Park Ranger (Mountaineering) (Seasonal)

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is for Alaska Region. Please refer to the "Location" section to see which National Parks are included on this announcement.

Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following:

• Leads extended, high altitude mountain patrols on Denali and elsewhere in the Alaska Range, accompanied by appropriately trained Volunteers in Parks (VIPs).
• Performs or directs search and rescue operations involving high altitude technical climbing, use of emergency medical techniques, coordination of helicopter and fixed wing aircraft, coordination of other resources from numerous agencies and sources.
• Performs aerial and ground backcountry patrols to enforce park regulations. Ground patrols involve backpacking in winter and summer. Winter travel also may involve use of skis, snow machine, or dog sled. The summer travel involves small river craft such as packraft and raft.
• Operates a visitor contact station and provides information and interpretation of the park to the general public, issues park use permits and provides expert advice and assistance to mountaineers heading into the park from Talkeetna. Provides liaison between the NPS and park concessionaires and business use licensees.
• Participates in the planning of district operations by providing input to supervisor regarding park operations, needs, requirements, etc.
• Gathers, compiles, and reports mountaineering and resource management data. Drafts replies to mountaineering related correspondence and maintains patrol reports. Investigates accidents and prepares accident and incident reports.

Physical Demands: Work requires standing, backpacking, mountaineering, expert skiing, and 5.9/WI 4 climbing, on and over a variety of rough, uneven, rocky, hazardous surfaces for days at a time; driving vehicles and snow-machines, operating rafts and packrafts; and lifting (150 pounds) and carrying moderate to heavy loads (in excess of 50 pounds) while hiking or climbing at altitudes of up to 20,310 feet. Incumbent must have the agility, mental alertness, physical strength and stamina typically associated with the aforementioned tasks in wilderness survival and travel and with high altitude mountaineering.

Working Conditions: Most work is performed outdoors, at high altitudes (20,310 feet), in a wide range of weather conditions (from 70 degrees to -40). Regular and recurring exposure to moderate and sometimes severe discomfort is experienced. Work may be performed at various hours of the day and night and for prolonged periods during emergency situations. The incumbent is frequently exposed to high risk and potentially dangerous situations, with the possibility of serious injury or accidental death.

Selectees may be moved between duty stations within park boundaries.

Government housing is available.

Please visit find a park for additional park information.

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.
• 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 may be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel drive vehicle.
• 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, and overtime.
• You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 25 nights per month.
• You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
• You will be required to have a Wilderness First Responder (WFR), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Paramedic (EMTP), or higher-level, medical certification and training by entrance on duty. (If EMT/EMTP level, must be national registry.)
• You will be required to have an Avalanche Professional Level 1, or higher-level, Avalanche certification and training by entrance on duty.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-10/26/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.

This position requires a special qualification that has been determined to be essential to perform the duties and will be used as a screen out element. If you do not provide evidence that you possess the following selective factor(s), you will be rated not qualified.

Mountaineering and Climbing (screen out): You must have experience in high altitude mountaineering and technical climbing that includes having led or guided a minimum of two (2) mountaineering expeditions that reached 17,200 ft, or higher, one of which must have been on Denali (Mt. McKinley). This experience must have been gained as a guide, assistant guide, trip leader, or search and rescue member and cannot have been obtained by being a trip participant or client on a guided expedition. You must list previous climbs that you have led, and your climbing/mountaineering experience and altitudes reached in your application package, or you will be rated ineligible.

-AND-

Wilderness First Responder (WFR) or higher-level medication certification (screen out): You must have a Wilderness First Responder (WFR), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Paramedic (EMTP), or higher-level, medical certification and training by entrance on duty. (If EMT/EMTP level, must be national registry.) Include a copy of your certificate showing the level and expiration date or list your medical certification AND expiration date in your resume, or the level AND date you anticipate completing your course for certification. Proof of certification will be required before entrance on duty. If you do not include this information in your application, you will be rated ineligible.

-AND-

Avalanche certification (screen out): You must have an Avalanche Professional Level 1, or higher-level, Avalanche certification and training by entrance on duty. Include a copy of your certificate showing the level and completion date or list your Avalanche certification level AND completion date in your resume, or the level AND date you anticipate completing your course for certification. Proof of certification will be required before entrance on duty. If you do not include this information in your application, you will be rated ineligible.

-AND-

To qualify for this position at the GS-07 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: One year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-5 level in the federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Examples of specialized experience include high-altitude technical climbing; gathering, compiling, and reporting mountaineering and resource management data; and visitor assistance in a park or recreation area. You must include hours worked per week in your resume.

-OR-EDUCATION: One full year of graduate study 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. Coursework 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 with your application and the hours worked per week in your resume.

-OR-

COMBINATION OF SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: To combine education and experience, first take the number of semester hours, or equivalent, earned towards a graduate degree and divide by 18 semester hours, or equivalent. Then take the number of months of full-time experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include a copy of your transcripts with your application and the hours worked per week in your resume.

Volunteer 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.

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.

How you will be evaluated

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

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 any additional assessment(s) required for this position.

Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed.

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 the following 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 assessed in the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• First Response
• Seach and Rescue (SAR)
• Technical Competence

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Current or former displaced Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified, score at least 85 (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry.

Providing false or misleading information on your resume or supporting documentation may result in removal from consideration or other action consistent with applicable federal hiring regulations. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 10/26/2026 - unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement:

1. Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates in month-year format (include month/day/year format if needed for 52 weeks of experience), and indicate hours worked per week (or full-time). Your resume must clearly show how long you have held each grade/rank. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. Your 2-page resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements. If you have federal experience, you should include series, and grade for each position held, and if experience is part of a career ladder position, you must clearly distinguish the job duties and length of time working for each grade level. More information on how to write a Federal Resume: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include
2. Complete All Required Assessment(s).
3. Documentation that you meet the Selective Factors/Screen Outs.
4. All college transcript(s), if qualifying based on education. Please submit both undergraduate and graduate level transcripts, as applicable.
5. Veterans Preference Documentation, if applicable. Veterans must submit a copy of your latest Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (member 4 copy) or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Parent 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.va.gov/records/ or call 1-800-827-1000. 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.
6. Interagency Career Transition (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP): You MUST submit proof of eligibility including 1) copy of the agency notice, 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 well qualified. For more information visit: USAJOBS Help Center - Career Transition Programs (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL).

Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.

Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from all documents.

Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.

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