Park Ranger Job

Vacancy No. BOR-CGB-26-DE-12875383-AD Department Bureau of Reclamation
Salary $50,925.00 to $66,203.00 Grade 5 to 5
Perm/Temp Temporary FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 2/4/2026 Close Date 5/4/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Calaveras County, CANapa, CA


Summary

Reclamation is seeking qualified candidates looking to capitalize on their knowledge and skills as a seasonal park ranger. You can make a difference in the West by assisting in meeting increasing water demands while protecting the environment.

This is an open-continuous announcement:

  • First cut-off date for applications will be 2/18/26 (11:59 pm EST)
  • Second cut-off date will be 3/4/26
  • Third cut-off date will be 3/18/26
  • This announcement may be extended until all vacancies are filled.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.

Veterans

Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or a spouse, widow, widower or parent of a veteran, who may be eligible for derived preference

Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens and U.S. Nationals

Duties

Primary duties and responsibilities include:

  • Patrolling land and water areas to ensure safety and administrative compliance.
  • Providing information to visitors about points of interest, travel routes, historical and natural features, park activities, and safety precautions.
  • Inspecting facilities and checking for compliance with presiding ordinances regarding public safety, noise levels, sanitation, campfires, parking, etc.
  • Assisting in the development and coordination of interpretive program materials and activities.
  • Carrying out required tasks in support of our invasive mussel prevention program.
  • Responding to emergency calls and providing emergency first aid and other appropriate assistance.
  • Issuing recreation permits and monitoring permitted activities.
  • Performing other related duties as assigned within this job classification.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.
  • You must be suitable for federal employment, determined by a background investigation.
  • You must submit a resume and supporting documentation (see Required Documents).
  • You must submit eligibility documents for veterans consideration (see Required Documents).
  • You must meet any minimum education and/or experience requirements (see Qualifications).
  • You must submit copies of your college transcript(s) to verify education requirements (see Qualifications/Education).
  • Required to be available to work nights, weekends, and holidays. This position is considered an Emergency Essential Personnel. May be required to work in adverse weather conditions as needed.
  • Must possess and maintain a valid state-issued driver's license to operate a motor passenger vehicle. Failure to maintain a valid driver's license could result in removal from the position.
  • You will be required to obtain a successful pre-employment physical examination by a licensed physician certifying your ability to perform the duties of this position. The cost of the exam will be reimbursed by the agency.
  • Position is identified as a Drug Testing Designated Position. Selected candidates required to complete a standard drug screening test prior to employment and on a random basis thereafter.
  • Required to complete the Department of Interior's Motorboat Operator Certification Course (MOCC).
  • Required to wear the prescribed Bureau of Reclamation uniform while performing duties.
  • Must possess or obtain certification in First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) issued through the Red Cross or American Heart Association.
  • Occasional overnight business travel may be required.
Continue to the Additional Information section for the Condition of Employment for Probationary Period.

Qualifications

To be rated as qualified for this position, the servicing HR office must be able to determine that you meet the specialized experience requirements. This information must be clearly supported in your resume.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

To qualify for the GS-05: You must have one year of specialized experience that is comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-04 grade level in the Federal civil service, as it pertains to the management and safe operation of designated parks and/or recreation areas and the conservation of natural and cultural resources. Examples of qualifying experience include regularly patrolling outdoor areas and/or inspecting park facilities to ensure visitor safety and administrative compliance; assisting in the development of interpretative materials to distribute or present to diverse audiences; serving as a park aide and/or providing visitor assistance services. These examples are not all-inclusive and represent the type of work performed at the next lower grade level in the Federal civil service (GS-04).

- OR -

Applicants may otherwise qualify based on education, having successfully completed a four-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, with 24 semester hours of related coursework in any of the following specialized areas of study: natural resource management, natural science, earth science, history, archeology, anthropology, park and recreation management, social studies, museum science, police science/law enforcement, business administration, public administration, behavioral science, sociology, or other related subjects pertaining to the management and safe operation of designated parks and/or recreation areas and the conservation of natural and cultural resources. Related course work must facilitate the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully perform the major duties of the position to be filled. NOTE: You must submit legible copies of your college transcripts with your application if electing to qualify based on education alone.

A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed total percentage of the requirements that you meet equals to at least 100 percent. To compute the percentage, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then, divide your completed college semester hours by 120. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal to at least 100 percent to qualify. You must also include a legible copy of your college transcript with your application.

Qualifying 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.

You must meet all Eligibility and Qualification requirements by 05/04/2026.

Education

Applicants may otherwise qualify based on education, having successfully completed a four-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, with 24 semester hours of related coursework in any of the following specialized areas of study: natural resource management, natural science, earth science, history, archeology, anthropology, park and recreation management, social studies, museum science, police science/law enforcement, business administration, public administration, behavioral science, sociology, or other related subjects pertaining to the management and safe operation of designated parks and/or recreation areas and the conservation of natural and cultural resources. Related course work must facilitate the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully perform the major duties of the position to be filled. NOTE: You must submit legible copies of your college transcripts with your application if electing to qualify based on education alone.

