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Office of the Secretary of the Interior

Wildland Firefighter (Associate Chief Tribal Operations) - Direct Hire Authority

Department of the Interior · Location Negotiable After Selection

Salary
$112,824 - $146,671 per year
Pay grade
GW-13
Schedule
Full-time
Appointment
Permanent
Opened
Nov 3, 2026
Closes
Nov 17, 2026
Remote
No
Telework eligible
No
Security clearance
Other
Promotion potential
None
Announcement
WFSDHA-27-13098458-ML-A

Who may apply: Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL) · Open to the public · Native Americans

Apply on USAJOBS

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Summary

This is a Direct-Hire advertisement. Veterans preference is not applicable to this advertisement. Learn more about this authority at: Direct Hire Authority Indian Preference Applies for this vacancy. This Wildland Firefighter (Associate Chief Tribal Operations) position is with the US Wildland Fire Service, GW-0456-13 working in the following location(s): Location Negotiable After Selection, United States in the Southern Geographic Area and Northwest Geographic Area.

Duties

  • As a Wildland Firefighter (Associate Chief Tribal Operations) - Direct Hire Authority your duties will include but are not limited to the following: Integrates Tribal Nations into wildland fire programs across the Geographic Area, including suppression, fuels/cultural burning, post-fire response, prevention/trespass, planning, aviation, training, and incident business. Serves as a Geographic Area technical authority promoting equitable participation, transparent processes, and culturally respectful engagement aligned with USWFS direction and Tribal Trust responsibilities. Coordinates with Tribal governments and Federal, State, local, and interagency partners. Supports operational integration of Tribal resources, provides tools/training, conducts program reviews, and ensures administrative coordination for reimbursement and partnerships. Supervises employees supporting Tribal Operations programs within the Geographic Area.

Qualifications

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. This is an administrative position in an organization having a firefighting mission and is clearly in an established career path. Prior firefighting experience, as gained by substantial service in a primary firefighter position or equivalent experience outside the Federal government is a MANDATORY PREREQUISITE. 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. For the GW-13 level: You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GW-12 level, or higher, in the Federal service, or equivalent, which includes all of the following: Examples of specialized experience include: Working directly with Tribal governments to develop or implement wildland fire programs. Coordinating Tribal or interagency resources in wildfire suppression, prescribed fire, fuels management, or incident response. Managing wildland fire program budgets, managing cooperative agreements, cost sharing, reimbursement, or other incident business processes involving Tribal governments. Tribal Trust responsibilities, or Tribal authorities to wildland fire planning, operations, supervising employees, assigning work, evaluating performance, and managing wildland fire program priorities. 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…

Education

There is no education substitution or requirement for this position.

Job data from USAJOBS.gov. Careers.org is not affiliated with or endorsed by OPM. Retrieved Nov 4, 2026, 1:47 AM EST.