Park Ranger (Protection) - Training Program Manager
What you'd do
This position develops law enforcement curriculum, manages instructors, identifies national performance needs, and oversees delivery of the Law Enforcement Training Program. This is a not-to-exceed one (1) year temporary promotion/detail assignment. This temporary promotion/detail may be extended without further competition; however, it may not exceed a total of five (5) years. This temporary promotion/detail may be made permanent without further competition.
Major duties
Major Duties of the Park Ranger (Protection) - Training Program Manager position include, but are not limited to the following: Provides full leadership, direction, and operational oversight of a satellite law enforcement training program, ensuring for effective training delivery, resources, and operations meet Department of the Interior and National Park Service (NPS) standards and mission objectives. Develops, reviews, and updates law enforcement training curriculum, evaluation tools, and instructional methods to ensure consistency with federal standards, NPS policy, and contemporary law enforcement practices. Selects, supervises, and evaluates instructors, field training staff, and program support personnel; provides guidance on performance, training delivery, and adherence to program objectives. Serves as the primary liaison between the satellite training site and internal/external partners (e.g., NPS leadership, parks, academies, federal/state/local agencies), ensuring alignment of training needs, expectations, and program requirements. Ensures all program components comply with federal law enforcement standards, NPS policy, and applicable regulations; conducts ongoing assessment of program effectiveness and implements improvements to strengthen trainee preparedness for NPS law enforcement duties. Temporary Promotion/Detail Requirements - Career or career-conditional candidates applying for a temporary promotion/detail, must meet all qualification requirements, including time-in-grade qualification requirements. Detail Requirements - Career or career-conditional candidates must meet qualification requirements, however, candidates are not required to meet the time-in-grade qualification requirements of this position. Details also apply to current employees who hold the full performance level of the position (GS-11) or higher grade level on a permanent basis. While on detail, the employee continues to hold their official position from which detailed and keeps the same status and grade. A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected. The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay. 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 and must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
What you need to qualify
Requirements Continued... A financial disclosure report will be required within 30 days of appointment. Firearm qualification and certification are required for the role, and ongoing proficiency must be maintained. Prior to appointment, you must be determined physically fit by an authorized physician to perform strenuous and physically demanding duties, pass a medical examination, and pass the Physical Efficiency Battery (PEB). The PEB is a fitness test consisting of five different components: 1) agility run - measures the ability to get up from the ground and sprint while changing directions; 2) bench press - measures upper body strength for one repetition; 3) 1.5 mile run - measures cardio/respiratory fitness; 4) sit and reach - measures flexibility in the lower back, legs and shoulders; and 5) body composition - measures body fat. Prior to appointment, selectees will be tested in all five components, and must pass the agility run, bench press and 1.5 mile run in the 25th percentile. Qualifications: All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 07/29/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. 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 periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the work schedule requirement as the service dates will be reflected. 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. Selective Placement Factors: This position requires a special qualification that has been determined to be essential to perform the duties and will be used as a screen out element. If you do not provide evidence that you possess the following selective factor(s), you will be rated not qualified. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age. Must currently possess or previously held (within the past three years) a valid Type I National Park Service Law Enforcement Commission, or equivalent, by 07/29/2026. More information can be found in the 'Education' section of this job announcement. This is a covered secondary law enforcement position under the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S. C. 8336(c) (CSRS) and 8412(d) (FERS). In addition to the qualifying experience and/or education described above, applicants for this position must possess experience gained by substantial service in a primary law enforcement position or equivalent. Candidates who do not meet these requirements by close of this announcement will receive no further consideration for this position. -AND- Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications: GS-13 Grade Level Experience: To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: Experience at this level must include ALL of the following: 1) performing law enforcement duties for the protection, conservation, use, and management of natural and/or cultural resources in park areas or similar operations, which involved the application of law enforcement authorities and procedures to protect visitors and resources; providing law enforcement or investigative services which include apprehending, detaining, detection, and prosecution of individuals; applying knowledge of applicable laws, regulations, policies, and areas of jurisdiction when serving as a person with law enforcement authority; responding to accidents, emergencies, and/or natural disaster; using precautionary methods and techniques while patrolling to mitigate any crimes or violations of the law; 2) planning, administering, or directing a structured law enforcement training or field-training program, including curriculum oversight, instructor coordination, trainee evaluation, or training quality assurance; 3) supervising, leading, or providing formal performance evaluation of law enforcement officers, instructors, or field training staff in a professional policing environment; and 4) creating, delivering, or validating law enforcement training content, assessment methods, performance standards, or qualification processes for sworn officers. Resume must include hours per week worked. You must include months, years & hours per week worked to receive credit for your work and/or volunteer experience. 1 year of specialized experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week. Part-time hours are prorated. You will not receive any credit for experience that does not indicate exact hours per week or is listed as "varies". Experience listed as full-time will be credited at 40 hours per week. 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. A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected. The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay. Related Non-Federal experience or related experience as retired members of the uniformed services may be credited towards computing entitlement to leave accrual, at managerial discretion, providing that experience meets certain criteria. This provision allows new employees to earn annual leave at a higher rate than would otherwise be allowed. (5 Code of Federal Regulations, 630). All Department of the Interior (DOI) employees, their spouses, & minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, DOI Ethics Prohibitions | U.S. Department of the Interior.
Before you apply
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