FUL-Field Staff Law Enforcement Ranger

Clarification from the agency

This position is being filled under the Field Unit Local Hiring Authority and is open to U.S. citizens and nationals who meet all eligibility requirements, including permanent and exclusive residency within the defined vicinity of the field unit as described in this announcement. Under this authority, veterans' preference and traditional rating and ranking procedures do not apply.

Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following:

• Performs commissioned law enforcement duties, including investigating criminal activity; apprehending, detaining, arresting, or prosecuting violators; issuing citations; transporting prisoners; and enforcing laws and regulations that protect Bureau facilities, resources, and public safety.
• Conducts comprehensive criminal investigations, including securing and protecting crime scenes; collecting, seizing, and preserving evidence; preparing violation notices and criminal complaints; applying for and executing search and arrest warrants; and testifying or presenting evidence before grand juries in felony cases.
• Supports prosecution activities, recommending appropriate sentences and restitution; serving as a technical specialist in Federal, State, and local courts; and preparing and justifying arrest warrants for defendants who fail to appear.
• Conducts specialized surveillance and investigative operations, including participating in ground and air surveillance missions, collaborating with multiple law enforcement agencies, and completing special details and multi-agency investigations.
• Provides training and public engagement, instructing other law enforcement personnel on natural resource laws and enforcement practices, establishing contact with public land users to ensure compliance, and delivering interpretive presentations that promote resource protection.

Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and recommendation by the position's supervisor.

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

Physical Demands: Duties involve performing physically rigorous assignments, oftentimes in isolated outdoor environments, frequently while exposed to severe weather conditions. Working conditions may be dangerous and pose the potential risk of loss of life or serious injury to the Incumbent. Dangerous persons, many of whom are known to be combative and carry weapons, must be physically confronted, subdue and apprehended, sometimes with no backup, far from assistance or help. Prisoners must be kept under physical restraint during transport and processing. Incumbent must be capable of engaging in maximum physical exertion without warning, pursuing perpetrators on foot, or responding to life threatening emergencies. Incumbent must possess sufficient aerobic capacity and muscular strength to subdue perpetrators or participate in sustained emergency or rescue efforts. Criminal investigations often must be conducted without regard to fixed work schedules, days off, or opportunities for proper rest or nutrition. Long hours conducting surveillance, investigations, apprehension, transport of prisoners, etc. are required of the Incumbent Carrying heavy objects and traversing long distances over difficult or hazardous terrain in extreme weather conditions are normal requirements for the position. Incumbent is required to participate in the assigned Bureau's mandatory physical fitness program that equips the incumbent to perform all physical aspects of the position. The requirement to maintain a minimum level of physical fitness is a condition of employment and Incumbent will be required to demonstrate his/her physical qualifications on a regular recurring basis. There is a high-stress component to much of the incumbent's work assignment.

Working Conditions: While some work may be performed in an office setting, most of the work is performed outdoors in all kinds of weather and climatic conditions. The work is performed at various hours of the day and night and for prolonged periods during emergency situations. Long periods of surveillance work may be required in cramped or unpleasant locations and under unpleasant conditions during investigations. The incumbent is frequently exposed to high-risk and potentially dangerous situations in law enforcement and emergency types of situations requiring use of a wide range of personal protective gear (some of which may be uncomfortable, hot, or inconvenient to wear), adherence to specific safety procedures, and other precautions. Incumbent is required to operate motor vehicles of various types, may be required to fly in small fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft, and may be required to operate and/or ride in/on snowmobiles, and various sizes of watercraft.

Conditions of employment

• Must provide proof of U.S. citizenship.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Direct Deposit participation required.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit www.dhs.gov/EVerify/.
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
• Pre-employment and random drug testing are required. You will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test is received.
• A physical examination will be required, or a statement regarding physical ability will need to be completed. You must maintain physical fitness standards throughout employment.
• You cannot hold an active real estate license, nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period -OR- 2-year trial 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.

*Additional Requirements located under qualifications*

Qualifications

Requirements Continued...

• You are required to wear a uniform and comply with the uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
• You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
• Firearm qualification and certification are required for the role, and ongoing proficiency must be maintained. You must be free of any domestic violence convictions. You must be 21 or older. (see Firearm Requirement under additional information section).
• Must successfully complete 40 hours of in-service training annually.
• Must maintain a delegation of law enforcement authority.
• All Law Enforcement Rangers who are new to the BLM are required to complete the introduction to Resource Protection Training Program within their first two years of assignment.
• All Law Enforcement Rangers will complete the Natural Resource Police Training (NRPT) at the FLETC or an approved equivalent law enforcement training school before they are delegated law enforcement authority. This training must be completed within the first 12 months of appointment. Successful completion of the BLM's Field Training and Evaluation Program (FTEP) must occur within one year of receiving delegation of law enforcement authority. Failure to complete the FTEP will result in the loss of law enforcement delegation and/or termination of employment.
• Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade requirement in accordance with 5 CFR 300.604. If you are a current Federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must have completed a minimum of 52 weeks at the next lower grade level.