A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position if the computed total percentage of the requirements that you meet equals to at least 100 percent. To compute the percentage, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then, divide your completed college semester hours by 120. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal to at least 100 percent to qualify. You must also include a legible copy of your college transcript with your application.

Qualifying 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.

You will be required to provide official college transcripts to verify educational qualifications, if selected. An official transcript must be sent directly from the University's Registrar's office and must be provided from the institution awarding the degree. Academic transcripts certified by notary publics are NOT official. Official transcripts must be submitted prior to reporting to work as a condition of employment. Failure to submit official transcripts may be grounds for dismissal or rescission of the final job offer.

Accreditation: Only education from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education is acceptable to meet education requirements or to substitute for experience, if applicable. For additional info, refer to the Office of Personnel Management and U.S. Department of Education.

Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. For additional info, refer to the U.S. Network for Education Information.

Additional information

Initial consideration will be given to candidates whose applications have been received before the first cut-off date. Qualification requirements must be met for those applications submitted by the first cut-off date.

Condition of Employment for Probationary Period: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a one-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.

DOI uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including applicant rights and responsibilities, please visit https://www.e-verify.gov/

Direct deposit enrollment is required.

Male applicants born after 12/31/1959: You must certify registration with the Selective Service System or that you are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Go to: https://www.sss.gov

This is a bargaining unit position.

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

Please limit your resume to no more than 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.

Category rating and selection procedures will be used to evaluate applications from this announcement. If an applicant meets the basic qualification requirements, his/her on-line responses to the vacancy assessment questionnaire will be used to determine the quality and extent of his/her experience, education, training, etc., for placement in one of the following categories: 1) Best Qualified, 2) Well Qualified, and 3) Qualified. Qualified candidates will be assigned a numerical score on a scale of 70-100. The category rating process does not include veterans preference points nor applies the "rule of three", however protects the rights of Veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference applicants within each applicable quality category. Eligible candidates who meet the minimum qualification requirements and have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent will be included in the highest applicable quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional occupations at the GS-09 level or higher).

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

The USA Hire technical assessment questionnaire includes scoring based on the minimum required proficiency level in critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the minimum score to be considered further. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut-off score or fail to complete the technical assessment questionnaire. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials and/or the technical assessment questionnaire may result in your removal from further consideration. Cheating on an assessment questionnaire may also result in your removal from further consideration.

Individuals who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents, and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies with the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s). Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration. You may choose to opt in of having your information shared with other agencies when applying for this position. If an agency requests a copy of a certificate you are placed on, you will be notified.

Required Documents

Please submit the supporting documents outlined below applicable to your claimed eligibility status and the position and grade to which you are applying. Failing to submit required documents will result in non-consideration due to an incomplete application package.

To be considered for this position, you must submit a resume that demonstrates how your skills and knowledge obtained through related work experience meet the qualifications and requirements listed in the job announcement. Each job experience must include dates of employment (i.e., start and end dates in month and year format), work schedule (full-time or part-time), and total amount of hours worked per week. For more information, click here.

TRANSCRIPTS: Required for candidates using education as a basis for qualifying for the position.

VETERANS: If you are entitled to veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your latest Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (copy indicating character of service or Member-4 copy) or other certified proof of your service that also reflects the character of service. If claiming disability preference, you must also submit the disability letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs or Armed Service and the Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, Standard Form 15. For more information, click here.

CAREER TRANSITION PROGRAMS: Permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. You must submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualifications or education and experience requirements) and score at least 85.0 on the assessment questionnaire as established, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. For more information, click here.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

Applications (resume, assessment questionnaire, and supporting documentation) for this vacancy MUST be received online BEFORE midnight Eastern Time (Washington, DC time) on 05/04/2026. To apply, click the blue APPLY ONLINE button at the top of the page.

Do not submit photographs with the application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - applicant must remove any images from badges, licenses, etc.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here.

Agency contact information

BOR CA Great Basin Human Resources Office
Phone
916-978-5476
Fax
916-978-5563
Email
mpjobs@usbr.gov
Address
CCAO
Bureau of Reclamation
7794 Folsom Dam Road
Folsom, CA 95630
US

Next steps

Upon successful submission of the application packet, you will receive a confirmation email from USAJOBS. If you do not receive this email confirmation, the application has not yet been accepted by the system.

After all application packages have been received, resumes and supporting document(s) will be reviewed to ensure applicants meet the basic qualification requirements. Each applicant who meets the basic qualifications will be further evaluated on the information provided in the resume, application questionnaire, and other assessment criteria identified in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section above. Best-qualified applicants will be referred to the selecting official. After making a tentative job offer, a suitability and/or security background investigation will be conducted. A final job offer is typically made within 40 days after the deadline for applications. Applicants should monitor their status for positions with the Bureau of Reclamation by regularly checking their public status notifications in the USAJOBS profile.