Supervisory Park Ranger (Interpretation)
What you'd do
This position is located within the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Midwest Region, Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site in Affton, Missouri.
Major duties
This position serves as the Interpretation, Education, and Volunteer Program Manager (Chief of Interpretation) for Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site in Affton, Missouri. Oversees division activities by guiding and directing the interpretation division and assisting with the coordination, execution, management, and planning of the park's visitor services and interpretive programming. Major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following: 1. Manages a complex interpretive program, including a visitor center, museum, historic home and buildings, field programs, and special events. 2. Plans and conducts a wide range of public interpretive programs throughout the year. Programs consist of walks, talks, tours, field trips, performances, and special events related to Ulysses S. Grant NHS, its resources, and issues. 3. Provides leadership, supervision, management, and training for intern, volunteer, seasonal, and permanent interpretive staff who present a variety of interpretive programs and front-line visitor services. 4. Creates, manages, and executes a budget for the Interpretation Program. 5. Builds and maintains relationships with various stakeholders, partner groups, and other agencies to advance program goals and objectives. 6. Serves on the park's leadership team and works closely with team members to plan, address, and manage issues, and provides key input from an interpretation, education, volunteer, and visitor service perspective. 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.
What you need to qualify
Requirements Continued... As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period (as applicable) during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: - your performance and conduct; - the needs and interests of the agency; - whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and - whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated. Upon completion of your probation your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. This is a supervisory position that may require completion of a supervisory probationary period. To qualify for this position at the GS-0025-11 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: EXPERIENCE: Specialized Experience At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal Service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is managing interpretive and/or education programs to support mission goals and includes: 1) advisor on interpretive and education matters; 2) develops and implements program long and short-range plans; 3) plan and coordinate year-round interpretive, educational, information, and volunteer programs; 4) propose program goals and objectives that reflect a balance of themes, subjects, current issues, and initiatives; 5) serve as subject matter expert on interpretive themes such as resource, cultural, or natural features unique to a park; 6) manage visitor center operations; 7) develop interpretive and media plans and projects; and 8) managing administrative or logistical program. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. (Related fields of study include natural resource management, natural sciences, earth sciences, history, archaeology, 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.) You must include transcripts. -OR- COMBINATION: Successful completion of a combination of graduate level education beyond the first two years of progressive graduate study and appropriate experience that together meet the qualification requirements for this position. You must submit transcripts. 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. 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. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualification Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions and is available at OPM's website: https://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/num-ndx.asp All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 08/05/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
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