Park Ranger (I)
What you'd do
This position is located in Horseshoe Bend National Military Park, in the Division of Interpretation.
Major duties
Develop and present formal and informal audience and learner-centered interpretive experiences using interpretive skills, techniques, and tools delivered in-person and through interpretive media and technology. Conduct straightforward research, develop, and present interpretive programs on a variety of interpretive and educational themes. Enhance in-park experiences by developing and offering a wide variety of fully accessible nonpersonal services and interpretive media. Contribute engaging and quality content that harnesses the power of digital platforms and creates valuable, audience-centered interpretive experiences that are relevant to the message and audience and rooted in existing digital strategies. Review existing park policies, standards, methods, controls, and procedures. Actively engage and interact with local communities through on and off-site representation and interpretive programming. Identify and engage with new audiences and communities. Plan, schedule, prepare and effectively conduct education programs; workshops, seminars, and conferences to promote the parks education program, to include distance learning. Coordinate the park volunteer program. Assess park needs and prepare relevant volunteer job descriptions. Post available volunteer positions where appropriate, including the official online recruitment portal, and schedule and conduct interviews of potential volunteers. Select, train, and schedule new volunteers; supervise, recognize, evaluate, and provide regular feedback to volunteers. Plan, distribute, and monitor work assignments; evaluate work performance and provide feedback to others on their performance. Communicate effectively and apply interpersonal skills. Develop and maintain effective relationships with others; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences
What you need to qualify
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-07/29/2026-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 for each federal position listed as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of qualifying 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. 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). This experience includes activities such as: 1) Developing and presenting a variety of interpretive and/or educational programs including orientation talks, conducting walks, and giving demonstrations to a variety of audiences; 2) Developing interpretive materials, such as brochures, guidebooks, handouts, exhibits; 3) Operating a variety of audiovisual and other media used in connection with interpretive programs; 4) Performing day to day operations of a visitor center, information center, or similar facility; and 5) Leading and/or training an aspect or function of an interpretive or visitor services operation, directing/delegating tasks, offering guidance and feedback to team members, and troubleshooting discrepancies. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least two years of graduate level study which is directly related to the work of the position. Examples of related education include, but are not limited to; park and recreation management, 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. One year of graduate study is considered to be 18 semester hours. You must include transcripts. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For example, 6 months of specialized experience (50% of the specialized experience) and 18 graduate level semester hours (50% of the education), would qualify an applicant for this position. 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. Probationary Period: 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 or trial 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 probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. 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. This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.
Before you apply
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