Unit Fire Chief, U.S. Wildland Fire Service Job

Salary: $112,824 per year.

To qualify for this Unit Fire Chief role (GW-13), you must gather Interagency Fire Scheme Management (IFPM) standards for a Unit Fire Plan Manager HIGH Complexity. This calls for specific NWCG incident management qualifications and at least one year of specialized know-how equivalent to the GW-12 level.

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Encounter IFPM standards: Pathway #1 (DIVS and ICT3, or RXB2) OR Pathway #2 (ASGS and ICT3) AND M-581 within one year of entry on responsibility.
• Substantial offering in a leading firefighter position: at least one complete fire season or 14 days of on-the-ground fireline experience.
• At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GW-12, including advising on fire management policy, strategic planning, budget formulation, and coordinating wildland fire protection.
• Expertise as a wildland fire management program specialist and technical advisor, covering perform with interagency partners in operations, aviation, fuels management, prevention, planning, or training.
• Secondary Firefighter Retirement Coverage demands documented wildland firefighting background (not just education).
• Volunteer function through National Solution programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) is credited.
• All qualifications must be met by the closing date: July 17, 2026.

Manage multiple wildland firefighters and supply second-level supervision over their workforce.

• Straight suppression operations on big or complicated fires as called for by fire severity or particular fire conditions.
• Arrange and execute annual budgets for fire management programs, covering salaries, supplies, facilities, and equipment.
• Carry out fire management planning with interdisciplinary teams, subordinate leadership, and cooperators from federal, state, tribal, and area agencies.
• Serve as wildland fire management scheme pro and technical advisor to managers.
• Participate in developing policy and guidance, such as operate with interagency partners in operations, aviation, fuels management, prevention, planning, and training.
• Arrange wildland fire protection on public and Indian trust lands.
• Give strategic long-range planning, leadership, guidance, coordination, and evaluation of the fire plan.

Suitability for Federal employment as determined by background investigation.

• Frank Deposit Needed.
• Hand in to a drug test and receive negative result before appointment; subject to random testing.
• Must grip and maintain a sound state driver's license.
• May want to cater to a 1-year probationary period and a 1-year supervisory probationary period.
• May require to perform on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime, and shift function.
• Subject to recurring extended travel during fire season; must obtain a government charge card for travel.
• Physical demands: sedentary typically but needs physical exertion during fire suppression, covering walking over coarse terrain in all weather. May require lengthy shifts or multi-day assignments under primitive conditions.

Finish federal upsides package such as health, dental, vision, retirement, and paid depart.

• PCS (Permanent Change of Station) moving expenses cleared for eligible candidates changing task station.
• Relocation discretionary entitlements may be approved, covering contractor-provided home sale.
• Recruitment or relocation incentive may be offered on a case-by-case basis.
• Telework eligible for emergency telework with supervisor approval.

Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages; minimum 10-point font and 0.5-inch margins.

• Supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited.
• HR reviews resume and supporting documents to decide minimum qualifications.
• Under Direct Recruit Authority, Veterans Preference and traditional rating/ranking don’t register; all minimally qualified candidates are referred.
• Meetings may be conducted at the hiring office's discretion, possibly on a pass/fail basis.
• You’ll be notified of your status after evaluation; review the formal application portal account for updates.

Resume (must cover dates of employment, hours per week, responsibilities; for federal employees involve OPM title, series, grade).

• IQCS Master Record or equivalent documentation verifying NWCG minimum qualifications for IFPM.
• CTAP/ICTAP documentation (if relevant): agency observe and most latest SF-50.
• Include letter (optional but welcome).
• Don’t contain SSN, photos, classified details, or encrypted documents.

Unseal the official application portal and with your the authorized submission portal/Login.gov account.

• Wrap up the online federal submission questionnaire.
• Attach your federal resume and all required documents (IQCS Master Record, etc.).
• Check the acknowledgment checkbox and click Send in Submission.
• Submissions must be received by July 17, 2026, 11:59 PM ET.

This is a Direct-Hire Authority advertisement; Veterans Preference doesn’t put in.

• Multiple responsibility locations: Flagstaff, AZ; Phoenix, AZ; Whiteriver, AZ; Twin Falls, ID; Gallup, NM; Moab, UT; Vernal, UT.
• Secondary Firefighter Retirement Coverage under CSRS and FERS calls for documented wildland firefighting know-how.
• If selected, you may demand to assist a 1-year probationary period and a 1-year supervisory probationary period.
• Relocation incentives may be cleared on a case-by-case basis.
• Contact NSPS TEAM at [email protected] for inquiries.
• Submissions may be shared with other DOI bureaus with alike vacancies.
• Inspect submission status via the formal application portal; don’t contact or email for status updates unless specified.

The U.S. Wildland Fire Service is a federal institution within the Department of the Interior responsible for protecting organic resources from wildland fire. It coordinates fire management across federal, state, tribal, and nearby agencies, emphasizing safety, preparedness, and ecosystem resilience. This Unit Fire Chief role is central to leading fire programs in high-complexity environments, offering a career in public offering with structured federal gains and advancement openings. U.S. Wildland Fire Service is named as the hiring organization for the Unit Fire Chief post.

U.S. Wildland Fire Service employment opportunities