Park Ranger (Leader) Job in Taos, NM

Vacancy No. BLM-NM-25-12751151-IMP-HVN Department Bureau of Land Management
Salary $61,111.00 to $79,443.00 Grade 9 to 9
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 6/27/2025 Close Date 7/5/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Taos, NM


Summary

This position is located in the Taos Field Office at the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument in Taos, New Mexico.

This position is open to Bureau of Land Management current permanent employees on a competitive appointment and employees that meet Land Management Authority.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

This position is open to Bureau of Land Management (BLM) New Mexico current permanent employees on a competitive appointment and employees that meet Land Management Authority. This includes Bureau of Land Management (BLM) employees in New Mexico, Texas, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Due to this position being open Internal to current permanent BLM employees only, ICTAP eligibilities will not receive consideration.

Duties

  • Perform work in recreation and visitor services, interpretation and environmental education, and/or resource planning within the assigned office or site (e.g., monument, National Conservation Area, resource area, etc.)
  • Perform and lead facilities management functions for recreational facilities, motorized and non-motorized trails, and other related structures and areas.
  • Serve as the leader of lower graded employees, interns, and volunteers on trails-focused recreation projects.
  • Monitor and report on the condition of site resources, maintain work accomplishment records, and assist with trails budget management.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required.
  • May be required to complete background investigation and drug screening.
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
  • Must provide resume and supporting documents (See required documents).
  • You cannot hold an active real estate license, nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Lands.
  • If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
  • Required to wear BLM uniform components, as appropriate, while performing duties.
  • You will be required to obtain and maintain a valid state driver's license in order to operate government vehicles and equipment.
  • Work may necessitate working early morning hours, night hours, and/or daytime hours and may require working holidays and/or weekends.
  • Work may take place in a remote environment and may require primitive camping and living skills for up to two weeks in duration.
  • Work will require use of various modes of transportation including two- and four-wheel drive vehicles, utility vehicles, mountain bikes, horseback, aircraft, raft, etc.
  • May be required to maintain Fee Collection Officer, First Responder, Motorboat Operator Certification Course (MOCC), and/or equipment certifications.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience. If qualifying based on education, a copy of your unofficial transcripts must be provided with your application.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience and/or education for the respective grade level in which you are applying:

Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service (obtained either in the private or public sectors) performing the following duties: (1) managing the day-to-day operations of visitor centers, recreational facilities, and other related structures and areas; (2) conducting field inventories to evaluate conditions of public lands and recreational facilities, (3) developing outdoor recreation resource inventories, reports, and monitoring plans; (4) ensuring high quality visitor services and resource protection, appropriate cross training, and good morale of recreation area employees.

-OR-

Education: Successful completion of at least two years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree from an accredited college or university in a field directly related to the work of the position to include: 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 that has provided the knowledge and skills necessary for successful job performance in this position. You must include transcripts.

-OR-

Combination: Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above when combined, equals 100% of the total requirement. Please note only graduate education in excess of one year (18 semester hours) may be used to qualify under this option.

TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Merit promotion applicants must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year at the GS-07 is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the GS-09 level. (Must submit your SF-50 that shows Time-in-Grade eligibility and reflects your title, series, and grade. No award SF-50 will be accepted).

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

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.

You must include months, years and hours per week worked to receive credit for your work and/or volunteer experience. One year of specialized experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week. Part-time hours are prorated. You will not receive any credit for experience that does not indicate exact hours per week or is listed as "varies".

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.

PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

Additional information

  • Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • You will be required to obtain and maintain a valid state driver's license.
  • You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the Bureau of Land Management uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
  • 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.
Physical Demands: The work ranges from sedentary office work to field work. Field work may occur in rugged terrain; to include very steep, wet, muddy, snow-covered, rough, uneven, or rocky surfaces. The work of the position requires physical exertion such as, but not limited to, driving over unpaved roads; walking over rough terrain or inclines; paddling, rowing, or otherwise operating watercraft; standing for long periods of time; bending, crouching, and stooping, digging, hiking, lifting, biking, backpacking, stretching, reaching, or similar activities. Work requires safe operation of 4x4 vehicles on unimproved roads and the physical stamina and ability to maintain and/or repair trails, trailheads, fencing, and other facilities in the field.

Working Conditions: Work is performed in both an office and field environment. Field work may occur in all types of weather conditions, terrain, and elevations. Work may take place in an extremely remote environment and may require primitive camping and living skills for up to two weeks induration. During the summer months, temperatures can be above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. In winter, work may be required in temperatures at or below freezing.

The Bureau of Land Management has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

Certain incentives (such as Recruitment, Relocation or Student Loan Repayment) may be authorized to eligible selectees. If eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive or Student Loan Repayment.

Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP): For information on how to apply as an ICTAP or CTAP eligible see http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/ctap_guideline.pdf. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 90 or above on the rating criteria for this position.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, please contact Hannah Nickless at hnickless@blm.gov.

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.

A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions may affect your rating.

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.

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessments, including a subject matter expert review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed below that are required to successfully perform the job.

Candidates who apply under Competitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are highly qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Best qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

Candidates who apply under Noncompetitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are minimally qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

You will be evaluated on the following competencies:

  • Administration and Management
  • Customer Service
  • Education and Training
  • Public Planning


Performance Appraisals: In the evaluation process, due weight will be given to job related experience, education, training, incentive awards and performance appraisals. Applicants must have a performance rating of at least the equivalent of fully successful to be eligible for promotion or placement. Applicants may provide a copy of a performance appraisal of record dated within the last 18 months. If the applicant is unable to provide a performance appraisal of record dated within the last 18 months, the applicant may provide a written explanation as to why.

Recruitment incentive awards: Applicants that have received recruitment incentive awards during the last two years, must list them on their resume.

Required Documents

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 07/05/2025.

  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, please include your rank and/or grade.
  2. A complete Occupational Questionnaire
  3. Other Supporting Documents, if applicable, such as:
  • Current/Former Federal employees: Your most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50 or equivalent) showing that you are/were in the competitive service, as well as the highest grade (or promotion potential) held, on a permanent basis and containing information which shows you meet time-in-grade (e.g., STEP increase, etc.) You must submit an SF-50(s) that shows permanent (career/career/conditional tenure) and competitive service eligibility to be considered. No award SF-50 will be accepted.
  • Documentation for the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) eligibility, which includes ALL Appointment AND Termination SF-50s for EACH appointment as well as ALL performance evaluations, for each qualifying period of temporary employment claimed.
  • Former PLC Member:Submit a copy of your "Certificate of Eligibility for Noncompetitive Hiring" along with a copy of your "PLC Participant Verification Work Hours Sheet".
  • College transcripts, if qualifying based on education.
  • Documentation for Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) 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 90 or above on the rating criteria for this position.
  • Any other supporting documentation required for verification as described in the announcement.
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 07/05/2025. 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.
  13. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (Welcome | Login.gov), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to.

Agency contact information

Hannah Nickless
Address
BLM New Mexico State Office
BLM New Mexico, NM-951
301 Dinosaur Trail
Santa Fe, NM 87508
US

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.

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


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


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