This position will be filled under the Field Unit Local Hiring Authority. Eligibility is limited to applicants who reside within the defined local commuting area at the time of application. For this announcement, the local commuting area is the area from which individuals can reasonably commute to the duty station under normal conditions.

• The defined vicinity for this position at Eastern Montana/Daks District: A radius of 60 miles from the official duty station of: Miles City, MT, Belle Fourche, SD
• The defined vicinity for this position at North Central Montana District: A radius of 75 miles from the official duty station of: Lewistown, MT; Ft. Benton, MT; Great Falls, MT; Havre, MT; Malta, MT; Glasgow MT.

You must provide proof of residency within the defined vicinity (e.g. mortgage or property deed, lease/rental agreement, utility bill, insurance policy, etc.). See the Required Documents section for information on how to verify current residence.

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 08/03/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. All candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements.

To receive credit for experience, 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.

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) will be rated not qualified.

• Successfully completed or will complete (within 12 months on duty) the Land Management Training Program (LMTP), OR National Park Ranger Integrated Training Program (NPRI). This information is clearly indicated in your resume and certificate of completion is provided in supporting documents.
• Possess a valid, current, State driver's license.
• Prior primary experience and training as a law enforcement officer carrying out duties involving the investigation, apprehension, and/or detention, of persons suspected or convicted of offenses against the criminal laws of the United States.

To qualify at the GS-09 level: You must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-07 level that is equivalent in difficulty and complexity as indicated by the following examples:

Specialized Experience Requirement: prior experience as a law enforcement officer providing foot and vehicle patrol; assisting in the prosecution of violators of law; issuing warnings and citations; making arrests; and preparing investigation reports.
-OR-
Education: In lieu of specialized experience, applicants may substitute their education. Qualifying education at this level is defined as 2 full years of graduate level education leading to a master's degree or a master's degree.
-OR-
Combination of education and experience: A combination of both education and experience may be qualifying. Education should be in a field that provided the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to do the work, e.g. law enforcement, police administration, criminology or criminal justice. Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet the experience requirements.

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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

This position is being filled under the Field Unit Local Hiring Authority. Under this authority, competitive rating, ranking, and veterans' preference procedures do not apply. The Servicing Human Resources Office will determine whether applicants meet the qualification and eligibility requirements described in this announcement. Applicants who meet these requirements may be referred to the selecting official on a certificate of eligibles for consideration.

You must certify that you will maintain a permanent and exclusive residence within the defined vicinity of the field unit(s) listed in this announcement.

Upon receipt of a completed application package, the Servicing Human Resources Office will review your resume and supporting documentation to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification requirements described in this announcement.

Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages. Resumes longer than two pages will not be reviewed. Applicants may submit only one resume. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine qualifications and eligibility. If more than one resume is submitted, only the most recent submission will be reviewed.

If your resume is incomplete or does not demonstrate that you meet the qualification requirements or specialized experience described in this announcement, you may be determined ineligible or not qualified for further consideration.

Providing false or misleading information on your resume or supporting documentation may result in removal from consideration or other action consistent with applicable federal hiring regulations. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 08/03/2026:

1. Two Page Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, dates specified in month and year format, and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount qualified specialized experience. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. Headers may be slightly larger but must remain legible. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. Your 2-page resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements. Note: Current and former Federal employees should include pay plan, series, and grade level for relevant federal experience. If experience is for a career ladder position, please ensure to clearly distinguish the job duties for each grade level and how long you were working in each grade level. Resume Builder: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include
2. Proof of residence (e.g. mortgage or property deed, lease/rental agreement, utility bill, insurance policy). SF-50 cannot be accepted as proof of residence.
3. All college transcript(s), if qualifying based on education. Please submit both undergraduate and graduate level transcripts, as applicable.
4. Documentation for Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP/CTAP) consideration if you are a displaced Federal employee within the local commuting area. You must include: 1) Proof you are a displaced Federal employee, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc.; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be well qualified. ICTAP/CTAP eligibles will be considered well qualified if they exceed minimal qualifications for this position (i.e. Resume supports substantial possession of stated competencies) for the position.
5. Current or prior federal employees who hold or have held a non-temporary appointment in the federal competitive or excepted service within the previous 52 weeks must submit official documentation (i.e. SF50s) proving they meet time-in-grade requirements to be eligible for the grade level of this announcement.
6. Documentation that you meet Selective Factors

Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from all documents.

Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.

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