Forestry Technician (Smokejumper Specialist)

Summary

This position is a Forestry Technician (Smokejumper Specialist), GW-0462-8 working in Boise, Idaho for the US Wildland Fire Service.

Career-Seasonal appointments are permanent positions and include the same benefits as Career appointments, but do not provide work on a year-round basis. You will work for a minimum of 6 months, and any add'l employment is dependent on the organizational needs. During periods when you are not scheduled to work, you may be placed in a non-pay status.

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Duties

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This announcement will fill four types of positions (multiple vacancies per position).

• Training Specialist: This position develops and implements a schedule and syllabus for parachute and fire training, leads a cadre of smokejumpers in various phases of smokejumper training, and evaluates the performance of individuals in such training.
• Loft Specialist: This position supervises parachute rigging, maintenance, and repairs, constructs and maintains smokejumper parachuting equipment, and trains less experienced smokejumpers in parachute loft equipment and procedures.
• Fire Operations Specialist: This position serves as an Incident Commander Type 3 or interim incident commander on complex and emerging wildfires and smokejumper rigging supervisor, providing oversight during ram air rigging and assessing parachute equipment airworthiness.
• Paracargo Specialist: This position serves as loadmaster and oversees and trains others in paracargo rigging, aircraft ramp operations, and aircraft loading.

As a Forestry Technician (Smokejumper Specialist), your duties will include but are not limited to the following:

• Parachute into rugged terrain to perform fire suppression and related duties.
• Perform as an initial attack Incident Commander on wildfires nationwide.
• Cooperate with land managers, aerial and ground firefighting resources, dispatch centers, and other Incident Command Teams.
• Repair, pack, and maintain parachutes and related equipment.
• Assist with establishing, writing, editing, and updating internal protocols and guidelines.
• Assist with work assignment planning, prioritization, and scheduling.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

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.
• Selectees must pass a pre-employment medical examination and may be subject to post-employment medical examinations to determine if they are maintaining the fitness standards for this position.
• You must also pass the work capacity test for arduous positions.
• Individuals assigned male at birth after 12-31-59 must be registered for the Selective Service. To verify registration, visit SSS.gov.
• You must be 18 years of age or older to be assigned to a hazardous position.
• Must meet the maximum age requirement. See qualifications section for more information.
• Subject to frequent extended travel up to 21 days at a time particularly during fire season, and you must obtain a government charge card for travel.
• Must meet state drivers licensing requirements. This license must be obtained and valid prior to employment.
• A condition of employment for accepting this position, you may 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 position is covered by the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336 (c) and 5 U.S.C. 8412 (d) as a Primary/Rigorous Firefighter. Applicants must be 18 years of age, but not have reached their 37th birthday by the closing date of this announcement. These positions are covered by the special enhanced annuity retirement provisions for Federal Firefighters and Law Enforcement officers and have a mandatory retirement age of 57. Two exceptions are allowed: 1) an applicant has prior Federal service in documented special retirement covered position(s) sufficient to count toward 20 years of covered service on or before the mandatory retirement age of 57; or 2) an applicant is a qualified veterans' preference eligible, in which case the MEA is waived and their corresponding retirement age may be higher than 57 after completing 20 years of service. Applicants must submit proof of their previous and/or current status in the Fire Fighter or Law Enforcement special enhanced annuity retirement system.

Qualifications

This announcement will fill four positions (multiple vacancies per position): Training Specialist, Loft Specialist, Fire Operations Specialist, and Paracargo Specialist.

In order to qualify for this position, you must possess the Minimum Qualification requirements listed below.

Selective Placement Factors (SPFs): 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.

SPF #1: Required for ALL vacancies:

• This position is a Primary Firefighter position and is subject to a maximum entry age (MEA). The MEA is the date immediately preceding your 37th birthday. Applicants must not have reached age 37 at the time of appointment, unless proof is provided of prior Federal service in another primary covered position, or you are a preference eligible veteran. If you are a preference eligible veteran, you may be eligible for this position after your 37th birthday. You must supply a copy of your Defense Department Form 214 (DD-214) along with Standard Form 15 (if applicable) and any associated documentation in accordance with the instructions in this vacancy announcement. Failure to provide this documentation with your application may result in loss of consideration. Please refer to the Required Documents section for further guidance on what documentation is required to meet this requirement. If over the MEA and you are not a veteran, proof of prior covered service must be submitted prior to employment. Acceptable proof consists of SF-50s showing beginning and ending dates of covered/creditable appointments and copies of approved letters based on individual claims.

SPF #2 : Required for ALL vacancies:

• Prior Primary Wildland Firefighting Experience: 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.

