Telecommunications Specialist (Wildland Fire)

Summary

This is a Direct-Hire advertisement. Veterans preference is not applicable to this advertisement. Learn more about this authority at: Direct Hire Authority This position is located with the Office of the Secretary of Interior, US Wildland Fire Service in Grand Junction, Colorado; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Las Cruces, New Mexico. In order to be considered for any duty location, ensure desired locations are selected. Applicants will not be considered for locations not selected.

Duties

As a Telecommunications Specialist (Wildland Fire) your duties will include but are not limited to the following: Analyzes electronic systems for the State and Field Offices to determine the most effective and economical equipment and services to meet established standards. Provides support for hooking up remote radio control terminals, dispatch consoles, (PC's) local area networks (LANs), and peripheral-sharing devices. Troubleshoots hardware and software problems for users. Resolves complex telecommunications and data collections problems. Manages the programming and installation of radio communications software. Monitors and makes configuration changes to statewide voice and data communications systems. Probationary Period As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated. The probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider: - your performance and conduct; - the needs and interests of the agency; - whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and - whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary period, such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

In order to qualify for this position you must possess the Minimum Qualification requirements listed below. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected. Only experience and education obtained by 11/09/2026 will be considered. Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. Please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience. Specialized Experience Requirements: In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the specialized experience requirement(s); please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade of the position to be filled. To qualify for the GS-11 grade level, 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-09 is required. Examples of work experience include, but are not limited to: Evaluating, analyzing, developing, managing, or improving communications systems, procedures, and requirements that demonstrated experience in programming, repairing and installing digital hand held radios, mobile radios, VHF repeaters, dispatch consoles; experience in grounding telecommunications systems; experience with repairing, installing, testing LANs, WANs, and routing networks and phone cabling; and experience with standardized equipment, services, and processes that will be used to obtain services from contractors. Substitution of Education for Experience: Must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree with a major field of study in the following -- electrical or electronic engineering, mathematics, physics, public utilities, statistics, computer science, telecommunications management, information systems management, business administration, industrial management, or other fields related to this position OR an equivalent combination of specialized experience and education. Physical Demands: Work is primarily sedentary and performed in an office setting. The position includes periodic field work at dispatch facilities, telecommunications sites, and remote radio/repeater installations. Field activities may require extended walking or hiking over rough or uneven terrain; climbing slopes, stairs, or fixed ladders; bending, kneeling, and working in confined or awkward positions; and lifting, carrying, or moving moderately heavy equipment, tools, test sets, and materials associated with telecommunications work. Work Environment: Work is normally performed in an office environment. Periodic travel to field locations may involve extended driving over unimproved or rough roads and, as conditions require, other modes of transportation (e.g., rotary-wing or fixed-wing aircraft). Field work may occur in adverse weather (e.g., rain, sleet, snow, heat, wind) and at facilities with installed or operating telecommunications equipment. The incumbent may be exposed to hazards such as radio frequency energy, electrical hazards, slips/trips/falls on uneven surfaces, and work in proximity to antenna/tower infrastructure. The incumbent complies with applicable safety requirements and uses required personal protective equipment and precautions (e.g., RF exposure controls, electrical safety, fall protection, and site access procedures).

Education

PROOF OF EDUCATION: All applicants who are using education or a combination of education and experience to qualify must submit copies of official or unofficial transcripts which include grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, institution name, and student name. If any required coursework is not easily recognizable on transcripts, or if you believe a portion of a particular course can be credited toward meeting an educational requirement, you must also provide a memorandum on letterhead from the institution's registrar, dean, or other appropriate official stating the percentage of the course that should be considered to meet the requirement and the equivalent number of units. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable; however, if you are selected for the position, you will be required to produce the original official transcripts. PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society. GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study. FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).

Requirements

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National. Suitability for Federal employment, as determined by background investigation. Direct Deposit Required. You will be required to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use. This position requires the incumbent to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of their official duties. Selectee must hold and maintain a valid state driver's license throughout their employment in this position. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated. Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. To verify registration visit SSS.gov. You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work. You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority. Tower Climbing (when required): When tower climbing is required by the specific assignment, the incumbent must be able to obtain and maintain required tower-climbing training and certification and comply with applicable DOI/USWFS safety policies and procedures, including fall-protection, radio frequency (RF) exposure controls, and electrical safety requirements.

How to apply

Review the appointment eligibility criteria in the application preview linked below. The eligibility section of the application allows you to choose how you wish to be considered for this vacancy announcement. You will ONLY be considered for the eligibilities that you select "yes" to and submit the required supporting documentation, as listed in the Required Documents section or the application text. You may qualify for more than one eligibility, so please choose carefully. If you respond that you do not meet any of the eligibility criteria, you will not be considered for this position under this announcement. To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package. See required documents section. Click 'Apply' to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire and upload required documents. To preview the assessment questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13101239. Please ensure you check the acknowledgement checkbox then click the Submit Application button to submit your application. Applications must be received by 11/09/2026, 11:59pm ET to receive consideration. Check application status by logging into your USAJOBS account, in Applications tab, click the position title you applied to for the status. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please refer to the contact information listed at the bottom of the announcement. Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.