Duties
The individuals selected for these positions will perform a variety of resource and visitor protection duties including but not limited to: enforcement of federal and state laws, regulations, and policies, vehicle and foot patrol, front country patrol, back country and wilderness patrol, emergency response, emergency medical services, search and rescue, visitor stewardship and orientation, wilderness management, boundary enforcement, protection of natural and cultural resources (wildlife, plants, archeological sites, historic building) and wild land fire suppression. Collateral duties may include horse and bicycle patrol.
Major Duties of these positions include:
- Enforce federal laws, regulations and policies. Patrol front country and backcountry sites. Crowd control activities.
- Emergency response (utilizing incident command system) including medical services, search and rescue, and wildland/structural fire suppression.
- Facilitate visitor stewardship and orientation; wilderness management; boundary enforcement; protection of natural and cultural resources (e.g. wildlife, plants, archeological sites. historical buildings). Proactively protects park resources from all forms of degradation.
- Assist with preliminary investigations of felonies, crimes and violations of park rules, public use, safety requirements, and motor vehicle accidents.
- Additional duties for GS-07: The incumbent will independently conduct law enforcement investigations into misdemeanor violations. Under the supervision of a Type I commissioned personnel, investigate felony violations and fatalities.
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
Area/Housing Information
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is located in the Sonoran Desert in Southwestern Arizona. Park headquarters is located 34 miles from Ajo, Arizona and 5 miles north of the international boundary with Mexico. Organ Pipe is a winter paradise and a surprisingly lush and green environment. Daytime temperatures typically range from the 60' s in the winter to over 100 in the summer, with dramatic monsoons later in the summer.
The local towns and communities provide multiple amenities and a thriving Art's community that allow families and individuals to easily adjust to living in the desert. In Ajo (population 3,500) you will find a few local restaurants and coffee shops, a grocery and hardware store, a medical clinic, multiple churches, a public library, a county park with playground, swimming pool, ball parks and community center, and an active Park and Recreation Department, a K-12 school system, and several active community organizations who sponsor events and festivals on a regular basis, including a weekly Farmers Market. Phoenix, Arizona is a one-and-a-half-hour drive north from Ajo; Tucson is a two-hour drive east from Ajo. Both cities offer a greater selection of amenities. Most employees plan trips to Phoenix or Tucson once or twice a month. More information is available from the Ajo Chamber of Commerce, http://www.ajochamber.com
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- U.S. Citizenship required.
- Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males
- Must possess a Type II or higher Law Enforcement Commission.
- Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
- Selectee(s) will be required to carry a firearm while performing duties and maintain firearm proficiency.
- Selectee(s) must be free of any domestic violence convictions. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.
- 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.
- Prior to appointment, the people selected for these positions must be determined physically fit by an authorized physician to perform strenuous and physically demanding duties, pass a medical examination, and pass the Physical Efficiency Battery (PEB). The PEB is a fitness test consisting of five different components: 1) agility run - measures the ability to get up from the ground and sprint while changing directions; 2) bench press - measures upper body strength for one repetition; 3) 1.5 mile run - measures cardio/respiratory fitness; 4) sit and reach - measures flexibility in the lower back, legs and shoulders; and 5) body composition - measures body fat. Prior to appointment, selectees will be tested in all five components, and must pass the agility run, bench press and 1.5 mile run in the 25th percentile.
- 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 evenings, weekends, holidays, and overtime.
- Applicants must be at least 21 years old.
Continued in Education Section
Qualifications
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-by 12/04/2024-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: Applicants must meet
ALL of the following to qualify:
- Must currently possess, previously held (within the past three years), or be able to obtain a valid Type II (seasonal) or higher National Park Service (NPS) Law Enforcement Commission, or equivalent, by 12/04/2024. More information can be found in the 'Education' section of this job announcement.
- GS-7 Only: Must currently possess or be able to obtain an Emergency Medical Responder or First Responder or higher-level certification by 12/04/2024.
- Must have a current, valid State Driver's License by 12/04/2024.
- AND -
To qualify for this position at the GS-05 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:
- EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-04 level in the federal service. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include but are not limited to the following: law enforcement or investigative work; park guide or tour leader; resource management related to natural and cultural resources (museum technician, biological science technician, archeological technician, etc.); forestry and/or fire management (wildland and/or structural); emergency services (emergency medical, search and rescue, emergency dispatch); assist in the management, information dissemination, or the carrying out of programs in the park, conservation reserve or similar area (backcountry office, volunteer, visitor information desk, campground ranger). You must include hours per week worked.
- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least a 4 year course of study above high school leading to a Bachelor's degree (or higher level degree) with 24 semester hours of related course work (related fields of study 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.). One year of full-time undergraduate study is defined as 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
- Successful completion of a COMBINATION of education and experience as described above. For example: 6 months of specialized experience and three 3 years of education beyond the high school level with at least 18 hours in related studies. NOTE: Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. You must include transcripts.
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:
- EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level in the federal service, which can be obtained in the private or public sectors. Specialized experience is experience performing law enforcement duties for the protection, conservation, use, and management of natural and/or cultural resources in park areas or similar operations, which involved the application of law enforcement authorities and procedures to protect visitors and resources. Law enforcement duties include apprehending, detaining, and firearm experience. You must include hours per week worked.
- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least one full academic year of graduate education in a directly-related field such as 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 full time graduate education is defined as 18 semester hours. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
- Successful completion of a COMBINATION of education and experience as described above. Only graduate education can be credited towards the education requirement. You must include 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
Continued from Requirements Section:
- Prior to appointment, you must be determined physically fit by an authorized government physician to perform strenuous and physically demanding duties; and also pass a medical examination (which includes vision, hearing, cardiovascular, and mobility of extremities) given by an authorized government physician. You will also be required to undergo periodic medical examinations throughout employment.
Law Enforcement Commission: This position requires applicants to possess, previously held (within the past three years), or be able to possess 12/04/2024 a valid Type II (seasonal) or higher level National Park Service (NPS) Law Enforcement Commission (or equivalent), which requires completing training from an accredited institution, which currently consists of over 650 class hours and lasts on average 17 weeks. Please visit the Association of National Park Rangers' Seasonal Law Enforcement Training Program (SLETP) for additional information on approved training courses and equivalency for commissioning.
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.
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 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:
- Criminal Law
- Interpersonal Skills
- Public Safety and Security
- Writing
In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.
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 12/04/2024. 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 "Apply."
- 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.