Duties
- Manage law enforcement and emergency services at the district level to include supervising permanent and seasonal law enforcement rangers, as well as volunteers.
- Work collaboratively with local and state agencies or other partners, as well as internally with other park programs.
- Protect Park visitors and resources by performing a full range of law enforcement and visitor protection duties.
- Develop, update, and implement plans, goals, and objectives to improve visitor services and resource protection utilizing safety and risk management principles.
Physical Demands: Work requires considerable physical exertion including long periods of standing, walking, hiking, climbing in rough terrain, lifting or carrying equipment weighing over 50 pounds and could include rowing oar-framed inflatable rafts through rapids up to class IV+ whitewater. Strenuous exertion is required in law enforcement, firefighting, search and rescue, medical and related emergency activities. Because of unpredictable emergency demands employee must be able to operate safely and effectively in extreme environmental conditions, sometimes for several days, in mountainous, desert and river valley terrain.
Working Conditions: Work includes both office and outdoor settings. Routine exposure to discomforts including continuous sun exposure, weather extremes of high and low temperatures, heavy rain or snow, lightning, strong winds and blowing sand, dirt, dust and pollen. Environment includes rough terrain, narrow trails, poisonous snakes, stinging/biting insects, poison ivy, animals and insects that carry diseases and thorny plants. Patrol and emergency response operations may require prolonged exposure to hazardous conditions, high-risk situations and/or expose the employee to dangerous persons requiring use of a wide range of personal protective gear. Communications may be poor. Work assignments will involve periods of low activity and sitting interrupted by sudden periods of high intensity and very physical activity. Work is performed at various hours of the day and night and for prolonged periods during emergency situations, subject to call 24 hours per day. May be required to operate motor vehicles of various types, including 4-wheel drive trucks, SUVs and utility all-terrain vehicles, through deep mud or snow. Adherence to specific risk management principles, safety procedures, and other precautions is required at all times.
Area Information: Dinosaur National Monument is a spectacular 210,000-acre park with a wide array of resources. Dinosaur has one of the most complete geologic records of any national park area and an internationally renowned display of Jurassic era dinosaur bones. The rugged landscape provides diverse habitats that support a surprisingly diverse assemblage of plants and animals and critical habitat for endangered species. The whitewater rafting and magnificent scenery found in the canyons of the Green and Yampa rivers provide premier Western boating experiences. The Yampa is the only remaining large tributary in the Colorado River system that retains its free-flowing character. Dinosaur is over 90% recommended wilderness. The area receives an average of 8-10 inches of precipitation annually. Temperatures range from -20 degrees to 105 degrees. Vernal, Utah is the closest large community to the monument with services such as schools, hospitals, restaurants, hotels and grocery stores. In addition to the recreational opportunities inside the monument, two Utah State Parks are located nearby with surrounding Bureau of Land Management and National Forest Service land that have spectacular mountain biking, rock climbing, boating, fishing and skiing. With Vernal Regional Airport offering twice daily commercial service to Denver International Airport and easy (2.5 hours) driving access to Salt Lake City, UT or Grand Junction, CO, this is an excellent area for travel.
Housing: Government housing may be available. The surrounding communities offer a variety of additional housing options. A home to work vehicle may be authorized when housing is within a 25-minute response time to the park. This is not a required occupant position.
Please visit our website at
www.nps.gov/dino for more information.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- U.S. Citizenship required.
- Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
- Must possess a Type I Law Enforcement Commission.
- Subject to pre-employment physical and drug testing. 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.
- Selectee(s) will be required to carry a firearm while performing duties and maintain firearm proficiency.
- Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. 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 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.
- Incumbent is required to operate motor vehicles of various types, may be required to fly in small fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft, and may be required to operate and/or ride in small watercraft.
- New employees of the Department of the Interior must identify a financial institution for direct deposit of net pay within 30 days of entrance on duty.
- You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
- If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
- Applicants must be at least 21 years old.
- Obtain Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)-Basic certification within a reasonable period of time (approximately 12 months).
Qualifications
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-08/12/2025-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.
Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a
non-award SF-50 for each federal position listed as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of qualifying experience that you will be granted.
An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, 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.
Time-in-Grade: Any individual who is currently holding, or has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet time-in-grade requirements (must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent in the Federal service). Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal civilian employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.
Selective Factors: Applicants must meet
ALL of the following to qualify:
- National Park Service Type I Law Enforcement Commission: Must currently possess or previously held (within the past three years), a National Park Service (NPS) Type I Law Enforcement Commission. This is required by the closing date of the announcement.
- National Registry Emergency Medical Responder: Must possess a current National Registry certification at the Emergency Medical Responder level or higher (i.e. Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Advanced EMT, Parkmedic or Paramedic) at time of application.
- Previous Law Enforcement Experience: Prior law enforcement experience, gained by substantial service as a primary law enforcement position in the Federal government, or equivalent experience outside the Federal government, is a mandatory prerequisite/selective factor of this position.
- AND -
Applicants must possess at least one 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/GL-09 grade 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.
- Examples of qualifying specialized experience includes but is not limited to the following: (1) 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; (2) providing law enforcement or investigative services which include apprehending, detaining, detection, and prosecution of individuals; (3) applying knowledge of applicable laws, regulations, policies, and areas of jurisdiction when serving as a person with law enforcement authority; (4) responding to accidents, emergencies, and/or natural disaster. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least three full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education OR complete a Ph. D. or equivalent doctoral degree related to this position (Major study -- natural resource management, natural science, 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). You must include transcripts.
-OR-
- Successful completion of a COMBINATION of education and experience as described above. To combine education and experience, first take the number of semester hours or equivalent earned towards a graduate degree, in excess of 36 semester hours, and divide by 18 semester hours or equivalent - only education in excess of the first 2 years of graduate level education is qualifying. Then, take the number of months of experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. For example: I have two and a half years of graduate level education (50% of the education requirement), and 6 months of specialized experience (50% of the experience requirement).
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.
Physical Fitness
- 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.
- 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.
Education
Law Enforcement Commission: This position requires applicants to possess a valid Type I level National Park Service (NPS) Law Enforcement Commission (or equivalent), which requires completing training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC).
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.
Please limit your resume to no more than 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. You can only submit one resume; Only the resume submitted under the "Resume" "Document Type" will be used to determine your qualifications and for rating purposes.
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:
- Criminal Law
- First Response
- Managing Human Resources
- Oral Communication
- Public Safety and Security
- Resource Protection
- Writing
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 panel resume review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.
Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation and 2) a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process.
If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please
submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.
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 08/12/2025. 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.
Please limit your resume to no more than 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. You can only submit one resume; Only the resume submitted under the "Resume" "Document Type" will be used to determine your qualifications and for rating purposes.
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.
- ICTAP/CTAP: 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. Federal employees seeking CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit proof that they meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(2) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of their most recent Performance Rating, and a copy of their most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP/ICTAP eligible. If you are selected for Federal employment, you will be required to fill out a Declaration of Federal Employment, OF-306, prior to being appointed to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. Failing to answer all questions truthfully and completely or providing false statements on your application may be grounds for not hiring you, or for firing you after you begin work. Also, you may be punished by fine or imprisonment (U.S. Code, Title 18, section 1001).
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.