Wildland Firefighter (Aviation) (Assistant Airtanker Base Manager)-Direct Hire Authority

Aviation Base Manager

Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our most precious resource. These positions are located in Cedar City, UT, Salt Lake City, UT or Tooele, UT, and Vale, OR.

Responsibilities :

• Monitors and assesses aviation operations and base activities for compliance with established policy, guidelines, and regulations to ensure safe, efficient, and cost-effective aviation operations.
• In the absence of the air base manager, serves as a point of contact with airport management, contractor's representatives, public affairs, and various federal, state, and local entities, pertaining to aviation operations at the base.
• Participates in planning, scheduling and monitoring of all flights and resources utilizing the air base.
• Identifies and coordinates logistical needs for base support, a variety of incoming aircraft types and transient air crews.
• Oversees the mixing and loading of fire chemicals to ensure that individual aircraft weight limitations are not exceeded, and effective product is delivered.
• Coordinates with other air bases to identify needs, and to administer contract requirements.
• Ensures safe operations of aviation and ground support activities including radio and hand signal communication, aircraft movement, fueling, retardant mixing and loading, and vehicle movement on the ramp.
• Participates in daily informational briefings to aviation resources assigned to the base and providing daily risk assessments for planned and anticipated operations.
• Leads aviation firefighting personnel by directing their activities when supporting suppression actions associated with wildland fires.

Requirements :

Conditions of Employment :

Qualifications :

Specialized Experience Requirements :

To qualify for the GW-07 grade level, 1 year (12 months) of specialized experience equivalent to GS / GW-06 is required. Examples of work experience include but are not limited to :

Performing duties which provided an understanding of aviation safety and retardant aircraft limitations that ensure individual aircraft weight limitations are not exceeded and effective product is delivered to meet fire management objectives.

Assisting in aerial retardant base maintenance activities that assure base buildings, grounds, and equipment are in a safe working condition and assists with base plans that address compliance with environmental protocols.

To qualify for the GW-08 grade level, 1 year (12 months) of specialized experience equivalent to GS / GW-07 is required. Examples of work experience include, but are not limited to :

Participating in planning, scheduling and monitoring of all flights and resources utilizing an airtanker or SEAT base to include receiving and confirming all pertinent flight information for mission safety and efficiency.

Performing contract administration of multiple aviation and retardant contracts to ensure conformance to contract specifications.

Substitution of Education for Experience :

There is no substitution of education for experience at the GS-07 / 08 grade levels for this position.

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. You must have possessed all of the following National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) incident management (qualifications to be considered eligible for this position), current not required :

A. GW-08 requirement - must have Fixed Wing Parking Tender (FWPT) or Aircraft Timekeeper (ATIM).

Physical Demands :

Long irregular hours are required, much of it occurring during periods of fire operations. Frequent standing walking and long periods outside in high temperatures and direct sunlight may be required while working around multiple arriving and departing aircraft. Work in an office environment and long periods of sedentary work. Lifting and carrying heavy equipment / materials and operating a variety of hand and poser tool is required.

Work Environment :

Majority of activities are performed in an airbase environment, both inside and outdoors. Extreme variations in temperature and climactic conditions are common. Work requires use of safety equipment including hearing and eye protection and high visibility clothing. The work involves exposure to operating aircraft that result in high noise levels and exposure to turning propellers, prop wash, jet intake areas and jet blast, and flying dues and debris.

This is a secondary / administrative firefighter position under the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336(c) (CSRS) and 5 U.S.C. 8412(d) (FERS). While secondary positions are not subject to the maximum entry age policy, the selectee must have prior service in a primary position (3 years of service in primary / rigorous position(s)) and meet the transfer requirement for movement from a primary to secondary position to be eligible for special retirement coverage. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure this office has enough information to determine your retirement status to ensure you do not lose benefits (normally through submission of your SF-50). YOU MUST LET US KNOW IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY IN A PRIMARY POSITION.

FACT SHEET for Fire Positions : Information on Special Retirement.

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.

We expect to fill 3 vacancies at this time; however, additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available. This position is considered a career ladder opportunity, with a full performance level of GW-08. If selected at a lower grade level, you may be non-competitively promoted to the next grade level at the discretion of your supervisor and is contingent upon meeting regulatory and legal requirements for promotion, satisfactory performance, and the availability of higher-level work. Promotion is not guaranteed, and no promise of promotion is implied.

Males born after 12 / 31 / 59 must be registered for Selective Service. Travel and relocation expenses will not be paid by the Department of the Interior. Any travel, transportation and relocation expenses associated with reporting for duty in this position will be the responsibility of the selected employee.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) / Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) : CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. Information about CTAP / ICTAP eligibility is available from OPM's Career Transition Resources website at CTAP or ICTAP. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration or that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if :

1) This vacancy is within your CTAP / ICTAP eligibility; 2) You apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) You are found well-qualified for this vacancy. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of CTAP / ICTAP eligibility, or a copy of your separation personnel action form. CTAP and ICTAP eligibles will be considered well qualified if they meet minimum qualifications for this position.

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 a RPL, you may be given priority consideration.

Certain incentives, such as, Recruitment, Relocation, or Student Loan Repayment, may be authorized to eligible selectees. 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. For information visit : Recruitment Incentives (OPM.gov), or Relocation Incentives (OPM.gov), or Student Loan Repayment (OPM.gov)

Government facilities are required to provide a smoke free environment for their employees. Smoking will be permitted only in designated areas.