Program Specialist (Assistant Director Fire Support)

Summary

This position is located in a Regional Office of the Forest Service within Region 5. The position serves as and Assistant Director to the Director of Fire and Aviation Management (FAM). The incombent has the responsibility for specific programs and tasks in the Corporate Fire Program. For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Brian Grabowski at [email protected] or Deirdre Cherry at [email protected].

Duties

• Serve as the Regional Cooperative Fire Program manager leading the development of cooperative partnerships related to the management of a cooperative fire program.
• Provide overall program direction; vision, strategic planning, internal and external networking, monitoring and evaluation of the Region’s partnerships.
• Serve as an expert technical consultant in planning and development of partnerships among all levels.
• Analyze all requirements and assesses appropriate alternatives prior to the acquisition of resources via the grants and agreements process.
• Review and prepare grant applications for award in conformance with the appropriate rules, regulations and agency policies.
• Interpret complex program requirements, identifies problem areas, and provides advice to grantees on program improvements that meet their expressed needs.
• Serve as a Forest Service representative to the Regional Interagency Steering Committee for pre-disaster, disaster, and post disaster planning and exercise coordination.
• Serve as technical expert in the resolution of problems and issues related to substantive mission-oriented programs that influence the development and maintenance of relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders.
• Serve as an organizational expert on budgeting and financial management issues and activities, including historical costs.

Requirements

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National. Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt. Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check. Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may 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. 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. Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards. 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. Note on Experience: Your resume must clearly document the following for each block of work experience; the beginning day, month and year the work assignment started and ended; the hours worked per week; position title, and series and grade if applicable; and description of duties performed. This information must be provided for each permanent, temporary or seasonal appointment/work assignment or volunteer work and should be clearly documented as a separate block of time. Incomplete, inaccurate or conflicting work history may not be credited for qualifications purposes. This can result in an applicant not being considered for the position. Specialized Experience Requirement: At least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. Graduate level education alone is not qualifying at this grade level. Specialized experience at this level includes one or more of the following: Work as a fire program specialist that requires knowledge and skill in performing program analysis, fire protection planning, and evaluative assignments concerned with the administrative and operational aspects of wildland fire management and/or disaster response organizations, programs, and services. Such work should demonstrate experience in strategic planning, budget proposals and allocation, conducting analysis and evaluation of programs, grant and agreement development, property management, and improvement projects for disaster response and/or wildland fire management. TIME IN GRADE REQUIREMENT: If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. This requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement. To receive consideration for this position, you must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated based on your qualifications for this position as evidenced by the experience, education, and training you described in your application package, as well as the responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine the degree to which you possess the competencies listed below: Administration and Management Contracting/Procurement Financial Management Project Management Writing Your application, including the online Assessment Questionnaire, will be reviewed to determine if you meet (a) minimum qualification requirements and (b) the resume supports the answers provided to the job-specific questions. Your resume must clearly support your responses to all the questions addressing experience and education relevant to this position. If you meet the qualification requirements and are determined to be among the best qualified, you will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration. Noncompetitive candidates and applicants under some special hiring authorities must meet minimum qualifications to be referred. Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered to more accurately reflect the submitted documentation. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action. To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13056171 Other Information

Position(s) will be located at Forest Office within Region 5. Final determination of the duty station will be made by the selecting official at the time of the job offer. Pay rates vary depending on location, the salary shown is for the Rest of the U.S. See OPM.gov for additional information on pay rates Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Reemployment Priority List (RPL): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100. Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) provides current or former temporary and term employees the opportunity to compete for permanent competitive service positions. Individuals must have more than 24 months of service without a break between appointments of two or more years and the last temporary or term appointment must have been with the Forest Service. Service must be in the competitive service and have been at a successful level of performance or better. Part-time and intermittent service will be credited only for time actually worked. Non-pay status such as leave without pay is credited for up to six months in a calendar year; anything beyond six months is not credited. Applicants are responsible for providing sufficient information/documentation to determine if the 24 month criteria is met. This position is not eligible for telework. Veterans who are preference eligible or who have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after three years or more of continuous active service are eligible for consideration under the Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA). For more information on applying under special hiring authorities such as certain military spouses, explore the different Hiring Paths on the USAJOBS website. The Forest Service may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract highly qualified candidates. Additional Information is available on the OPM Website. This is a non-bargaining unit position. This position is not eligible for telework. This position may be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy. Government housing and federal day care facilities may be available. Availability as it relates to this be position may not be determined until time of selection. We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.