Careers and Jobs
A career with the Forest Service will challenge you to manage and care for more than 193 million acres of our nation’s most magnificent lands, conduct research through a network of forest and range experiment stations and the Forest Products Laboratory, and provide assistance to State and private forestry agencies. It’s an awesome responsibility – but the rewards are as limitless as the views.
You can experience the beautiful scenery of Central Oregon first-hand while working on the Deschutes National Forest. Most of the positions offered are field-going, but some include office work with maps, computer data entry, or planning and supervisory functions.
In your off-hours, you may be enticed to fish one of our spectacular rivers or lakes or hike on our scenic trails. The area also hosts one of the finest examples of obsidian flow in the world and is internationally known for the largest variety of volcanic formations in the lower 48 states. Central Oregon is a great place to live and work!
2026 Permanent Fire Hire
Central Oregon Fire Management Service (COFMS) is looking for a hardworking and skilled workforce to fill key positions in fire management. The Deschutes National Forest is seeking to fill positions for engine crews, fuels management, hand crews, prevention, dispatch and fire management.
Applications are open on USAJobs.gov August 22 through September 23, 2025.
Positions
| VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT # | POSITION TITLE | SERIES GRADE | TOUR | DUTY LOCATIONS |
LEADERSHIP | ||||
Supervisory Forestry Tech–District AFMO (OPS-High) | GW-0456-8|9 | PFT | Potential for Backfill | |
Forestry Technician – Fire Operations Specialist | GW-0462-8 | PFT | Bend | |
Heavy Equipment Operator | WG-5716-10 | PFT | Potential for Backfill | |
ENGINE | ||||
| Supervisory Fire Engine Operator (SFEO) |
GS-0462-7/8 |
PFT |
Bend, Sisters |
|
Fire Engine Operator (FEO) |
GS-0462-6/7 |
18/8 | Crescent, Sisters |
Lead Forestry Technician (AFEO) | GS-0462-5/6 | 13/13 | Bend | |
HANDCREW | ||||
Handcrew Supervisor (High Complexity) |
GW-0456-7|8 | PFT |
Potential for Backfill | |
Handcrew Asst. Supervisor (High Complexity) | GW-0456-6|7 | PFT 18/8 | Potential for Backfill | |
Forestry Technician - Senior FFT - Hotshot/Handcrew | GW-0456-4|5 | 18/8 13/13 | Crescent, Bend | |
DISPATCH | ||||
Geographic Area Communication Center– Logistics | GW-0462-8|9 | PFT | Potential for Backfill | |
| Forestry Technician - Assistant Center Manager |
GW-0462-8|9 |
PFT |
Redmond |
Forestry Technician – Floor Coordinator | GW-0462-8 | PFT | Redmond | |
Forestry Technician - Initial Attack Dispatcher | GW-0462-4|5|6|7 | PFT/PSE | Backfill | |
FUELS | ||||
Supervisory District Fuels AFMO | GS-0462-8/9 | PFT | Crescent | |
| PREVENTION |
|
|
|
Forestry Technician (Prevention) | GW-0456-6|7 | PFT | Potential for Backfill | |
Timeline & Process
| August 11, 2025 | Outreach begins. Information is available on the Pacific Northwest Region website listing all vacant permanent fire vacancies and locations from the GW-0462-3 through 10 levels for Alaska, Oregon and Washington. |
| August 22, 2025 | Single Vacancy Announcement for all GW-3 through GW-10 positions open in USAJobs. Apply through USAJobs.gov. Applicants are encouraged to apply for multiple locations (where they would accept a position if offered), even if positions for certain locations in which you're interested are not listed as vacant. Vacancies may occur during the hiring process and could be filled during Selection Week. |
| September 23, 2025 | Application deadline – all vacancy announcements close at 8:59 p.m. (Pacific Time) |
| October 27, 2025 | Certificate of eligible applicants are referred to the hiring managers. Applicants should check their email or login to their USAJobs Profile to check the status of their application at this time to determine if they were “referred to selecting official”. During this time hiring managers review applicant resume and other supporting documentation and request references. |
November 3 – December 12, 2025 | Selections. Representatives from each forest will make recommendations for hiring. Selected Applicants will be notified by a Forest Service representative by phone. Applicants should be readily available during this time frame. Traditionally higher graded GS levels are filled first, moving to lower grade levels during the second week of selections. During the selection period, candidates will be given 4 hours to respond to voicemails or emails from the recommending officials. |
| March 2026 | First possible effective dates for new hires, new to the agency |
Other Resources
Resumes
Building a USAJobs.gov Resume
This resource guides you through the process of creating a resume for USAJObs.gov.