Park Guide (Traffic Control) Job in Sequoia National Park, CA

Vacancy No. PW-1548-SR-25-12595296-DE Department National Park Service
Salary $17.00 to $22.09 Grade 4 to 4
Perm/Temp Temporary FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 11/18/2024 Close Date 12/2/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Sequoia National Park, CA


Summary

These positions are located in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, in the Division of Interpretation, Education and Partnerships.

Applications must be submitted by 11:59 EST on 12/02/2024 to be considered.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

The Pacific West Region is recruiting for TEMPORARY seasonal positions not to exceed 6 months (1,039 hours) work in a service year. Dates of employment will vary between park sites depending on funding, weather conditions and visitation. Within regulatory limitations, the length of initial appointment may be shortened or extended depending on work availability and funding. For information about work season, government housing availability, and rate of pay, please review the "Duties" below.

Duties

These positions are located at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in the Division of Interpretation, Education and Partnerships, and are supervised by the parks' Transportation Specialist. These parks receive significant visitation (~1.7 million annually) and administratively are among the most complex units of the National Park Service. These parks include some 550 permanent and temporary federal employees as well as over 1,000 volunteers who provide a wide range of public service and support operations which are similar to operations more typically found in a municipal city. These are five major divisions, each of which is further subdivided into functional branches.

Duties:

  • Monitors vehicular traffic levels against pedestrian traffic and controls intersections with regards to safety and smooth flow of vehicles.
  • Monitors parking lots, directing vehicles including buses and recreational vehicles to appropriate parking stalls.
  • Answers a variety of visitor questions.
  • Explains regulations to park visitors and provides information and advice on park activities and cultural, historic, and/or natural resources history and location.
  • Provides public orientation and explanations of current park events and informs visitors of potential safety hazards.
  • Provides a wide range of services to visitors, including assistance with lost articles, lost parties, car trouble, and first aid (within parameters of current certification); and provides information about weather conditions, highway routes, park and concessioner facilities, and prices.
  • Reports to supervisor and public use/recreation/traffic violations or individual visitor use problems or problematic trends, describes extend of problem and makes on the spot corrections whenever appropriate, reports names of witnesses and/or involved persons when possible. Anticipates traffic/parking management problems and suggestions to immediate supervisor.
The person(s) in this position work closely with staff in the 0025 - Park Ranger series. There may be opportunities for the person(s) in this position to provide interpretive programming (such as interpretive talks, evening campfire programs, and guided walks), to the public, depending on interest and ability.

The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period is April but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: April-May 2025.

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks represent an extraordinary continuum of ecosystems (96% designated wilderness) arrayed along the greatest vertical relief (1,370 to 14,505 feet elevation) of any protected area in the lower 48 states. They are the highest, most rugged reaches of the Sierra Nevada Mountains (including Mount Whitney at 14,500 feet elevation) and feature the world's largest trees - Giant Sequoias. Sequoia National Park is the nation's second oldest national park (established September 25, 1890) and encompasses 404,863 acres. Kings Canyon was established on March 4, 1940 and encompasses 458,847 acres. Both parks provide a wealth of recreational opportunities via 835 miles of trails, wild and scenic rivers, alpine lakes, and caves, along with a full range of overnight lodging prospects to choose from that include 14 campgrounds. For area information visit: https://www.nps.gov/seki/getinvolved/workwithus.htm.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
  • Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • 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.
  • You will be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record. You must also submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that disclose all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you.
  • You will 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 shift work.
  • Government housing is available.
  • Travel, transportation & relocation expenses will not be paid. Relocation expenses will be the employee's responsibility.
  • Poor air quality afflicts Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, especially during summer months - generally May to October. High ozone levels may be the most harmful pollutant here. In summer months, concentrations often exceed the federal ozone health standards. For more information: http://www.nps.gov/seki/learn/nature/airqualityinfo.htm.
  • Applicants 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 -12/02/2024-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your 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.

To qualify for this position at the GS-04 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement.

EXPERIENCE: At least six months of general experience AND six months specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-03 grade level in the Federal service, performing progressively responsible clerical, office or other work which has given the ability to acquire the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of a Park Guide (Traffic Control). General experience includes greeting the public, disseminating information, and providing directions. Specialized experience includes 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. You must include hours per week worked.

-OR-

EDUCATION: Successful completion of two years of education above high school (60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours) that included at least 12 semester hours of coursework such as such as American history, science, and/or public speaking. This education was obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college, or university. (You MUST submit a copy of your transcripts indicating number of credit hours in order to qualify based on education). You must include transcripts.

-OR-

Successful COMBINATION of education and experience. You must submit transcripts and hours worked per week.

