Meteorological Technician (Winter Seasonal)

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is for Intermountain Region. Please refer to the "Location" section to see which National Parks are included on this announcement.

• Conducts field work to include snow stability tests, records snowpack observations, interprets and evaluates raw data dealing with snow stability, collects atmospheric and weather information, and maintenance of remote specialized weather stations.
• In the event of avalanche accidents or fatalities, may participate in rescue operations and will aid in the preparation of reports.
• Aids in the preparation of daily regional avalanche forecasts.
• Conducts avalanche education and outreach efforts to the public and park and partner employees.

Working Conditions: The work requires the incumbent to be exposed to potentially dangerous situations in hazardous mountain terrain and extreme cold temperatures. There are risks associated with a variety of circumstances, including avalanche occurrence, and conditions cannot be controlled. Protective equipment such as avalanche beacons, probes, and climbing equipment are used on a routine basis. Work is conducted in an outside environment where temperatures may reach -20F with high winds in steep avalanche terrain. Incumbent is expected to ski with heavy loads in steep mountainous terrain. Incumbent works alone at times and must be able to drive to different field sites.

Area Information: Grand Teton National Park and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway in northwestern Wyoming preserve a spectacular landscape. The park encompasses the Teton Range and broad valley of Jackson Hole. Majestic peaks, wild canyons, piedmont lakes, forests, sagebrush meadows and the Snake River combine into one of the most scenic settings anywhere in North America. With 333,000 combined acres, the parks are at the heart of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, one of the most biologically diverse regions of the world. Additionally, the park includes a wide array of cultural resources, including 318 historic structures, two national historic landmarks and over 300 archeological sites. Grand Teton is one of the most visited national parks in the country.

This position is located in Moose, WY. Services are available in the neighboring town of Jackson, a small, recreation focused community of 10,000 year round residents. The town caters to four million tourists every summer, has an excellent hospital, well-respected school system, grocery stores, restaurants, and seasonal festivals. Outdoor activities abound including hiking, camping, backpacking, horseback riding, boating, biking, fishing, skiing, and mountaineering. Summer temperatures range between 65 - 80 degrees. Winter temperatures range from 30 degrees to below zero with heavy snow.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Extreme physical is required in severe winter weather in high mountainous backcountry terrain, which requires employee to be in excellent physical condition and sufficiently skilled to be able to negotiate steep terrain on skis and on foot, and to withstand stress Will be required to operate a snowmobile on unpacked roads, Must be able to lift fifty pounds.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work requires the incumbent to be exposed to potentially dangerous situations in hazardous mountain terrain and extreme cold temperatures. There are risks associated with a variety of circumstances, including avalanche occurrence, and conditions cannot be controlled. Protective equipment such as avalanche beacons, probes, and climbing equipment are used on a routine basis. Work is conducted in an outside environment where temperatures may reach -20F with high winds in steep avalanche terrain. Incumbent is expected to ski with heavy loads in steep mountainous terrain.

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males must meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement.
• Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
• Selectee must possess a Wilderness First Responder certification or equivalent/higher by enter on duty date.
• Occupancy of government quarters may be required.
• Government housing may be available but is not guaranteed.
  • Use find a park to contact specific parks for more information on government housing.
• You may be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
• You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and/or shift work.
• You may be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel drive vehicle.
• You may be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license will be required in such cases.
  • You must be at least 18 years of age or older to operate government vehicles.
• You may be required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.
• You must be at least (1)18 years old or (2) at least 16 years old and: (a) Have graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or (b) Have completed a formal vocational training program; or (c) Have received a statement from school authorities agreeing with their preference for employment rather than continuing their education; or (d) Be currently enrolled in a secondary school and either work only during school vacation periods or work part-time during the school year under a formal student employment program.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-09/28/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your 2 page resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience.Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. You may only submit one resume. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed.

Selective Placement Factors:
Pro Avalanche Level II - Due to the technical nature of avalanche science the position requires Pro Avalanche level II or equivalent. Examples of equivalent certifications include National Avalanche School, AVPro, or PAWS (Professional Avalanche Workers School) etc. Candidates who do not meet these requirements by close of this announcement will receive no further consideration for this position.
-AND-
Wilderness First Responder - Due to the remoteness of the work locations and the need for prompt emergency medical assistance, this position requires certification as a Wilderness First Responder along with CPR certification.is required. Candidates who do not meet this requirement by close of this announcement will receive no further consideration for this position.

To qualify for this position at the GS-08 grade level, you must possess one of the following:
A: One full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-7 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: measuring meteorological phenomena with scientific equipment and instrumentation; conducting field snow stability tests and observations; evaluating weather maps, products, and data for determining avalanche forecasts; observing and recording atmospheric characteristics, i.e., temperature, air movement, visibility, pressure, air density, cloud types; decoding, plotting, and systematically recording data related to the physical characteristics of the atmosphere, i.e., charts, diagrams, cross sections; or collecting, analyzing, interpreting, adjusting, and verifying atmospheric and other meteorological data to confirm and improve accuracy and efficacy. . You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
B: Successful completion of two full year of graduate level education or a master's degree with a major study in a related field such as atmospheric science, meteorology, or other fields of study directly related to the position. You must include transcripts in your application materials.
-OR-
C: Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. You must include transcripts.

Qualifying experience may be obtained in the private or public sectors. The OPM Qualification Standards Handbook is available for review at: OPM Qualification Standards.

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.

A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score will be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position.

Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures.These procedures place candidates with veterans' preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service connected disability of at least 10-percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:

• Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position.
• Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job.
• Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.

You will be evaluated on the following competencies:

• Communications and Media
• Decision Making
• Technical Competence

Current or former displaced Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified. To meet the definition of well-qualified, you must (1) score at least 85 on the assessment questionnaire; (2) meet the minimum qualification requirements (education, experience or a combination therein), including any selective placement factors; and (3) be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry with reasonable accommodation, when applicable.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from 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.

ALL required documentation must be submitted to receive full consideration for eligibilities and veterans' preference selected.

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/28/2026:

1. Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates in month-year format (include month/day/year format if needed for 52 weeks of experience), and indicate hours worked per week (or full-time). Your resume must clearly show how long you have held each grade/rank. 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. 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. If you have federal experience, you should include series, and grade for each position held, and if experience is part of a career ladder position, you must clearly distinguish the job duties and length of time working for each grade level. More information on how to write a Federal Resume: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include
2. Complete All Required Assessments.
3. Other Supporting Documents, if applicable, such as:
   • Veterans' Preference Documentation:
     • If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF-15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.
     • If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
     • If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability.
4. Documentation that you meet Selective Factors. Provide a copy of your Pro Avalanche Level II certificate (or equivalent).
5. College transcripts if qualifying based on education.
6. Documentation for Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan 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 rated well-qualified or above 85 on the rating criteria for this position.

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 any badges, licenses, etc.

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

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