Director, National Fire Training Centers

About the company

This position is located within the National Office Fire and Safety, Fire and Aviation Management (FAM) organization. The incumbent serves as the as national leader and technical expert in technology transfer, the development and execution of higher level training and is responsible for ensuring that the fire training programs meet the needs of the Forest Service and other agencies. USDA Employees: Please refer to the Next Steps section.

Your tasks

• Duties listed are at full performance grade GW-14 level.
• Develops program objectives, sets performance standards, judges the study potential of innovative projects, and promotes further exploration of promising new approaches.
• Responsible for the development, design and delivery of employee development programs starting with the apprenticeship program through the advanced technical fire management programs. Analyzes and develops policy for national educational programs.
• Serves as the national authority in education and/or career development program and project planning and development, having a significant effect on USDA FS's and interagency wildland fire community education services programs.
• Conducts comprehensive evaluations of ongoing functions to ensure that the organization meets its stated goals, and identifies areas where operational efficiency can be enhanced.
• Assesses program effectiveness or the improvement of complex program and management processes and systems encompassing difficult and diverse functions or issues that affect critical aspects of the major programs.
• Provides expert advice and guidance on broad projects and programs with national impact in the field of learning and education.
• Recommends long-range program plans, goals, objectives, and milestones, which serve as the basis for substantive changes in the organization and administration of programs affecting large numbers of people.

Requirements

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. Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary. 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.

Specialized Experience Requirement: GW-13: Applicant must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GW-12 level. Examples of specialized experience may include: Provided advice and guidance to resolve, implement, or manage program or policy issues that involved limited areas of uncertainty in approach or methodology; Assisted in performing long-range planning and analysis of new substantive interagency programs where precedents are scarce or nonexistent; Assisted in overseeing, coordinating and evaluating overall educational program activities and the implementation of basic national guidelines, for the interagency wildland fire community. GW-14: Applicant must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GW-13 level. Examples of specialized experience may include: Provided advice and guidance to resolve, implement, or manage program or policy issues that involved major areas of uncertainty in approach or methodology; Oversaw, coordinated, and evaluated overall educational program activities and the implementation of basic national guidelines, for the interagency wildland fire community; Performed long-range planning and analysis of new substantive interagency programs where precedents are scarce or nonexistent.

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.

There is no substitution of education for specialized experience for this position.

Conditions of Employment: 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. Must be 18 years of age. The U.S. Government utilizes Trusted Workforce 2.0 to implement Continuous Vetting (CV) as a-whole-of government approach to personnel security. If selected for this position, you will be subject to continuous automated record checks of criminal, financial, and public record databases throughout your period of eligibility or employment, replacing traditional periodic reinvestigations. This is a drug testing designated position. You will be subject to pre-employment and random drug testing. Appointment is based on a negative result. This announcement constitutes 30 days advance notice. Secondary Coverage: Prior wildland firefighting experience is required. Willing to live/work in remote locations (volatile/unpredictable). There may be additional Conditions of Employment not listed here; however, applicants will be notified of any specific requirements at the time a tentative job offer is made. New Forest Service supervisors must successfully complete all components of the required training program before the end of their probationary period. 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.