Summary This position will be located at a USDA Forest Service Unit within Region 9. Final duty station determination to be made upon selection. The Regional Aviation Officer serves as a principal assistant to the Director of Aviation and Fire Management with primary responsibility for directing the Region's aviation activities. For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Steven Miller at steven.miller@usda.gov Responsibilities Duties listed are at full performance grade GS-14 level. Participate in conferences, meetings, hearings, and/or presentations involving problems or issues of considerable consequence or importance to the program or program segment(s) managed. Prepare a program budget and recommend funding allocations to the units for forest aviation programs. Provide expert input on policy implementation, development of aviation plans and management of an Aviation and Fire Management program Perform comprehensive field evaluations of aviation operational effectiveness, overall accomplishment, method and procedure analysis, and conceptualizes program/system changes. Evaluate the efficiency of aviation operations in fire and other natural resource aviation operations. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards. Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary. Specialized Experience Requirement: For the GS-13: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GS-12 in the Federal service. Examples of Specialized Experience are: Managed a multi-sector workforce based on organizational goals, budget considerations, and staffing needs; and/or provided aviation technical advice and expertise to multi-agency coordination groups; and/or developed work improvement plans; and/or served as subject matter expert in all phases of aviation contracting. For the GS-14: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GS-13 in the Federal service. Examples of Specialized Experience are: Provided leadership, oversight and technical direction of highly complex aviation management operations (fixed and rotor wing aircraft) both inside and outside the agency; and/or prepared a program budget and recommend funding allocations to the units for forest aviation programs; and/or evaluated the efficiency of aviation operations in fire and other natural resource aviation operations; and/or performed comprehensive field evaluations of aviation operational effectiveness, overall accomplishment, method and procedure analysis, and conceptualized program/system changes; and/or provided expert interpretations of highly complex aviation management and aircraft maintenance data, clarifying requirements and regulations to assure airworthiness. Selective Placement Factor: A minimum 90 days experience performing on-the-line (Primary/Rigorous) wildland fire suppression duties as a member of an organized fire suppression crew or comparable unit that utilized knowledge of wildland fire suppression, containment or control techniques and practices under various conditions. This experience must be documented with specific dates in the online application or resume. 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. FIREFIGHTER RETIREMENT COVERAGE: This is a secondary position covered under the special retirement provisions of 5 USC 8336(c) for the Civil Service Retirement System and of 5 USC 8412(d) for the Federal Employees Retirement System. Prior wildland firefighting experience is required. There is no age limit for entry into secondary positions. Firefighter retirement coverage of the incumbent depends on his/her individual work history. TIME IN GRADE REQUIREMENT: If you are a current federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirements of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled. This requirement must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Education See QUALIFICATIONS section for education requirements. Additional Information Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100. Veterans who are preference eligible or who have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after three years or more of continuous active service are eligible for consideration under the Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA). Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) provides current or former temporary or term employees of federal land management agencies opportunity to compete for permanent competitive service positions. Individuals must have more than 24 months of service without a break between appointments of two or more years. Service must be in the competitive service and have been at a successful level of performance or better. Part-time and intermittent service will be credited only for time actually worked. Non-pay status such as leave without pay is credited for up to six months in a calendar year; anything beyond six months is not credited. Applicants are responsible for providing sufficient information/documentation to determine if the 24 month criteria is met. Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Employees: Permanent County employees without prior Federal tenure who are selected for a Civil Service position under Public Law 105-277 will be given a career-conditional appointment and must serve a 1-year probationary period. PROMOTION POTENTIAL: If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied or guaranteed. This position may be eligible to telework based upon the duties of the position. This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements. This is a non-bargaining unit position.