Summary

THIS IS AN OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT. This type of announcement provides the USDA Forest Service with a readily available source of applicants when vacancies occur. Eligibility and qualifications will be verified when there is a vacancy for the location and grade for which you applied. Information on specific locations where jobs are being filled and the dates applications are due for these locations can be found on the Forest Service website.

See ADDITIONAL INFORMATION section for details.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from any U.S. citizen. Direct Hire Authority will be used to fill this position. Veterans Preference and traditional rating and ranking of applicants does not apply to this vacancy.

Duties

Duties listed are at full performance grade GS-12 level.
Pilots a variety of models at low altitudes and varying speeds over unfavorable terrain such as mountains, forests, or deserts, during both day and night conditions, to transport passengers and cargo among a variety of destinations.
Serves as pilot-in-command on single engine land, light and/or multi-engine aircraft over unfavorable terrain such as mountains, forests, or deserts, during both day and night conditions.
Serve as a technical advisor to the Regional Aviation Operations Manager/ Supervisory Pilot for single and/or multi-engine fixed-wing aircraft activities (WCF and contract) used by the agency for project and fire management work.
Performs basic systems inspection on light single and/or twin-engine aircraft and/or heavy multi-engine aircraft to confirm that aircraft is ready for flight operations according to prescribed preflight checks.
As the Aviation Contracting Officers Technical Expert regarding airplane contracts and contract pilots, serves as a technical leader in a specific subject matter area, providing definitive technical guidance to contractors.
Serves as pilot-in-command for air transport of agency personnel and cargo, aerial supervision / Leadplane operations, and delivery of smokejumpers and paracargo.
Gathers information, identifies and analyzes issues, and develops recommendations to resolve complex organizational problems or develop and implement organizational policies and procedures across major agency organizations.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt.
Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify.
Must be 18 years of age.
This is a drug testing designated position. You will be subject to pre-employment and random drug testing. Appointment is based on a negative result. This announcement constitutes 30 days advance notice.
Willing to live/work in remote locations (volatile/unpredictable).
Under age 40; less than age 40 after subtracting the months of Permanent Federal Service in a primary or secondary firefighter/law enforcement position or a veteran preference eligible, older than age 40 and is requesting a waiver to the requirement.

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.

To receive consideration for these positions, you must provide updated required documents and meet all qualification requirements by the time of applicant submission date.Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements.

Basic Requirement:
Certificates and Ratings: Must possess an FAA Airplane Commercial Pilot Certificate with Instrument and Airplane Multi-Engine Land ratings OR possess a current and valid FAA Airline Transport Pilot Certificate with Instrument and Airplane Multi-Engine Land rating.

Medical Certificate: Must possess a current FAA first or second-class medical certificate. Must possess all necessary certificates and ratings and flight hours in the appropriate Category and Class (Airplane - Multi-Engine) as required.

Minimum Flight/Flying Experience:
GS-09: Applicants must possess a minimum of 1,200 total flight hours in airplanes, including 250 hours as Pilot-In-Command (PIC), 100 hours in multi-engine airplanes, 50 hours of night flight, and 50 hours of actual or simulated instrument time (with at least 5 hours actual in flight), plus 100 hours in airplanes within the preceding 12 months. All flight experience must be substantiated by complete, legible flight logs bearing the applicant's name, with entries clearly identifying aircraft type, flight conditions, PIC designation, and dates to verify compliance with these requirements.

GS-11 and GS-12: Applicants must possess a minimum of 1,500 total flight hours in airplanes, including 250 hours as Pilot-In-Command (PIC), 500 hours in multi-engine airplanes, 75 hours of night flight, and 75 hours of actual or simulated instrument time (with at least 10 hours actual in flight), plus 100 hours in airplanes within the preceding 12 months. All flight experience must be supported by complete and verifiable flight logs bearing the applicant's name, with entries clearly indicating aircraft type, flight conditions, PIC designation, and flight dates to confirm compliance with these requirements.

GS-12 only: In order to be considered for this position, you may be required to obtain and maintain a current FAA Certified Flight Instructor Certificate, as appropriate to the position held (Airplane) with Multi-Engine and Instrument Airplane Instruction ratings or the military equivalent rating.

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.

Selective Placement Factors:
Under age 40 -OR- less than age 40 after subtracting the months of Permanent Federal Service worked in a primary or secondary firefighter/law enforcement position -OR- a veteran preference eligible, older than age 40 and is requesting a waiver to the maximum age requirement.

Age Requirements: For those who do not currently occupy a permanent Federal position covered under primary fire fighter retirement, you must be under age 40; less than age 40 after subtracting the months of Permanent Federal Service in a primary or secondary firefighter/law enforcement position; or a veteran preference eligible, older than age 40 and requesting a waiver to the requirement.

FIREFIGHTER RETIREMENT COVERAGE: This is a primary/rigorous 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.

To receive consideration for this position, you must provide updated required documents and meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

These positions are located on USDA Forest Service Fire and Aviation Unit. This position is established in the Regional Aviation Group, Fire and Aviation Management. The primary purpose of this position is to provide service to the agency as a special use and point-to-point agency pilot.

For additional information about the duties and location(s) of these positions, please contact regional representative: To see the different locations within the Regional Offices | US Forest Service (usda.gov)

Region 1: Northern Region, Missoula, MT - RoShane Bak
Region 2: Rocky Mountain Region, Broomfield, CO - Clark Hammond
Region 3: Southwestern Region, Mesa, AZ or Albuquerque, NM - Ronald Estes
Region 4: Intermountain Region, Ogden, UT - Colbey Richmond
Region 5: Pacific Southwest Region, Redding or San Bernardino, CA - Matt Smith
Region 6: Pacific Northwest Region, Redmond, OR - Anthony Johnson
Region 8: Southern Region, Lawrenceville, GA or Chattanooga, TN- Keith Hackbarth

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.

