Aviation Safety and Compliance Inspector (Rotary Wing Operations)

This Aviation Safety and Compliance Inspector (Rotary Wing Operations) position is with Office of the Secretary of the Interior (Department of the Interior) in Phoenix, AZ. This position is an Aviation Safety and Compliance Inspector (Rotary Wing Operations), GS-1801-12/13 working for the U.S. Wildland Fire Service. In order to be considered for any duty location, ensure desired locations are selected. Applicants will not be considered for locations not selected. This position is also open Government-Wide under announcement WFSMP-26-13049418-AMR-H. You must apply to each announcement separately if you wish to be considered under both recruitment methods. Key duties: • At the full performance level (GS-13), as an Aviation Safety and Compliance Inspector (Rotary Wing Operations), your duties will include but are not limited to the following: Evaluates the capabilities of private contractors to perform point-to-point, investigation, special use and precision reconnaissance flights and issues initial qualification cards for mission specific applications, of which, requires advanced pilot skills and maneuvers. Provides technical aviation assistance to the Department of Interior's Bureaus and Offices for evolving or changing programs that require aircraft support. Maintains a program of recurring visits involving personal contacts with Bureau personnel supervising operations and aviation operators providing contractual services. Evaluates qualifications of employees responsible for management and technical supervision of aircraft operations, capability of management's control of aircraft operations, government and operator working relationships, and level of user-Bureau satisfaction with services provided by WFS. Leads or conducts surveillance and inspection of DOI's fleet aircraft and contractor maintenance facilities, to ensure compliance with department regulations, contract specifications, and quality control plans. Serves as the Team Member for the aircraft rental agreement renewal process for all contractor and cooperating Federal, State, and local agency aviation operations for an assigned geographical area. Serves as the point of contact for arranging the inspection and coordinating with WFS authorized inspectors and the Forest Service. The employee will serve as Pilot in Command (PIC) on DOI rotor-wing aircraft, perform flight evaluations and surveillance of contracted rotor-wing pilots, and flight evaluations and training of DOI fleet pilots. Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level. Qualifications: All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-09/23/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your 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 full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience. In order to qualify for this position, you must possess the Minimum Qualification requirements listed below. Selective Placement Factors: This position requires special qualifications that have 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. Applicants must meet ALL of the following to qualify: Commercial Pilot Certificate with appropriate rotorcraft-helicopter ratings and instrument ratings Flight Instructor Certificate with rotorcraft-helicopter rating Valid first or second-class medical certificate - AND - For GS-12 EXPERIENCE: To qualify for the GS-12, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to work of the position to be filled. Must meet all specialized experience defined as: 1) Operational experience flying rotor-wing aircraft in natural resource missions; AND 2) Administering flight checks in for rotor-wing aircrafts. -OR- For GS-13 EXPERIENCE: To qualify for the GS-13, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service, or comparable experience not gained through Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to work of the position to be filled. Must meet all specialized experience defined as: 1) Operational experience flying rotor-wing aircraft in natural resource missions; 2) Administering flight checks in rotor-wing aircraft; AND 3) Conducting rotor-wing pilot proficiency evaluations. 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. ICTAP/CTAP Statement: Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. Well qualified means that the applicant meets the following: OPM qualification standards for the position; all selective placement factors, where applicable; special qualifying conditions that OPM has approved for the position, where applicable; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at least at the well qualified level on all competencies. Federal employees seeking CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit proof that they meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(2) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of their most recent Performance Rating, and a copy of their most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP/ICTAP eligible. If you are selected for Federal employment, you will be required to fill out a Declaration of Federal Employment, OF-306, prior to being appointed to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. Failing to answer all questions truthfully and completely or providing false statements on your application may be grounds for not hiring you, or for firing you after you begin work. Also, you may be punished by fine or imprisonment (U.S. Code, Title 18, section 1001). 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. View the full announcement and apply on USAJOBS.gov.