SPF #3: Required for ALL vacancies:

• Prior smokejumping experience required. This experience must be documented in the online application or resume with specific to AND from dates (MM/YY), description of work performed, AND hours worked per week.

SPF #4: Required for Loft Specialist and Fire Operations Specialist ONLY:

• FAA Certified Senior or Master Rigger: To be FAA certified as a Senior or Master Rigger, a person must complete the required number of parachute packs and complete written, oral, and practical exams administered by the designated FAA examiner(s). Documentation must be submitted at the time of application.

SPF#5: Required for Fire Operations Specialist ONLY:

• Incident Commander Type 3 (ICT3) qualified. You must provide a copy of your Incident Qualification and Certification System (IQCS) Master Record or other equivalent documentation which verifies you meet the required NWCG minimum qualifications

In addition to the requirements described above, the following additional experience is required.

Only experience and education obtained by 06/11/2026 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.

For the GW-08 level: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GW/GS-07 level, or higher, in the Federal service, or equivalent. Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to: experience in forest and rangeland fire suppression as an initial attack incident commander coordinating multiple firefighting resources, and interfacing with land managers, cooperators, and the public; experience in Smokejumper operations including parachuting into rugged terrain, parachute rigging and repair, and the use of smokejumper specific firefighting tools and equipment; experience in the development of training syllabi and schedules; experience in the repair and construction of smokejumper equipment.

-OR-

Two full years (36 semester hours) of graduate level education or a master's degree directly related to the work of a forestry technician

-OR-

An equivalent combination of experience and education.

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.

Physical Requirements:

Employment in this position is conditional upon your successful completion of the following smokejumper physical fitness performance tests:

When you report for duty, you will be given a physical condition test. The test is given in one time period with a 5-minute break between exercises. The test consists of performing the following exercises:

• 30 push-ups
• 6 pull-ups
• Run 1.5 miles in 10.47 minutes or less and backpacking a 110 pound load three miles in less than 65 minutes.

Work Capacity Test at the Arduous Level: All arduous wildland firefighters must backpack a 45 pound load for three miles in 45 minutes or less.

Physical Demands:

The incumbent must be able to work under extreme physical exertion regularly working 16 hour shifts or longer on the fireline. Work on the fireline requires considerable strenuous physical exertion.

Working Conditions: Forty-five percent of the work is performed outdoors in a wide variety of weather and terrain conditions or in a crowded airplane. Meals frequently consist of cold rations and sleeping accommodations may be a sleeping bag and a piece of plastic. The remainder of the work is accomplished in sometimes tense and stressful office environment. Incumbent risks death or serious injury during parachute jumps, cargo dropping or firefighting.

Eligibility and Qualification Requirements: Applicants must meet both eligibility and qualification requirements for the position of interest by the closing date of the Job Announcement. Specifically,

i. Area of Consideration.

ii. Time-in-grade (TIG) requirements as specified in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.

iii. Time after competitive appointment as specified in 5 CFR 330.502.

iv. Qualification requirements outlined in OPM's Qualifications Standards for General Schedule Positions.

Education

PROOF OF EDUCATION:

All applicants who are using education or a combination of education and experience to qualify must submit copies of official or unofficial transcripts which include grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, institution name, and student name. If any required coursework is not easily recognizable on transcripts, or if you believe a portion of a particular course can be credited toward meeting an educational requirement, you must also provide a memorandum on letterhead from the institution's registrar, dean, or other appropriate official stating the percentage of the course that should be considered to meet the requirement and the equivalent number of units. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; however, if you are selected for the position, you will be required to produce the original official transcripts.

PASS/FAIL COURSES:

If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.

GRADUATE EDUCATION:

One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

FOREIGN EDUCATION:

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).

Additional information

The new Special Base Rate (SBR) Salary Table for Federal wildland firefighters, General Wildland Firefighter (GW) pay plan effective March 23, 2025 was used to indicate the salary in this announcement. Salaries may vary dependent upon location selected. You can access the new pay schedule here.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Department of Interior (DOI) Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) procedures apply in filling this vacancy. These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements) for the position with a score of 85 or above on the assessment questionnaire, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application. For more information visit:

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: Yes, entitlements for payment of basic moving expenses, as required and to the extent allowed by the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) 302-3.101, are authorized for eligible applicants changing duty station when the change meets the distance tests as provided in FTR 302-1.1 and 302-2.6. All moving expenses are taxable.

If eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed.

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. Reasonable Accommodation: The USWFS provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. Please visit USAJOBS Help Center | Reasonable accommodation policy if you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process.

Probation/Trial Period Con't: The probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the goals and mission of the agency, and/or promote the efficiency of the service. 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. Under completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.