Current jobs related to Park Ranger - Hot Springs - U.S. Department of the Interior

Clarification from the agency

Special hiring authorities such as Interchange Agreement, Former Public Land Corps, etc.

Duties

Prepare interpretive and educational media such as video, flyers, digital bulletin boards and maintains park's website, social media sites, and app. Use software programs such as PowerPoint, Publisher, Adobe Creative Suite2, InDesign, Photoshop, Acrobat, Adobe Premier Pro and Illustrator, about park resources and the rules for park usage, employing appropriate interpretive techniques and devices geared to the characteristics and interests of audiences. Duties may be performed on or off-site at locations designated by the park, e.g., visitor centers, campgrounds, historical sites, auditoriums, etc. Suggest new topics, revisions, and other changes or improvements in the overall interpretive program. Observe and report on the use of various resources, such as lands and shoreline, including leased land, buildings and other structures, concessions, docks, roads, and contract work performed. As assigned (or independently), advise adjacent landowners, special use permittees, and lessees on problems such as encroachment, violations of lease agreements, and noncompliance with permits or licenses. Inform visitors about the life habits and behavior of Park fauna, with emphasis on behavior that may be potentially dangerous to visitors. Check on the measures campers and hikers take to avoid attracting or provoking dangerous animals. Educate visitors regarding activities that impact upon the preservation of natural and cultural resources, including issues dealing with visitor safety. May serve as a member of all-risk operations, e.g., search and rescue, wildland, and structural fires, etc. Perform emergency medical services. Perform various administrative duties, e.g., scheduling, gathering routine information for reports, compilation of statistical data, etc. Train, provide guidance, and direct the work of seasonal and volunteer staff members in tasks that support visitor services and interpretive/education programs of an organization.

Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and recommendation by the position's supervisor.

Physical Demands: The work requires some physical exertion and can involve extensive periods of standing and walking, in some cases over rough surfaces or inclines outdoors or in caves, and carrying backpacks, tools, rescue equipment, or other loads. Some employees may engage in firefighting, search and rescue, and other strenuous activities; these employees may be required to lift or carry equipment weighing more than 50 pounds over long distances. Employees who participate in all-risk operations will be required to meet fitness requirements on a continuing basis.

Working Conditions: The work can include moderate risks or discomforts that require safety precautions (e.g., exposure to extreme temperatures, climates, rough terrain, wild animals, pests, and/or insects). The incumbent may be required to use protective clothing or gear, such as masks, boots, gloves, etc. Some employees may be engaged in all-risk operations and be exposed to high risk and potentially dangerous situations which required a range of safety and other precautions.

The employees of the National Park Service care for special places that are the heritage of all Americans. Since its inception in 1916, the National Park Service has been dedicated to the preservation and management of this country's outstanding natural, historical, and recreational resources. Park ranger - interpreters connect people to parks. They play a key role in ensuring that visitors have a meaningful, satisfying, and safe park experience, help visitors decide how to spend their time in the park, and inform them about the wonders that await their discovery. Park ranger - interpreters are specially trained to engage the public so that each park visitor can find a personal connection with the meanings and values found in the places and stories of that park. They help visitors explore the many dimensions of parks by introducing them to a variety of perspectives. By providing the opportunity for visitors to care about the places they visit, they promote stewardship and the opportunity for those visitors to care for park resources. National parks are among the most remarkable places in America for recreation, learning, and inspiration. The work done by park ranger-interpreters through effective interpretive and educational programs encourages the development of a personal stewardship ethic and broadens public support for preserving and protecting park resources, so that they may be enjoyed by present and future generations.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

U.S. Citizenship required. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males. Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required. Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program. Any individual who is currently holding, or has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet time-in-grade requirements (must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent in the Federal service); with few exceptions as outlined in 5 CFR 300.603(b). Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal civilian employees applying for reinstatement who have had a break in service of less than one year, as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointments. Time-in-grade does not apply to new excepted service appointments. Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. You may be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties. Prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year thereafter (or more frequently if management determines such need exists), you will be required to sign an affidavit certifying to your possession of a valid State issued driver's license that is current and has not been revoked, suspended, canceled, or otherwise disqualified in any way to prohibit your operation of a motor vehicle. You will also submit a photocopy of your valid State issued driver's license prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year, or more frequently if management determines such need exists. Lastly, you may be required to submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that discloses all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. Please indicate in your application whether you possess a valid State driver's license. You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-06/26/2024-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience . For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, 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.

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.

To qualify for this position at the GS-07 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: park guide or tour leader; environmental educator or teacher; law enforcement or investigative work; archeological or historical preservation research work; forestry and/or fire management work in a park, recreation, or conservation area; management, assistant, or program specialist work involving the development and/or implementation of policy related to protection, conservation, or management of park areas or similar operations; or other similar work. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least possess one full year of graduate study in one of the following fields: natural resource management, natural sciences, marine biology/sciences, earth sciences, history, archeology, anthropology, park and recreation management, law enforcement/police science, social sciences, wetlands ecology, or other closely related subjects pertinent to the management and protection of natural and cultural resources. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.) I n the upper third of graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses in a field related to this position; OR have a GPA 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum, or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in my major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; OR a member in one of the national scholastic honor societies. You MUST provide the documentation to support S.A.A. criteria.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For example, I have 6 months of the specialized experience described in A above (50% of the experience requirement), and one-half year (9 semester hours or 14 quarter hours) of directly related graduate level college study in an accredited institution (50% of the qualifying education). The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts.

To qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes independently researching, developing, and conducting formal and informal interpretation programs, roving programs, and youth programs. Independently managing visitor center operations to include developing work schedules, summer program schedules, coaching and auditing interpretive programs and operating and maintaining audio-visual and other interpretive equipment. May include tour leader; environmental educator or teacher; recreation or conservation area management; management assistant; or program specialist work involving the development and/or implementation of policy related to protection, conservation, or management of park areas or similar operations; or other similar work. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least possess two full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education, or a master's or equivalent graduate degree in one of the following fields: natural resource management, natural sciences, marine biology/sciences, earth sciences, history, archeology, anthropology, park and recreation management, law enforcement/police science, social sciences, wetlands ecology, or other closely related subjects pertinent to the management and protection of natural and cultural resources. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For example, I have 6 months of the specialized experience (50% of the experience requirement), and (27 semester hours or 41 quarter hours) of directly related graduate level college study in an accredited institution (50% of the qualifying education). The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts.

Volunteer Experience: 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.

Education

To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

If you are using to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your 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.

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