment Incentive May Be Authorized for a newly selected employee when appointed to a permanent, temporary, or term position. A Federal employee who is transferring to the Department of Interior from another component, bureau or Federal agency and who does not meet the conditions under 5 CFR §575.102 is not eligible for a recruitment incentive. A Relocation Incentive May Be Authorized for a Federal employee when the employee must move, as directed by the agency either through a management directed reassignment or selection for employment, to a different location at least 50 miles away from the one where his/her position of record held at time of selection is currently located, due to a need of the agency. A relocation incentive is not the same as a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move and, as such, may be granted in conjunction with one another. This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate. Physical Demands: Work is primarily sedentary and office-based, with occasional travel to field sites, production facilities, or interagency meetings. May require wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) during equipment inspections, field tests, or site visits. Working Conditions: Work is performed primarily in an office environment with periodic exposure to field conditions at production facilities, operational sites, or inspection locations. Appropriate safety precautions and PPE are required during on-site activities.