Fuels Management Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Summary
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
• Lee Vining, California
• Needles, California
• Ridgecrest, California

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Duties
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As a Wildland Firefighter (Fuels Management) - Direct Hire Authority your duties will include but are not limited to the following:

• Directs all aspects of the fuels management program including planning, implementation, coordination and evaluation.
• Develops and implements short-term fire management objectives and strategies based on the effects and behavior of prescribed fire.
• Analyzes, evaluates, and makes recommendation on all sections of the Fire Management Plan pertaining to prescribed fire and fuels treatments.
• Leads the development and coordination of cooperative agreements to facilitate multi-agency projects.
• Exercises delegated supervisory authorities and responsibilities 20% of the time.

Requirements
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Conditions of employment
Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
Suitability for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation.
Direct Deposit Required.
You will be required to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use.
This position requires the incumbent to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of their official duties. Selectee must hold and maintain a valid state driver's license throughout their employment in this position. May require additional specialized training and certification to operate specialized vehicles and equipment.
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.
Individuals assigned male at birth after 12-31-59 must be registered for the Selective Service. To verify registration, visit SSS.gov.
You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
You may be required to travel overnight away from home occasionally. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
Qualifications
In order to qualify for this position you must possess the Minimum Qualification requirements listed below.
Selective Placement Factor(s): This position requires a special qualification that has been determined to be essential to perform the duties and will be used as a screen out element. Those who do not provide evidence they possess the following selective factor(s) will be rated not qualified.
1. Prior on-the-line firefighting: 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.
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 09/01/2026 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.
Education
IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE: There is not an option to qualify for the 0456 series utilizing education at the GW-11 grade level.
See Qualifications Section.
Additional information
Additional Vacancies: One or more positions may be filled from applications received under this announcement in the advertised office or other U.S. Wildland Fire Service offices in the local commuting area.
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.
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. Information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility is available from OPM's Career Transition Resources website at CTAP or ICTAP. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration or that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) This vacancy is within your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility; 2) You apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) You are found well-qualified for this vacancy. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, or a copy of your separation personnel action form. CTAP and ICTAP eligibles will be considered well qualified if they meet minimum qualifications for this position.
Reemployment Priority List (RPL): The RPL is the mechanism agencies use to give reemployment consideration to their former competitive service employees separated by a RIF or who have fully recovered from a compensable injury after more than one year. If you are currently on an RPL, you may be given priority consideration.
PCS INFORMATION:
-No PCS entitlements authorized
A Recruitment Incentive May Be Authorized depending on location for a newly selected employee when appointed to a permanent, temporary, or term position. A Federal employee who is transferring to the U.S. Wildland Fire Service (USWFS) 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 depending on location for a Federal employee when the employee must move, as directed by the U.S. Wildland Fire Service (USWFS) 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 USWFS. 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.
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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Benefits
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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Probation Period Con't: The 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 empl