The duty station for this position will be at one of the duty locations listed in this announcement. Salary range as shown is the locality pay 2025 SPECIAL RATE TABLE Number 0767. Pay rates vary by location. Please visit the Office of Personnel Management's website for additional information on pay rates.

Recruitment or Relocation Incentive may be authorized. Final determination to pay an incentive will be made by the hiring official at time of job offer.

The Forest Service may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract highly qualified candidates. Additional Information is available on the OPM Website.

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.

Positions filled from this announcement may be a bargaining or a non-bargaining unit position represented by either NFFE, AFGE or NAGE.

Forest Service daycare facilities may be available.

Government Housing may be available.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

This is a Direct-Hire Authority position, all applicants who meet the minimum qualifications, to include any selective placement factor(s), if applicable, will be referred to the selecting official. Before a certificate is issued to the selecting official, the resume is reviewed to ensure that you meet all the qualification requirements. A rating will not be used; veteran's preference does not apply due to the existence of the Direct Hire authority for this position.

Selections made under this authority will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees would be given a new appointment.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12784738

Required Documents

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, illegible fax transmissions, delays in the mail service, your system failure, etc. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration.

Resume that includes: Personal Information: name, address, contact information; Education; Work Experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); other qualifications. Resume cannot exceed 2 pages.

If requesting maximum entry age (MEA) waiver, you must submit a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. If currently on active duty you must submit a certification of expected discharge or release from active duty service under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted. For additional veteran information visit FEDSHIREVETS.

Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), current performance appraisal with rating of at least "Fully Successful" or equivalent, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.

Current and Valid FAA Airplane Commercial Pilot Certificate with Instrument and Airplane Multi-Engine Land ratings OR FAA Airline Transport Pilot Certificate with Instrument and Airplane Multi-Engine Land rating. In order to be considered for this position, you must attach a copy (front and back).

Current FAA Certified Flight Instructor Certificate in airplanes (Multi-Engine Instructor-Instrument) rating aircraft. If applicable, in order to be considered for this position.

Current and Valid FAA first- or second-class Medical Certificate. In order to be considered for this position, you must attach a copy of your current FAA first or second-class medical certificate.

Flight Log Documentation: Applicants must submit complete and verifiable flight logs that clearly substantiate all minimum flight time requirements. Logs must include the applicant's name and detailed entries showing aircraft type, flight conditions, dates, and Pilot-In-Command (PIC) designation where applicable.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

Please view Tips for Applicants - a guide to the Forest Service application process.

Read the entire announcement and all instructions before you begin. You must complete this application process and submit all required documents electronically by 11:59p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

Applying online is highly encouraged. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m. Mountain Time Zone, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, contact the Agency Contact listed below well before the closing date for an alternate method. All hardship application packages must be complete and submitted no later than noon ET on the closing date of the announcement to be entered into the system prior to its closing. Resumes must not exceed two pages.

This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. Contact the Agency Contact to request this.

To begin, in USAJOBS click "Apply" and follow the instructions to attach your resume and supporting documents, complete the assessment questionnaire, and submit your application.

NOTE: Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.

Agency contact information

HRM Contact Center

Phone

1-877-372-7248 X2

HRM_Contact_Center@usda.gov

Address

USDA Forest Service HRM Contact Center
DO NOT MAIL IN APPLICATIONS, SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT
Albuquerque, NM 87109
US

Next steps

Your application will be reviewed to verify that you meet the eligibility and qualification requirements for the position prior to issuing referral lists to the selecting official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. Log in to your USAJOBS to check your application status.

We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.

Under the Fair Chance Act, agencies are not allowed to request information about an applicant's criminal history until a conditional offer of employment has been made, except as allowed for access to classified information; assignment to national security duties or positions; acceptance or retention in the armed forces; or recruitment of a Federal law enforcement officer. An applicant may submit a complaint, or any other information related to an organization's alleged noncompliance with the Fair Chance Act. The complaint must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged noncompliance. To make a Fair Chance Act inquiry or complaint, send an email with the appropriate information to sm.fs.hrm_elr@usda.gov, subject line: Fair Chance Act.

Overview

Accepting applications

Open & closing dates

10/01/2025 to 05/29/2026

Salary

$75,697 to - $142,712 per year

Pay scale & grade

GS 9 - 12

Locations

MANY vacancies in the following locations:

SOUTHWESTERN REGION 3

Mesa, AZ

PACIFIC SOUTHWEST REGION 5

Redding, CA

PACIFIC SOUTHWEST REGION 5

San Bernardino, CA

ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION, REGION 2

Broomfield, CO

Show morefewer locations (6)

SOUTHERN REGION 8

Lawrenceville, GA

NORTHERN REGION 1

Missoula, MT

SOUTHWESTERN REGION 3

Albuquerque, NM

PACIFIC NORTHWEST REGION 6

Redmond, OR

SOUTHERN REGION 8

Chattanooga, TN

INTERMOUNTAIN REGION 4

Ogden, UT

Remote job

Telework eligible

Travel Required

50% or less - You may be expected to travel overnights on fire suppression or fire related assignments for this position.

Relocation expenses reimbursed

Appointment type

Permanent

Work schedule

Full-time

Service

Competitive

Promotion potential

Job family (Series)

2181 Aircraft Operation

Supervisory status

Security clearance

Other

Drug test

Yes

Position sensitivity and risk

Moderate Risk (MR)

Trust determination process

Credentialing
Suitability/Fitness

Financial disclosure

Bargaining unit status

Yes

Announcement number

26-FIRE-NOCR-PILOT-91112DH

Control number

846719200

US Forest Service

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