Supervisory Fire Chief (ZA-2)
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD · $71k–$111k a year · Posted November 2, 2026
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About the job
Summary
Provides operational oversight and supervisory management for the NIST Fire Protection and Emergency Response Program. Serves as a lead official in directing responses to emergency medical, fire, and hazardous materials incidents, ensuring tactical objectives are met.
Duties
As Deputy Fire Chief, the role includes: Emergency Command & Response: Directs fire, medical, and HazMat emergency operations; assumes full scene command in the absence of the Fire Chief. Operational Readiness: Oversees firefighter training drills, building inspections, and equipment maintenance. Inter-Agency Coordination: Serves as the training liaison between NIST Fire Protection and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue. Program Management & Stakeholder Relations: Assists the Fire Chief in developing facility-wide fire protection programs; collaborates with OSHE and NIST Research teams to ensure safety compliance.
Qualifications
Basic Requirements: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 level (ZA-I at NIST) in the federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience operating within the Incident Command System (ICS) and executing advanced fire emergency functions. Experience planning, managing, and implementing strategic fire and hazmat protection and prevention programs. OR Master's or equivalent graduate degree OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.B. or J.D., if related OR Equivalent combination of education and experience. IN ADDITION, the applicant MUST be able to meet the following selective placement factor (Screen out): Skill in providing basic life support and emergency medical care as evidenced by a valid Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems, EMT-B certificate. To be considered for the position, applicants are required to provide the following certifications: 1. Certification in firefighter 2 2. Maryland Emergency Medical Technician -B Certification 3. Hazmat operations 4. Class B Driver's License/ Equivalent 5. Fire Inspector III 6. Fire Officer IV Resume should indicate the following trainings have been completed: HAZMAT Technichian HAZMAT Incident Commander training ICS 100 ICS 200 ICS 300 ICS 400 IS 700 IS 800 Must attach certification at time of application to be considered for the 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. The qualification requirements in this vacancy announcement are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook. If requesting reconsideration of your qualification determination, please refer to the following site: Applicant Reconsideration
Education
This position allows applicants to qualify with education. Transcripts must be submitted to validate that the education requirement has been met. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. However, an official copy will be required before a final offer of employment. Foreign Education Evaluation: If your education was completed outside of the United States, it must be evaluated by an accredited organization to ensure it is comparable to education received in accredited U.S. institutions. Required Documentation: You must include a copy of your foreign education evaluation-including a course-by-course listing-with your application. Resources: You may click here to view a listing of accredited organizations from the Department of Education's website. A copy of the foreign education evaluation (containing the results with a course-by-course listing) is required with your application.
How you will be evaluated
We will review your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documents to assess your qualifications for this position. Please be sure that your resume and supporting documents include detailed information to support your qualifications for this position. Failure to provide sufficient and/or legible evidence in your resume or supporting documents may result in a "not qualified" determination. You MUST select at least ONE eligibility (i.e., how you wish to be considered) to receive consideration for this position. Rating: Applications will be assessed on the following competencies: Fire Management First Response Organizational Awareness If the minimum qualifications and eligibility requirements are met, your application will be rated and ranked among others, based on your responses to the online questions regarding your experience, education, training, performance appraisals, or awards relevant to the duties of the position. Your rating may be lowered if your responses in the online questions are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your application. To preview the questionnaire, click here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13098721 Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview. You will be referred depending upon your eligibility (i.e., Merit candidate, veterans preference, etc). Please review the Evaluation Process on how applicants are review and referred based upon how they wish to be considered for the position. CTAP or ICTAP eligibility: If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP), you must be determined eligible and rated as well-qualified to receive special selection priority. "Well Qualified" means that in addition to meeting the minimum qualification requirements and selective placement factor(s), if applicable, you must receive a score of 85 or higher. Please review the following site regarding required documents to support CTAP or ICTAP eligibility and additional information regarding this authority - CTAP/ICTAP Eligibility
How to apply
Click 'Apply' and we'll walk you through a multi-step process to attach a resume and any required documents. While working an application, you may review, edit, delete and update information. You must complete the online application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, the closing date of the announcement. Once your application has been submitted, you will receive a confirmation notification by email. The Human Resources Office will evaluate your application to determine your eligibility for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another notification regarding the status of your application. Need help applying? If you are experiencing any difficulties with the online application process (anything after you have clicked the 'Apply Online' button), please contact the Agency Contact listed on this announcement between regular business hours (8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET). If you receive any kind of error message, please be ready to provide a screenshot or, at a minimum, the error message text and number. We will provide you with a technical support number for further assistance if necessary. If you are having trouble with USAJOBS (searching for jobs, account password/profile issues, or Resume Builder), please visit the USAJOBS Resource Center. We regret that we are unable to support any issues with USAJOBS, as this service is not maintained by the NIST. If you are experiencing a significant hardship that hinders your ability to apply online, please contact the Agency Contact listed on this announcement prior to the vacancy closing date and during regular business hours to discuss your situation.
Other information
This position is covered under NIST's Alternative Personnel Management System (APMS), a pay-for-performance system with excellent HR flexibilities to help NIST recruit and retain top talent. Learn more about the APMS here! We may share your application package with other selecting officials at NIST with opportunities like this one. Additional selections may be made through this vacancy. Click all links in this vacancy announcement to view additional information or instructions. You MUST select at least ONE ELIGIBILITY to be considered for this position. All documents submitted for this announcement must be legible to make qualification or eligibility determinations. A supervisory probationary period may be required. This position has physical requirements which include but may not be limited to: Heavy lifting, 45 pounds and over Heavy carrying, 45 pounds and over Reaching above shoulder Use of fingers Both hands required Walking Standing Crawling Kneeling Repeated bending Climbing, use of legs and arms Both legs required Operation of crane, truck, tractor, or motor vehicle Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other Both eyes required Depth perception Hearing (aid may be permitted) This position has environmental factors which include, but may not be limited to: Outside Excessive Heat Excessive Cold Excessive Humidity Excessive dampness or chilling Dry atmospheric conditions Excessive noise, intermittent Constant noise DustSilica, asbestos, etc. Fumes, smokes, or gases Solvents (degreasing agent) Grease and oils Radiant energy Electrical energy Slippery or uneven walking surface Working around machinery with moving parts Working around moving objects or vehicles Working on ladders or scaffolding Working below ground Working with hands in water Vibration Working closely with others Working alone This position requires the passing of a drug test. This position requires filing of an OGE-450 Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of onboarding and annually thereafter. NIST strives to build a flexible and encouraging work environment to bring out the best in our employees. To help our employees balance responsibilities at home and at work, NIST offers a variety of work-life flexibilities. For more information, please visit our Careers website.