Park Guide
What you'd do
These GS-0090-05 Park Guides positions are located at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in Carlsbad, New Mexico. These are permanent, full-time, career-seasonal appointments. *Please see "Duties" section for more information about Career-Seasonal appointments. This position is also open to public under announcement IM-1538-CAVE-26-13016968-DE. You must apply to each announcement separately if you wish to be considered under both recruitment methods.
Major duties
As a uniformed employee of the National Park Service, the incumbent serves as a front-line park representative. They provide information, give interpretive tours, and educational programming to the public. The primary purpose of this position is to provide guide services to visitors. Major Duties: Answering questions on a variety of subjects. Guiding small groups and providing services to visitors. Present limited and repetitive pre-established talks including introductions to films, map talks, and static exhibit interpretation. Orient hikers to conditions and equipment needs. Performs duties, including programs, that require application of broad subject-matter knowledge of the park. May guide larger groups (up to 50 people) on longer walks or programs. Provide a wide range of services for park visitors. Collection of Fees. To help maintain and preserve the pristine ecosystem within the cave, this position performs daily cleaning of cave trails - including the removal of human and service animal waste (i.e., urine, feces, vomit, saliva, etc.), as well as food or other debris left by visitors. Career-Seasonal: These GS-0090-05 Park Guides are permanent, full-time, career-seasonal appointments. Career-Seasonal appointments are permanent positions that include the same benefits as permanent appointments, but do not provide work on a year-round basis. These positions will be in a non-pay status for a maximum of one pay period (2 weeks) each year, scheduled sometime in January. Physical Demands: The work requires standing for long periods of time, walking for long distances, climbing and descending steep inclines, bending, and lifting moderately heavy items. Mental stress and physical fatigue occur due to high volume of personal contacts, occasional emergency responses, and repetitive nature of interpretive programs. Work Environment: Work is performed both indoors and outdoors resulting in exposure to a variety of weather conditions.
What you need to qualify
Requirements Continued... PROBATIONARY PERIOD: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated. 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. ______________________________________________________________________ QUALIFICATIONS: All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 08/18/2026-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. To qualify for this position at the GS-5 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: At least one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-4 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized Experience is experience that involved oral presentation of historical, scientific, or program information to groups; or developing and/or revising technical, historical, or scientific information for oral presentation to groups. Your resume must show hours per week worked AND the to/from dates in month/year format for each position. Examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to: Park Guide or tour leader; naturalist; environmental educator or teacher; or other similar work. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least four years of education above high school (120 semester hour or 180 quarter hours) leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation, such as: American history, science, public speaking, parks and recreation, education, or communications. If using education to qualify, you must upload a legible copy of your college transcripts that includes your name, credit hours, and degree awarded. -OR- COMBINATION: Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For example, 6 months of the specialized experience described in A above (50% of the experience requirement), and 3 years of college study from an accredited institution (75% of the qualifying education) as specified in B above, equals greater than 100% of the total requirement. If using education to qualify, you must upload a legible copy of your college transcripts that includes your name, courses, and credit hours completed. 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.
Before you apply
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