Duties
The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period for each duty station is listed below. These employment periods can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding.
Denali National Park and Preserve (DENA) - Denali Park, Alaska - Anticipated employment period is March - September. Anticipated Entrance on Duty: March 2025.
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve (GLBA) - Bartlett Cove, Alaska - Anticipated employment period is March - September. Anticipated Entrance on Duty: March 2025.
Kenai Fjords National Park (KEFJ) - Seward, Alaska - Anticipated employment period is April - September. Anticipated Entrance on Duty: April 2025.
Lake Clark National Park and Preserve (LACL) - Port Alsworth, Alaska - Anticipated employment period is April - September. Anticipated Entrance on Duty: April 2025.
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve (WRST) - Copper Center, Alaska - Anticipated employment period is April - September. Anticipated Entrance on Duty: April 2025.
Duties include but are not limited to the following:
Training: Assists in planning, implementing, and delivering interpretive skills and educational theory and methodology training to seasonal staff. This includes creating and delivering training sessions that, topic aside, are by their very nature demonstrations of desired interpretive programming. Works with training planning team to evaluate effectiveness of training program and to develop innovations to substantially improve its effectiveness.
Coaching: Observes interpretive programs and shares oral and written feedback in a supportive, professional manner. Mentors and leads seasonal staff in day-to-day program development. Uses effective leadership and communication skills to work with interpreters in such a way as to promote respect, confidence, teamwork, and professionalism. Works with coaching team to evaluate effectiveness of coach training program, coaching protocols, and coach effectiveness, and to develop innovations for substantial improvement.
Interpretation: Researches, develops, and presents a variety of formal and informal interpretive programs which may include conducted walks, campground programs, off trail wilderness hikes and illustrative programs and which demonstrate a clear grasp of the principles of interpretation. Prepares written interpretive program outlines. Competent with PC compatible equipment and software such as PowerPoint, MS Word, scanners, printers, etc.
Operations: Develops work schedules. Update or write manuals, SOPs and handouts. Identifies and reports on facility conditions, exhibit conditions, supply inventories and purchasing needs. Communicates effectively with other divisions and park partners.
Please visit find a park for additional park information.
Government Housing may be available at the following duty stations: Bartlett Cove, Copper Center, Denali Park, and Seward.
Government Housing is available at Port Alswoth.
Alaska currently does not have a state income tax.
Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid. All travel, transportation, and relocation expenses associated with reporting for duty in this position will be the sole responsibility of the selected employees.
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.
Physical Demands: The work requires some physical exertion and can involve extensive periods of standing and walking, in some cases over rough surfaces or inclines outdoors or in caves, and carrying backpacks, tools, rescue equipment, or other loads. Some employees may engage in firefighting, search and rescue, and other strenuous activities; these employees may be required to lift or carry equipment weighing more than 50 pounds over long distances. Employees who participate in all-risk operations will be required to meet fitness requirements on a continuing basis.
Working Conditions: The work can include moderate risks or discomforts that require safety precautions (e.g. exposure to extreme temperatures, climates, rough terrain, wild animals, pests, and/or insects). The incumbent may be required to use protective clothing or gear, such as masks, boots, gloves, etc. Some employees may be engaged in all-risk operations and be exposed to high risk and potentially dangerous situations which require a range of safety and other precautions.
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.
- At Port Alsworth duty station, you will be required to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment. In addition, this position may be subject to random testing for illegal drug use.
- At Port Alsworth duty station, you will be required to submit to a drug test based on the collateral duty requiring firearms in the back-country or other locations for non-law enforcement reasons such as protection from animals.
- 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 5 nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
- Fee Collection duties apply to Denali Park Headquarters duty station. If selected for this position, you will be required to receive a higher-level background investigation for Fee Collection.
- At GLBA - Bartlett Cove duty station - you will be required to perform ladder transfers from a transfer vessel to a cruise ship. You must be physically and mentally able to climb rope ladders 15 feet in height during transfer from one vessel to another while both boats are in motion in exposed waters.
Qualifications
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-10/25/2024-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.
Resume - 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 number of hours worked per week, full-time, or part-time. If you indicate part-time, you MUST indicate the number of hours worked per week so that your qualifying experience can be prorated for credit.
To qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of this position. Specialized experience must include: developing and leading interpretive or interpretive education programs; and assisting with the coordination and planning efforts for interpretive or interpretive education programs. You must include the number of hours worked per week within your resume.
-OR-
EDUCATION: You must have 2 full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or a master's or equivalent graduate degree in one of the following fields: natural resource management, natural sciences, earth sciences, history, archeology, anthropology, park and recreation management, law enforcement/police science, social sciences, museum sciences, business administration, public administration, behavioral sciences, sociology, or other closely related subjects pertinent to the management and protection of natural and cultural resources. Course work in fields other than those specified may be accepted if it clearly provides applicants with the background of knowledge and skills necessary for successful job performance in the position to be filled. (One year of graduate education is 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours). You must include a copy of your transcripts and the number of hours worked per week within your resume.
-OR-
COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: You must have an equivalent combination of such education and experience. To calculate your percentage of qualifying graduate education, divide your number of semester hours in excess of 18 semester hours by 18 or the number your school uses to represent one year of full time graduate academic study. To calculate your percentage of experience, divide your months of qualifying specialized experience by 12. Add the two percentages. They must equal 100% to qualify using this option. You must include the number of hours worked per week within your resume and submit a copy of your transcripts.
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.
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.
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.
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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), and the responses you provide on the application questionnaire 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 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:
- Education and Training
- Influencing/Negotiating
- Interpretation
- Leadership
- Teaching Others
- Writing
In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process.
How to Apply
To apply for this position: You must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 10/25/2024. 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.
- Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account.
- Prompted to Start the Application Process by selecting "Start Application."
- Select or add the resume you want to use for this application. Click here on how to build a resume in USAJOBS.
- Select documents you want included in this application.
- Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed.
- Select if you want to include your demographic information.
- After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site."
- Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application.
- Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown.
- Upload any missing required documents or optional documents.
- Review and Submit Application.
- While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position.
- 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.
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.
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.
A Relocation Incentive May Be Authorized for a Federal employee when the employee must move, as directed by the National Park Service (NPS) either through a management directed reassignment or selection for employment, to a different location at least 50 miles away from the one where his/her position of record held at time of selection is currently located, due to a need of the NPS. A relocation incentive is not the same as a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move and, as such, may be granted in conjunction with one another.