Park Ranger (Alpine Rescue and Mountaineering) Job

Vacancy No. PW-1548-SR-25-12594322-DE Department National Park Service
Salary $32.17 to $41.83 Grade 9 to 9
Perm/Temp Temporary FT/PT Part-time
Open Date 11/18/2024 Close Date 11/29/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Ashford, WALongmire, WA


Summary

These positions located in Mount Rainier National Park, in the Visitor and Resource Protection Division.

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

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

The Pacific West Region is recruiting for TEMPORARY seasonal positions not to exceed 1039 hours work in a service year. Dates of employment will vary 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.

Duties

This position requires the mastery of a broad array of special technical skills, as well as leadership attributes in high-risk operations, with less than weekly oversight provided by a GS-11 supervisor. Incumbents are expected to enter on duty with a professional level of climbing and winter mountaineering background and experience. Major duties include:

  • Staffing high camps and performing climbing patrols on Mount Rainier
  • Conducting training and teaching advanced mountaineering techniques
  • Performing alpine rescues, conducting emergency medical services, as well as a broad array of aviation/helicopter insertion and extraction techniques including Human External Cargo (short haul) operations.
  • Overseeing daily operations of up to 10 rangers and mentoring individual rangers.
  • Duties related to visitor services and resource protection make up a third of the position. The incumbent makes visitor contacts and ensures that visitors are complying with park regulations.
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.

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

Mount Rainier National Park is located in southeast Pierce County and northeast Lewis County in Washington state. It was established on March 2, 1899 as the fifth national park in the United States. The park encompasses 236,381 acres (369.35 sq mi; 956.60 km2) including all of Mount Rainier, a 14,411-foot (4,392 m) stratovolcano. The mountain rises abruptly from the surrounding land with elevations in the park ranging from 1,600 feet to over 14,000 feet (490 - 4,300 m). The highest point in the Cascade Range, around it are valleys, waterfalls, subalpine meadows, old-growth forest and more than 25 glaciers. The volcano is often shrouded in clouds that dump enormous amounts of rain and snow on the peak every year and hide it from the crowds that head to the park on weekends. The Carbon Glacier is the largest glacier by volume in the contiguous United States, while Emmons Glacier is the largest glacier by area.

About 1.8 million people visit Mount Rainier National Park each year. Mount Rainier is a popular peak for mountaineering with some 11,500 attempts per year with approximately 50% making it to the summit. Work takes place at all levels in the park from low-country ranger stations to climbing and rescue activities at the summit. Work is extremely strenuous and often conducted in poor weather. Backcountry travel is required and subject to primitive conditions and composes up to several weeks each year.

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.
  • You will be required to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use.
  • 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.
  • You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 16 nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
  • The incumbent may be assigned to work in in-park travel status at remote high camps for up to eight days at a time.
  • The incumbent may be expected to work up to 100% of any given month in travel status on wildland fire, helicopter crew, emergency incidents, or other assignments.
  • Government housing MAY be available.
  • Travel, transportation & relocation expenses will not be paid. Relocation expenses will be the employee's responsibility.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-11/29/2024-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.

SELECTIVE FACTORS: In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications, applicants must also possess the following selective factors to be considered for this position.
1) This position performs alpine rescue and mountaineering and requires applicants to have at least 20 professional ascents of routes on peaks over 14,000 feet where at least half the routes are typified by overwhelming glaciated terrain OR have completed an American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) or IFMGA-affiliated (International Federation of Mountain Guide Associations) Advanced Alpine Guide Course or an Advanced Ski Guide Course. Applicants must document how they meet this requirement to be considered qualified for this position (best done in a separate climbing resume or log to reflect professional ascents). Candidates who do not meet this requirement by close of this announcement will receive no further consideration for this position.
2) This position requires applicants to have an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Certification or higher through the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) or the equivalent through a State Emergency Medical Service Organization. Candidates who do not meet this requirement by entry on duty will receive no further consideration for this position.
3) This position requires applicants to be a certified Helicopter Crewmember (HECM) or Helicopter All-Hazards Crewmember (HEAC). Candidates who do not meet this requirement by close of this announcement will receive no further consideration for this position.
4) Applicants must enter on duty with a Pro-1 Level Avalanche Certification. If you are attending a course between the application period and entry on duty, you MUST indicate which organization will be providing the training and expected course completion date.

- AND -
To qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level, you must possess all 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-07 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience MUST include: 1) Climbing alpine mountaineering routes in a professional capacity (ex: Park Ranger, Mountain Guide, or Instructor); 2) Performing emergency medical services; and 3) Managing search and rescue activities. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least 2 full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education OR a master's or equivalent graduate degree related to the occupation. You must submit a copy of your transcripts as proof of any claimed education.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. You must submit a copy of your transcripts as proof of any claimed education.

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 more information on the position, please contact:
Stefan Lofgren, Climbing Program Manager, stefan_lofgren@nps.gov or 253-732-2099

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.

Physical Demands: The work requires regularly climbing on steep, even vertical, snow and icy surfaces (snowfields and glaciers) from sea level to the summit on Mount Rainier (14,500 feet) and is often exhausting. Activities require carrying heavy (50 lbs.) backpacks, lifting and carrying heavy (50 lbs.) objects, walking and/ or hiking and/or backcountry ski distances up to 15 miles per day, and working at night. Due to the nature of mountaineering, work can occur any time during the day, and emergencies can arise that require the employee to work through the night in an "initial attack" capacity. The incumbent should be able to climb from Paradise to Camp Muir in 4 hours or less in normal summer conditions.

Working Conditions: Work is performed inside and outside. Weather conditions may include sub-freezing temperatures, severe winds with gusts as high as 100 mph, freezing rain and fog, snow, and intense sun and heat from solar radiation. High camps are situated at approximately 10,000 feet, and field activities will climb to altitudes of approximately 14,500 feet, and possible camp at that altitude. Terrain at work sites may include glaciers, crevasses, steep to vertical snow slopes, steep to overhanging ice cliffs, talus slopes, and vertical rock. Work conditions will require close occupancy with other rangers in the field for up to eight days in a row. Food and water will be packed to remote locations and cooking done communally with other employees. For longer trips, employees may need to melt snow and ice for water. Many nights during an eight-day shift will be spent on the mountain camping in a tent, sleeping bag, and using foam pads for a mattress.

The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are NOT suitable for telework.

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 based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessments required for this position. 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:
  • Risk Management
  • Stamina
  • Teaching Others
  • Technical Competence

Required Documents

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/29/2024:

  1. 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, 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. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade.
  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 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.
  4. Documentation that you meet ALL selective factors.
  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 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.

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

To apply for this position: You must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/29/2024. You must provide documentation to support your claim for each eligibility selected. Please review the required documentation listed in the eligibilities language to ensure you submit the appropriate information. Note: You will only be marked eligible for those eligibilities that you selected and provided the appropriate supporting documentation.

WE DO NOT ACCEPT HARD-COPY OR E-MAIL APPLICATION PACKAGES.

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Agency contact information

Kelley Kennec
Address
Mount Rainier National Park
55210 238th Avenue East
Ashford, WA 98304
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.


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