Supervisory Wildland Firefighter (Assistant Veteran Crew Superintendent) - Direct Hire Authority

Office of the Secretary of the Interior • Billings, MT

16h • Onsite

About The Position

This is a Supervisory Wildland Firefighter (Assistant Veteran Crew Superintendent) position with the US Wildland Fire Service, at the GW-0456-8 level. Duty locations are Billings, Montana; Las Vegas, Nevada; Medford, Oregon; and Worland, Wyoming. Applicants must select their desired duty locations.

The role performs administrative program management, including planning, budget execution, and stewardship of facilities, equipment, vehicles, and accountable property. It applies experienced knowledge of firefighting safety, fire behavior, local topography, weather, fuels, and fire-management training. The position supervises, mentors, and instructs employees on crewmember duties; plans and directs the use of fireline resources; directs assigned suppression operations; and recommends and implements tactical strategies for suppressing fires.

This is a primary/rigorous firefighter position with arduous physical demands and work in forest, range, and desert environments. The work may involve steep, uneven, rocky, or densely vegetated terrain; smoke and extreme temperatures; backcountry camps; and risks including smoke inhalation, fire entrapment, bites and stings, machinery noise, and falling or rolling material. Personal protective equipment is required, and travel by fixed-wing or rotor-wing aircraft may be required. The position is suitable for telework only in an emergency or natural disaster.

Requirements

• Be a U.S. Citizen or National and meet suitability requirements for Federal employment, including a background investigation.
• Submit to pre-employment drug testing and receive a negative result; the position is also subject to random testing for illegal drug use.
• Pass a pre-employment medical examination and the work capacity test for arduous positions; post-employment medical examinations may also be required.
• Operate a government or private motor vehicle as part of official duties and maintain a valid state driver's license.
• Wear the official U.S. Wildland Fire Service uniform.
• Meet the applicable one-year probationary or two-year trial period; selectees who have not completed a supervisory probationary period must serve a one-year supervisory/managerial probationary period.
• Be at least 18 years old for assignment to a hazardous position and meet the primary firefighter maximum entry-age requirements, subject to stated exceptions for qualifying prior covered Federal service or eligible veterans.
• Possess NWCG Crew Boss Single Resource (CRWB) and Firing Boss, Single Resource (FIRB) qualifications; currency is not required.
• Have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GW-07 level or higher in Federal service, or equivalent. Qualifying experience includes wildland fire suppression on a hand crew, engine module, helitack crew, fuels crew, wildland fire module, or similar component; mentoring and leading small groups of lower-graded crewmembers; and analyzing and predicting fire behavior at incidents.
• Meet all minimum qualifications by the announcement closing date; only experience and education obtained by 11/13/2026 will be considered.
• Provide resume details showing full-time or part-time status and hours worked per week for experience to be credited.
• Submit proof of prior or current status in the Federal firefighter or law-enforcement special enhanced annuity retirement system, if applicable.
• Obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
• Register for Selective Service if assigned male at birth after 12/31/1959.
• Not have a misdemeanor or felony domestic-violence conviction unless it was expunged, set aside, or pardoned.
• Be available for possible on-call work, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime, shift work, and overnight travel away from home.

Nice To Haves

• Qualifying veterans' preference eligibility may provide an exception to the maximum entry-age requirement.
• Eligible and qualified applicants may be considered for a recruitment or relocation incentive; incentives are discretionary and not guaranteed.
• Eligible applicants changing duty station to Medford, Oregon, or Billings, Montana, may receive authorized basic moving-expense entitlements, subject to Federal Travel Regulation requirements.

Responsibilities

• Perform administrative program management, including planning and budget execution.
• Manage and steward facilities, equipment, vehicles, and accountable property.
• Apply knowledge of firefighting safety, fire behavior, area topography, weather, fuels, and fire-management training.
• Supervise, mentor, and instruct employees on crewmember duties.
• Plan and direct the utilization of fireline resources.
• Direct assigned suppression operations.
• Recommend and implement tactical strategies for suppressing fires.

Benefits

• Comprehensive Federal employee benefits package for eligible employees and their families.
• Possible recruitment or relocation incentive for eligible and qualified applicants, determined case by case.
• Authorized basic moving expenses for eligible applicants changing duty station to Medford, Oregon, or Billings, Montana, subject to applicable requirements.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed