Safety and Occupational Health Specialist (Wildland Fire)

This Safety and Occupational Health Specialist (Wildland Fire) position is with Office of the Secretary of the Interior (Department of the Interior) in Phoenix, AZ. This position is a Safety and Occupational Health Specialist (Wildland Fire), GW-0018-12, working for the US Wildland Fire Service and can be filled at any DOI Federal Office Facility within the Great Basin or the Northwest Geographic Area. Location will be negotiable upon selection. US Wildland Fire Service Geographic Areas Map Key duties: • As a Safety and Occupational Health Specialist (Wildland Fire), your duties will include but are not limited to the following: Developing, organizing, and administering comprehensive occupational safety and health programs and/or projects by providing an integrated approach to safety and health for USWFS employees and other personnel. Conducting assessments of program effectiveness, analyzing trends, and developing corrective actions to mitigate risk. Providing expert technical guidance on high-risk fire activities, including fire suppression, aviation, smoke jumping, and remote fueling operations. Conducting or coordinating safety inspections, safety audits, hazard analyses, and/or risk assessments for wildland fire facilities, operations, equipment, and activities. Developing operating guidance or safety manuals for wildland fire activities Utilizing automated data systems to track and analyze accident trends, manage program records, and collaborate with internal/external regulatory partners. Qualifications: In order to qualify for this position, you must possess the Minimum Qualification requirements listed below. Selective Placement Factor(s): 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. 1.) 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. In addition to the requirements described above, the following additional experience is required. Only experience obtained by 08/24/2026 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. To qualify for the GW-12 grade level: One year of creditable specialized experience equivalent to the GW/GS-11 is required. Examples of work experience include, but are not limited to: Planning, administering, and evaluating local, regional/state, or national level safety programs or initiatives; ensuring compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and/or agency safety regulations while advising leadership on risk management strategies and hazard controls; providing technical expertise and guidance on wildland fire safety; conducting inspections, audits, risk assessments, and/or incident investigations; delivering specialized safety training to personnel; utilizing automated data systems to track and analyze accident trends and manage program records; collaborating with interagency and/or regulatory partners. 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. Resumes must show relevant experience and other information. Your resume MUST list your education and work experience including (1) the dates (mm/yy) of each employment, along with (2) the number of hours worked per week, and (3) work experience duties listed under each job entry. In addition, Civil Service employees must provide their current OPM title, series, and grade. If experience is for a career ladder position, please ensure to clearly show how long you were working in each grade level. Your resume will be used to validate your responses to the assessment tool(s). Failure to provide required information will result in loss of eligibility. No assumptions will be made about your experience and/or education. You are welcome to submit a cover letter. Secondary Firefighter Retirement Coverage - Applicants for this secondary administrative fire fighter position under the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336 (c) (CSRS) and 5 U.S.C. 8412 (d), must possess knowledge of the principles, methods, and techniques of wildland firefighting as demonstrated by direct wildland firefighting experience. In order to receive credit, you must provide a written description of your experience in wildland firefighting. Education without hands-on wildland firefighting experience does not meet this requirement. Periods of wildland firefighting experience, gained through militia and rural fire departments, can also be credited. Wildland fire is defined as any non-structure fire that occurs in the wildland. Two distinct types of wildland fire have been defined and include wildfire and prescribed fires as follows: Wildfire: Unplanned ignitions or prescribed fires that are declared wildfires. Prescribed Fires: Planned ignitions. This description includes only fire line experience on a Prescribed Fire; it does not include experience in the planning stages. Prescribed fire experience must be supplemented by fire suppression experience in order to be creditable as previous wildland firefighting experience. Physical Demands: Work is primarily sedentary; however, inspections and field evaluations require walking, standing, climbing, bending, and working in varied environments. May require wearing personal protective equipment during inspections or field activities. Working Conditions: Work is performed in office settings and in field environments that may involve exposure to noise, machinery, construction activities, hazardous materials, and environmental conditions. Adherence to safety procedures and use of PPE is required during inspections and site visits. 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. View the full announcement and apply on USAJOBS.gov.