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.

ICTAP/CTAP Statement: Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special prior­ity selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. Well qualified means that the applicant meets the following: OPM qualification standards for the position; all selective placement factors, where applicable; special qualifying conditions that OPM has approved for the position, where applicable; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at least at the well qualified level on all competencies.

Education

To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

Additional information

For additional information about this position, please contact:
Jason Deger, Sequoia District Interpreter
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
559-565-4430
jason_deger@nps.gov

A Recruitment Incentive May Be Authorized for a newly selected employee when appointed to a permanent, temporary, or term position. A Federal employee who is transferring to the National Park Service from another component, bureau or Federal agency and who does not meet the conditions under 5 CFR §575.102 is not eligible for a recruitment incentive.

Physical Demands: The work demands long periods of standing in a fixed stations or walking-sometimes in extreme weather conditions. Occasional climbing and descending steep inclines, bending, and lifting moderately heavy items in a repetitive motion are required. Occasionally, light to moderate hiking is required on developed and primitive park trails, up to six miles in length and elevation gains of up to 600 feet. Mental stress and physical fatigue occur due to high volume of personal contacts, occasional emergency responses, and repetitive nature of interpretive programs. Intense concentration is required during stressful situations and working at full effort for several hours at a time. May be required to perform these duties for long periods without rest or relief. Incumbent must be able to speak clearly and use a handheld radio. Work typically requires the daily operation of a motor vehicle on steep mountainous roads.

Working Conditions: The outdoor work will be performed at elevations from approximately 1,300 feet to 8,000 feet resulting in exposure to rain, snow, wind and direct sunlight. Traffic Control work will be performed primarily on blacktop and pavement. Field work includes exposure to extreme weather conditions, steep and uneven terrain, pesticides, poisonous plants, biting insects, and wild animals.

The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.

Non-Competitive Rehire Eligibility: Temporary seasonal employees can only maintain their non-competitive rehire eligibility if they work no more than a combined total of Temporary NTE less than 1040 hours anywhere in the National Park Service (NPS) within their established service year. Accordingly, non-competitive rehire eligibility allows for re-appointment to the same position or another position appropriate for temporary appointment with the same qualification requirements (5 CFR 316.402[b][7]), based on series and grade, anywhere in the major subdivision (NPS).

If you have held a temporary seasonal appointment in the past 12 months and have already worked the maximum temporary appointment less than 1040 hours during that period, you are still welcome to apply. However, please be aware that exceeding the limit of 1040 hours in your established service year will result in the loss of your non-competitive rehire eligibility.

The limit can be exceeded by working multiple temporary seasonal positions that result in a combined total greater than 1040 hours. The limit also can be exceeded by working a single temporary seasonal appointment that exceeds 1040 hours, unless granted an exception by OPM.

Employment may be terminated at any time due to fluctuations in funding levels, project needs, employee performance, or other considerations.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

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. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions can affect your rating.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's 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 two categories:

  • 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:
  • Customer Service
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Oral Communication
  • Technical Competence

Required Documents

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM EST on the 'applicant cut-off' date (which may be sooner than 12/02/2024):

  1. Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates specified in month and year format, and, indicate hours worked per week. If military or civilian (current or former), please include your rank and/or grade.
  2. A complete Occupational Questionnaire
  3. Documentation that you meet Selective Factors
  4. College transcripts, if qualifying based on education
  5. 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 SF15. 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.
  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 90 on the rating criteria for this position.
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.

How to Apply

To apply for this position: You must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM EST when the 'applicant cut-off' is reached (which may be sooner than 12/02/2024). WE DO NOT ACCEPT HARD-COPY OR E-MAIL APPLICATION PACKAGES.

  1. Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account.
  2. Prompted to Start the Application Process by selecting "Start Application."
  3. Select or add the resume you want to use for this application. Click here on how to build a resume in USAJOBS.
  4. Select documents you want included in this application.
  5. Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed.
  6. Select if you want to include your demographic information.
  7. After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site."
  8. Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application.
  9. Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown.
    • Upload any missing required documents or optional documents.
  10. Review and Submit Application.
  11. While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position.
  12. You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement.
    • To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select "+" next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job.
    • Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. So it is important that you select all documents you want to use in the re-application.

Agency contact information

Christopher Lee
Address
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
47050 Generals Highway
Three Rivers, CA 93271
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Once the Occupational Questionnaire is received you will receive acknowledgement that your submission was successful. If you are among the most qualified candidates and your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly for a possible interview. You will be notified of the status of your Application Package at the time candidates are referred for consideration, and when the selection process is complete.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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