Federal

Wildland Firefighter (Air Tactical Group Supervisor)

Forest Service ยท Department of Agriculture
๐Ÿ“ Salt Lake City, Utah GW-10/11 $78,166 - $108,738/yr
Posted: May 19, 2026 Deadline: May 28, 2026 (Closes in 9 days)

About This Position

This position is located in a USDA Forest Service Unit Southwestern Region

3.

This position serves as an Air Tactical Group Supervisor (ATGS) Coordinator for Air Attack platforms covering most interagency lands in and adjacent to the unit, and to assist the Regional Aviation Group in providing guidance and direction for all ATGS operations. For additional information about the duties of this position, please contact Russ Marchion at [email protected]

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. Specialized Experience Requirement: For the GW-10: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GW-09 in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience may include: Assisted in implementing helicopter service contracts and enforcing contract provisions; Assisted in aviation program and plan implementation and development; and Directed initial and extended attack suppression actions such as determining incident needs, and dispatch/deployment of personnel and equipment.

For the GW-11: You must have one year specialized experience equivalent to the GW-10 in the Federal service. Examples of specialized experience may include: Assisted in developing helicopter service contracts and enforcing contract provisions; Assisted in directing and coordinating aviation and helicopter rappel operations in support of fire suppression activities; and Assessed various fire management factors such as aviation, fuels, suppression capability, resistance to control, ignition probability, predicted rate of spread, and flame height and weather. Selective Placement Factors: Must be a Qualified Air Tactical Group Supervisor (ATGS).

Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) and Forest Service - Fire Program Management (FS-FPM) qualifications must be met by the time of selection. Most recent IQCS master record and/or signed Agency Certified task book must be attached to your application. If you are selected, you may be required to submit an updated IQCS master record or signed Agency Certified task book as proof of attainment of IFPM requirements prior to a final verbal offer.

In order to be considered for this position, copies of your Incident Qualification and Certification System (IQCS) Master Record (or equivalent training documents) which contain documented proof of the certification or attainment of the IFPM Selective Placement Factor for this position MUST be attached to your application. Red cards are not acceptable documentation. Currency Requirement: Required to maintain currency once hired into the position.

Currency of NWCG qualifications is not required for selection. If not currently qualified, the applicant must provide documented evidence that they have been fully qualified in the past, and are able to regain currency within one year of being hired. Failure to provide this documentation will result in disqualification.

This position has been identified under the Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) or Forest Service Fire Program Management (FS-FPM) and is subject to selective placement factor requirements contained in the Interagency Fire Program Management (IFPM) Standard and Guide when filling this vacancy. IFPM or FS-FPM selective placement factors are made up of a primary and secondary National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) core Incident Management Qualifications and Required Training. The applicant must possess these qualifications at the applicable complexity level to be considered eligible for this position.

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 firefighter position under 5 USC 8336 (CSRS) and 8412(d) (FERS). Prior wildland firefighting experience is required. There is no age limit for entry into secondary positions. Firefighter retirement coverage of the incumbent depends upon his or her individual work history. To receive consideration for this position, you must provide updated required documents and meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Major Duties

Duties listed are at the full performance grade GW-11 level.

Applies technical methods and procedures related to aviation operations and to managing agency programs.

Coordinates, schedules, and assists in the inspection of aviation activities.

Identifies ATGS trainees, training needs, and either mentors trainees or assigns mentors to trainees.

Acts as main evaluator or final evaluator ATGS (E) or (FE) for regional/interagency ATGSs and ATGS candidates.

Assists with the development and maintenance of interagency projects, such as the Forest Service Manual, FS Handbook, NWCG Standards for Single Engine Air Tanker Operations, and other NWCG Standards.

Functions as an ATGS. Directs air tactical operations, provides aerial supervision and establishes priorities for initial attack, extended attack, and other aviation duties as required.

Education

There is no substitution of education for this position.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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/12958260

Additional Information

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 - Tiffany Counts at [email protected] Region 2: Rocky Mountain Region - Timothy Griffin at [email protected] Region 3: Southwestern Region - Tobe Haught at [email protected] Region 4: Intermountain Region - Celeste Hancock at [email protected] Region 5: Pacific Southwest Region - Brian Grabowski - [email protected] Region 6: Pacific Northwest Region - Jason Heinz at [email protected] Region 8: Southern Region - Russ Marchion at [email protected] Region 9: Eastern Region - Brian Hicks at [email protected] Region 10: Alaska Region - Jason Heinz at [email protected] Job Corps Center: All Region- Dirk Huber at [email protected] 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. These are permanent positions with varying tours of duty and may include weekend work. Some positions may have irregular and protracted hours of work.

Tours of duty include full-time or less than full time (guaranteed minimum 13 pay periods full-time employment). Government housing and federal day care facilities may be available. 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 Rest of U.S. (RUS). 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. Selectee will be responsible for tax obligations related to payments for moving expenses - 2017 Tax Cuts and Job Act, Public Law 115-97. Questions should be directed to the Travel Help Desk, 877-372-7248, Option 1, or email [email protected] 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.

How to Apply

Please view Tips for Applicants - a guide to the Forest Service application process. Please 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 (7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.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, click "Apply" and follow the instructions to complete the Assessment Questionnaire and attach your resume and all required documents.

Please verify that documents you are uploading from USAJOBs transfer into the Agency's staffing system as there is a limitation to the number of documents that can be transferred. However, once in the Agency's staffing system, you will have the opportunity to upload additional documents. Uploaded documents must be less than 5MB and in one of the following document formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, PDF, TXT or Word (DOC or DOCX).

Do not upload Adobe Portfolio documents because they are not viewable. Encrypted documents will not be accepted. Failure to submit required, legible documents may result in loss of consideration. Please ensure your resume does not exceed two pages.

Applicants who submit a resume that exceeds two pages will be removed from consideration. Our office cannot be responsible for incompatible software, your system failure, etc.

Required Documents

The following documents are required for your applicant package to be complete. 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. Incident Qualification and Certification System (IQCS) Master Record (or equivalent training documents) which contain documented proof of the certification or attainment of the IFPM Selective Placement Factor.

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. 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the salary for the Wildland Firefighter (Air Tactical Group Supervisor) position at Forest Service?
The salary range for this position is $78,166 - $108,738/yr. This is a GW-10/11 position on the General Schedule pay scale. Actual pay may vary based on locality adjustments.
Where is the Wildland Firefighter (Air Tactical Group Supervisor) job located?
This position is located in Salt Lake City, Utah. This is an on-site position.
What qualifications do I need?
There is no substitution of education for this position.
How do I apply for this position?
Apply through USAJobs.gov by clicking the 'Apply on USAJobs' button. You'll need a USAJobs account, a federal-style resume, and supporting documents. The deadline is May 28, 2026.
Is a security clearance required?
No security clearance is required for this position.
What benefits do federal employees receive?
Federal employees receive comprehensive benefits including health insurance (FEHB), retirement through FERS, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) with government matching, paid annual and sick leave, paid parental leave, life insurance, and student loan repayment programs.