Student Trainee (Wildland Firefighter) INDEFINITE

Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our greatest natural resource.
These positions are located within various offices across the Bureau of Land Management. You may click on www.blm.gov to learn more about the BLM State Offices and the advertised duty locations.Qualifications:

Selective Placement Factors: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:

• This position is a Primary Firefighter position and is subject to a maximum entry age (MEA). The MEA is the date immediately preceding your 37th birthday. Applicants must not have reached age 37 at the time of appointment, unless proof is provided for prior Federal service in another primary covered position, OR proof of land management workforce flexibility act (LMWFA) eligibility (see required documents section for more information on proof for LMWFA), OR you are a preference eligible veteran. If you meet any of the previous exemptions to MEA you must provide the required documents.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

• You must be 18 years of age or older, at the time of onboarding, to be assigned to a hazardous position.
• Be a student enrolled or accepted for enrollment and seeking a degree (diploma, certificate, etc.) in a qualifying accredited educational institution (high school, technical or vocational school, 2- or 4-year college or university, graduate or professional school) on a full- or half-time basis.
• Must maintain a cumulative GPA of a 2.5 or higher and be in good academic standing with the educational institution (PLEASE PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION TO SHOW CURRENT GPA).
• Must enter into a written agreement (Pathways Internship Participant Agreement).
• Provide an unofficial/official certified school transcript and/or proof of enrollment.
• CAREER GOALS MUST BE RELATED TO THE DUTIES OF THE POSITION BEING ADVERTISED.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENTS:
For the GS-02 grade level: You may qualify based on one of the following:

• 3 months of general work experience, which can be any work experience; OR
• Completion of a high school or GED diploma.

For GS-03 grade level: You may qualify based on one of the following:

• 6 months of general work experience, which can be any work experience; OR
• 1 year of education above the high school level, which included at least 6 semester hours in any combination of the following courses: range management; range conservation; agriculture; forestry; wildlife management; engineering; biology; mathematics; other natural or physical sciences; OR
• Combination of education and work experience described above.

You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
Firefighter Special Retirement (Primary Coverage):
This is a primary fire position under the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S.C. 8336(c) (CSRS) and 5 U.S.C. 8412(d) (FERS). The position is subject to maximum entry age (MEA) requirements.
The MEA for this position shall not exceed age 37; unless you have sufficient prior Federal civilian firefighter or you are a preference eligible veteran. If you are a preference eligible veteran, you may be eligible for this position on or after your 37th birthday. You must supply a copy of your Defense Department Form 214 (DD-214) along with Standard Form 15 (if applicable) and any associated documentation in accordance with the instructions in this vacancy announcement. Failure to provide this documentation with your application will result in loss of eligibility to receive a waiver of the maximum entry age requirement. If over the MEA and you are not a Veteran, proof of prior covered service must be submitted prior to employment. Acceptable proof consists of SF-50s showing beginning and ending dates of covered/creditable appointments and copies of approved letters based on individual claims.
Conversion Qualifications:
This is a career development, excepted service appointment under the BLM Pathways Internship Program that is expected to last more than 1 year. The BLM will require the selected applicant to complete a Participant Agreement in which the selectee must provide an anticipated date for completing all degree program requirements and show continual progression toward meeting the stated anticipated date.The agency may non-competitively convert a Career/Indefinite Intern who is a U. S. citizen to a term or permanent appointment in the competitive service, as long as the Intern meets all agency program requirements and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards for the target occupational series at the time of completing all education requirements.
**The target position will be a Wildland Fire Fighter, GS-0456 with a full performance level (FPL) up to a GS-07; however, the target position and FPL may change based on the need of the organization at that time. **To be eligible for conversion, an Intern must:

• Be a United States citizen.
• Complete at least 640 hours of work experience acquired through the Program while enrolled as a half- or full-time degree- or certificate-seeking student.
• Complete a course of academic study, within the preceding 120-day period, at a qualifying educational institution conferring a diploma, certificate or degree.
• Meet the qualification standards for the position to which she or he will be converted.
• Receive a favorable recommendation by an official of the agency or agencies in which she or he served; and
• Meet agency-specific requirements, as specified in the Participant Agreement.

Physical Demands:
Arduous: Duties involve rigorous fieldwork requiring above average physical performance, endurance and superior conditioning. Work requires prolonged standing, walking over uneven ground, and recurring bending, reaching, lifting and carrying of items weighing over 50 pounds and shared lifting and carrying of heavier items, and similar strenuous activities requiring at least average agility and dexterity.
Work Environment:
The work is primarily performed in forest and desert environments in steep terrain where surfaces may be extremely uneven, rocky, covered with thick tangled vegetation, smoky conditions, etc. Temperatures commonly exceed 100 degrees F and fall below freezing. Risks include smoke inhalation, fire entrapment, snake or insect bites and stings, exposure to excesive machinery noise, and falliing and rolling material.Employment Type: OTHER