Summary This position will be filled under the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority and is open to all United States citizens and U.S. nationals. Veteran's preference and traditional rating and ranking of applications do not apply. All qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring manager for consideration for this position. To learn more about Direct-Hire authority, go to: OPM.GOV Hiring Information: Direct Hire Fact Sheet
Learn more about this agency Duties Help
Salary range for each location: - Spokane, WA, Colville WA and Cheney, WA-$67,970-$88,357
- Prineville OR and Wenatchee WA: $67,617-$87,899
All of the positions have an organizational title of Supervisory Wildland Firefighter (Engine Captain).
Major Duties: - Exercises supervisory authority to regularly assigned firefighters within a fire module or crew.
- Supervises and directs fuel management projects that include prescribed fire and mechanical and biological treatments.
- For more complex fires, direct assigned suppression operations and recommend and implement tactical strategy on attacking, controlling, or mopping up fires, building or patrolling fire lines, cleaning up burned areas within fire lines, suppressing spot fires, felling snags or trees, and cutting brush.
- Adjusts actions based on changing information and evolving situational awareness.
- Recommends and implements tactical strategies in the field.
- Operates, moves, inspects, and performs preventative maintenance on vehicles and equipment to include crew carriers, fire engines, command vehicles, pickups, and other specialized equipment.
- Uses judgment to safely operate, maneuver, and set up vehicles and equipment in a variety of environments including urban, grassland, and mountainous terrain.
- Ensures adherence to vehicle safety procedures when transporting personnel, fuel, and equipment, considering bridge and road limits, equipment weight and length, and weather effects.
Requirements Help
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.
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.
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.
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.
You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
The maximum age is 37 (except for veterans preference eligibles). Individuals must be selected for these positions prior to their 37th birthday. Qualified preference eligibles may apply and be considered for vacancies regardless of whether they meet the maximum age requirements identified at 5 U.S.C. 3307, unless the hiring agency has determined age is essential to the duties of the job.
You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the U.S. Wildland Fire Service fire uniform standards. and - You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
You may be expected to travel overnights on fire suppression or fire related assignments for this position as needed.
Qualifications This key fire management position is a categorized under the Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) Standard as a Supervisory Fire Engine Operator. Minimum IFPM qualification standards must be met prior to being placed into the position. Detailed information regarding IFPM positions can be found at
Prior experience in wild land firefighting is required in order to carry out the duties of this position. You will not be considered for this position if you do not have prior wild land firefighting experience.
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.
Selective Placement factor: Position has minimum NWCG Red Card qualifications including:
- ENGB (Engine Boss, Single Resource) and
- ICT5 (Incident Commander Type 5) and
- S-211 Portable Pumps and Water Use
This position also carries fitness standards and ability to pass work capacity test at the arduous level.
Only experience and education obtained by 08/21/2026 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 GW-0456-08
For the GW-08 level: Specialized Experience: at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-07, in the Federal service. Specialized experience must have included work in or directly related to forest or range fire control, prevention or suppression. For this position, examples of
such work is: 1), Leading wildland fire activities (such as planning and/or implementing prescribed fire or managing wildfires) to
ensure resource objectives can be met from a fire management standpoint. 2), Developing and/or implementing initial attack incident
management strategies and tactics to meet the stated resource objectives. 3), Implementing mitigation measures during wildland fire
activities to protect sensitive habitats, endangered species, sensitive plants, or cultural values.
*Applicants must meet all minimum qualification requirements for the position of interest by the closing date of the Job Announcement.
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 Demands: Arduous exertion for protracted periods of time such as, but not limited to, extensive running,
walking, climbing, kneeling, stooping, pulling hoses, jumping and twisting, prolonged standing,
walking over uneven ground, and recurring bending, reaching, lifting and carrying of items
weighing over 50 pounds and shared lifting and carrying of heavier items, and similar activities
requiring at least average agility and dexterity.
Work Environment: Forest, range, and desert environments in steep terrain where surfaces may be extremely uneven,
rocky, covered with thick tangled vegetation, smoky conditions, etc.
Temperatures commonly exceed 100 degrees F and may fall below freezing. Risks include smoke
inhalation, fire entrapment, snake or insect bites and stings, exposure to excessive machinery noise,
and falling and rolling material. Employee must adjust and cope with exposure to weather
elements, dust and smoke, poor bivouac and eating situations under an unpredictable set of
circumstances. Firefighters may be required to live in backcountry camps for extended periods of
time. The hazardous nature of the work requires that personal protective equipment be worn (e.g.,
boots, hard hat, gloves, flame resistant clothing). Work may require travel by fixed-wing or rotorwing
aircraft.
Probation/Trial Period Con't: The [probationary or trial] 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 -OR- trial period] your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Additional information 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 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:
Reasonable Accommodation: The USFWS 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.
To register or verify your registration go to the Selective Service System at
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.
Telework: This position is not suitable for telework.
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.
Supervisory Probationary Period: If you have not previously completed a supervisory probationary period, you will be required to serve a one-year supervisory/managerial probationary period for this position.
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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