Park Ranger (Preventative Search & Rescue (PSAR))
What you'd do
You will serve as a Park Ranger (Preventative Search & Rescue (PSAR)) for Point Reyes National Seashore. This is a temporary position expected to last 1 Year but may be extended up to a maximum of two years based on agency needs and potential funding. This position is being filled under the Field Unit Local Hiring Authority (FUL). See below under Additional Information for further eligibility guidance.
Major duties
Coordinate the day-to-day operations of a park level PSAR organization, to include PSAR-related program areas such as patrols, education, visitor services, technical search and rescue, resource monitoring, emergency medical services, all-hazard incident response, rock climbing, mountaineering, outreach, administration, and/or training. Analyze, evaluate, and determine the most effective patrol routes for the park's PSAR-program, accounting for the strategic goals and objectives of the park. Analyze and evaluate PSAR-related educational strategies used by the park organization(s) assigned. Provide technical supervision and oversight to volunteers tasked with performing PSAR-related duties. Coordinate and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external organizations and stakeholders invested in PSAR. Area Information: Point Reyes National Seashore offers the opportunity to work in one of California's most scenic coastal environments, with access to beaches, trails, and diverse wildlife, while remaining within commuting distance of the San Francisco Bay Area. Located approximately 40 miles north of San Francisco, Point Reyes National Seashore experiences a mild, Mediterranean climate typical of the San Francisco Bay Area. The nearby community of Point Reyes Station, approximately 2 miles from park headquarters, provides basic amenities including a post office, gas station, grocery store, restaurants, childcare options, and an elementary school (grades K-8). Additional services, healthcare, and educational opportunities are available in San Rafael, Novato, and Petaluma, all within approximately 22 miles of park headquarters. San Francisco is approximately a one-hour drive and provides access to a wide range of services, cultural activities, and higher education opportunities, as well as three major airports within a two-hour drive. Located in Marin County, this is considered a high cost-of-living area, partially offset by locality pay. Government housing may be available but is not guaranteed. While the park generally experiences a moderate climate, winter storms may result in intermittent power outages, and public safety power shutoffs may occur during periods of high fire risk. For additional information, please visit: www.nps.gov/pore
What you need to qualify
Qualifications: All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-07/14/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. 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. 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-07 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Experience may have been technical, administrative, or scientific work, fish and wildlife management, recreation management, law enforcement, or other park-related work. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include but are not limited to the following: park guide or tour leader; 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 implementation of policy related to protection, conservation, or management of park areas or similar operations. Additionally, experience must include: performing day-to-day park duties related to preventative search and rescue; advising visitors on best practices for visiting the park; and responding to hazardous incidents including medical emergencies, law enforcement operations or natural disasters. -OR- Education: Successful completion of at least two full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education or a master's or equivalent graduate degree related to the occupation. Directly-related fields include natural resource management, natural sciences, earth sciences, history, archeology, anthropology, park and recreation management, law enforcement/police science, social sciences, museum sciences, business administration, public administration, behavioral sciences, sociology, or other closely related subjects pertinent to the management and protection of natural and cultural resources. Course work in fields other than those specified may be accepted if it clearly provides applicants with the background of knowledge and skills necessary for successful job performance in the position to be filled. Two years of graduate study is considered to be 36 semester hours. You MUST submit a copy of transcripts. -OR- Combination of education and experience. To combine experience and education, first take the number of months of full-time experience and divide by 12 months. Then take the number of semester hours, or equivalent, earned towards a graduate degree, in excess of 18 credit hours, and divide by 18 credit hours, or equivalent. Add the percentages together. 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. ICTAP/CTAP Statement: Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. Well qualified means that the applicant meets the following: OPM qualification standards for the position; all selective placement factors, where applicable; special qualifying conditions that OPM has approved for the position, where applicable; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at least at the well qualified level on all competencies.
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