Safety and Occupational Health Manager

One position is being filled at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho. The incumbent serves as a senior Safety and Occupational Health Manager, leading USWFS safety and occupational health programs and developing field-focused solutions to improve firefighter safety, reduce risk, and enhance wildland fire operations. Questions? Please reach out to: Tyler McCowan, tmccowan@blm.gov. Duty location will be determined at time of selection at an approved DOI location.

Major duties

Serves as a nationally recognized subject-matter expert in wildland fire safety, firefighter health, and operational risk management, directly supporting wildland fire preparedness, suppression, and incident management operations across the U.S. Wildland Fire Service (USWFS). Develops, coordinates, and administers complex safety and health programs specifically tailored to wildland fire operations, including firefighter medical standards, incident medical support systems, industrial hygiene monitoring in fire environments (e.g., smoke exposure, heat stress), and critical incident stress management following fireline fatalities, near misses, and traumatic events. Serves as the technical authority to USWFS leadership, Incident Management Teams (IMTs), and fire program managers on integrating safety and occupational health requirements into operational planning and execution, including Incident Action Plans (IAPs), fireline briefings, and risk management processes (e.g., LCES, risk assessment, and decision support tools). Identifies and analyzes emerging and systemic safety issues specific to wildland fire operations through systems such as SAFENET, Lessons Learned, and incident after-action reviews. Leads the development and implementation of wildland fire-specific safety and occupational health policies, ensuring alignment with operational fire management requirements and integration into fire program doctrine, NWCG standards, and interagency fire guidance. Conducts comprehensive evaluations of fire program activities, including incident operations, prescribed fire programs, training exercises, and aviation operations, to assess compliance with safety standards and identify operational risk gaps affecting firefighter safety and mission execution. Analyzes wildland fire accident and incident data to identify operational risk trends tied to fire suppression activities, including line construction, firing operations, aviation missions, and extended duration incidents. Designs and delivers specialized training programs focused on wildland fire safety, operational risk management, and firefighter health, ensuring alignment with NWCG training standards and incident qualification requirements.

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. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your 2 page resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume 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 amount of qualified specialized experience. 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. 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. Basic Qualification Requirements: 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. In addition to the requirements described above, the following additional experience is required: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS/GW-12 level, or higher in the Federal service, or equivalent. Examples of specialized experience include: Planning, developing, and managing occupational safety and health programs; interpreting and applying safety laws, regulations, policies, and standards; conducting inspections, hazard assessments, accident investigations, and program evaluations; analyzing safety data to identify trends, evaluate effectiveness, and implement corrective actions. Providing nationally recognized subject-matter expertise in wildland fire safety, firefighter health, and operational risk management, applying advanced knowledge of fire behavior, suppression tactics, incident command, aviation operations, and fireline safety across the U.S. Wildland Fire Service. Developing and implementing fire-specific safety and occupational health policies, standards, risk controls, training, and guidance addressing entrapment, burnover, aviation hazards, smoke exposure, heat stress, fatigue, medical support, and other operational risks. Advising leadership, Incident Management Teams, fire program managers, and interagency partners; integrating safety requirements into incident planning, risk assessments, Incident Action Plans, fireline briefings, training, and operational decisions. Strengthening organizational safety performance through stakeholder collaboration, technical direction, specialized training, interagency standards and guidance, investigations, and risk mitigation strategies that reduced operational risk and improved mission effectiveness. Volunteer Experience: 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. To receive consideration for this position, you must provide updated required documents and meet all qualification and time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.

Education

Note: There is no substitution of education for experience at the grade level(s) of this announcement. This is a secondary-administrative firefighter position under the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S. C. 8336 (c) (CSRS) and 5 U. S. C. 8412 (d) (FERS). PLEASE NOTE: Applicants may meet qualification requirements but may not be eligible for special retirement coverage. If such an applicant is selected, they will be placed in the regular retirement system. FERS TRANSITION REQUIREMENT: To be eligible for Secondary retirement coverage under CSRS, an employee must transfer directly (without a break in service exceeding 3 days) from a primary position to a secondary position. To be eligible for Secondary retirement coverage under FERS, an employee must: 1) transfer directly (without a break in service exceeding 3 days) from a primary position to a secondary position, AND 2) complete 3 years of service in a primary rigorous position including any such service during which no FERS deductions were withheld, AND 3) must be continuously employed in a secondary position(s) since moving from a primary rigorous position, except for any break in employment from a secondary position that began with involuntary separation (not for cause). It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure this office has enough information to determine your special retirement status to ensure you do not lose benefits (normally through submission of your work history or other documentation that demonstrates work history of approved retirement covered positions). You must let this office know if you are in a Primary retirement covered position.

Requirements

U.S. Citizenship required. Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt. This is a Test Designated Position. 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. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication of background investigation. Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit. Must be 18 years of age at time of close date of announcement. You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work. You will be required to operate a government motor vehicle; a valid driver's license is required. Incumbent will be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel. 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.