Supervisory Electronics Technician (Wildland Fire)

One position at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, ID. The incumbent of this position serves as an interagency focal point for RAWS in connection with training, quality assurance, technical evaluation, and system improvement activities, and ensures work is performed safely, efficiently, and in accordance with DOI and USWFS policy, interagency standards, and mission requirements. For questions, contact Justin Dopp at jdopp@blm.gov.

Major duties

Provides senior technical direction and performs or oversees difficult troubleshooting, fault isolation, teardown, repair, calibration, modification, testing, inspection, startup, certification, return-to-service, and operational evaluation of RAWS, telemetry devices, sensors, data communication equipment, radio frequency components, satellite-related equipment, power systems, local and direct readout ground station components, digital and analog circuitry, meteorological systems and subsystems, and associated electro-mechanical assemblies. Analyzes malfunctions, degraded performance, recurring failures, and unusual system behavior to determine probable cause and appropriate corrective action. Recognizes and resolves complex technical discrepancies and provides solution options to the manager. Applies advanced practical electronics knowledge to resolve difficult problems not fully addressed by existing instructions, standard maintenance procedures, or manufacturer guidance, and adapts methods, troubleshooting approaches, and work processes to address modified equipment, changing technology, remote operating conditions, unusual failure patterns, prototype systems, and new mission requirements. Performs or directs applied testing, operational evaluation, configuration assessment, and method improvement activities involving newly designed, modified, or upgraded meteorological systems, subsystems, equipment, parts, procedures, and support methods to determine functionality, reliability, operational effectiveness, and compliance with established standards and mission requirements. Provides technical expertise to the assigned organizational unit and the interagency RAWS user community in resolving complex systems malfunctions, support problems, and system improvement issues. Directs, coordinates, and oversees quality control, certification, maintenance documentation, repair histories, production or support records, labor utilization, equipment accountability, and related reporting associated with the electronics function. Ensures employees maintain required technical proficiency, operational knowledge, and safety awareness needed to perform depot, field, and travel-related electronics work. Provides or oversees formal and informal technical instruction, cross-training, refresher training, and on-the-job training related to maintenance procedures, testing methods, installation practices, troubleshooting techniques, certification requirements, quality standards, safety practices, and support procedures. Serves as lead instructor for RS/FWSU personnel training and annual maintenance and instructional classes which provide pertinent information to interagency partners and associated personnel.

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. Basic Qualification Requirements: For the GS-12 level: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level, or higher in the Federal service, or equivalent. Examples of specialized experience include:

• Troubleshooting, repairing, calibrating, testing, inspecting, and certifying complex electronic, meteorological, telemetry, communications, satellite-related, power, and electro-mechanical systems.
• Analyzing equipment malfunctions, degraded performance, and recurring failures to identify causes and implement corrective actions involving interdependent hardware, software, firmware, sensors, circuitry, and communications components.
• Applying advanced practical electronics knowledge to resolve difficult technical problems, adapt troubleshooting methods, and evaluate modified or upgraded equipment when established procedures did not fully address operating conditions.
• Conducting operational testing and technical evaluations to determine system functionality, reliability, compliance with established standards, and readiness for service.
• Providing technical assistance, maintained maintenance and certification documentation, and coordinated with technical personnel, vendors, interagency partners, and system users to resolve equipment and operational support issues.

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 requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

Please note - there is no qualifying education for this series.

Requirements

U.S. Citizenship required. Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable 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. 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. Incumbent will be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority. 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.