Park Ranger (Interpretation)
What you'd do
You will serve as a Park Ranger (Interpretation) with National Park Service. You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work. You may be required to travel overnight away from home occasionally. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes. First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate.
Major duties
Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following: Coordinates and delivers technical support, training, and guidance to agencies, partners, and landowners nationwide in the development of interpretive media, planning documents, and site or program evaluations. Researches, writes, and designs interpretive content using graphic design and media production software; produces wayside exhibits, publications, web content, audiovisual scripts, digital media, and trail-wide interpretive products, ensuring products meet accessibility requirements. Facilitates planning meetings and small-group sessions with cooperating partners; provides leadership, orientation, and procedural guidance for interpretive media planning, site development, and project execution. Coordinates all phases of partner media projects, including reviewing funding proposals, drafting scopes of work, soliciting vendor quotes, and performing COR/ATR duties to monitor contractor and partner performance and ensure deliverables meet specifications. Implements and oversees internal control procedures to safeguard government property, funds, equipment, and records, ensuring compliance with applicable regulations and proper documentation of expenditures.
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 to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances the public interest. This probationary or trial 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 or trial 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 - 08/24/2026-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. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENT: To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level, you must possess 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-09 grade level in the federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience MUST include the following: 1) coordinating, managing or directing interpretive programs; 2) developing long range program plans and educational programs; 3) developing and training others on educational programs and; 4) managing interpretive staff or other similar work. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- Education: Successful completion of 3 full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education OR a Ph.D. OR equivalent doctoral degree related to the occupation. You must include transcripts. -OR- Combination of education and experience as listed above. You must include hours per week and transcripts. For more information qualifying education or on combining education and experience see OPM Qualification Standards linked below: Individual Occupational Requirements for Park Ranger Series, 0025 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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