Clarification from the agency

Open to all U.S. Citizens. ICTAP/CTAP eligibles.

As a Park Ranger (Preventative Search and Rescue (PSAR)) you will:

• Conduct substantial analysis regarding PSAR related educational strategies and program offerings.
• Educate, interpret, and inform visitors about resources, conservation, laws, and regulations.
• Provide administrative, operational, and logistic support to PSAR related outreach activities.
• Provide operational supervision over small to complex search and rescue incidents utilizing the Incident Command System.

Area/Duty Station Information: At 1.5 million acres in size, Everglades National Park contains a vast ecosystem, with wetland sloughs and prairies, tropical hardwood hammocks, pine rocklands, extensive mangrove estuaries, and Florida Bay with its expansive seagrass meadows. This vast ecosystem is the largest subtropical wilderness area in North America and the largest legislated wilderness area east of the Rocky Mountains. More than 5 million people live on the edge of the park in the communities of Miami, Homestead, Naples and the Florida Keys. Park headquarters is located in Homestead, Fl.

South Florida has two distinct seasons (rainy and dry). The rainy season occurs from mid-April to mid-November and the dry season is from mid-November to mid-April. Heavy downpours, tropical storms and hurricanes are frequent in the rainy season, and temperatures can exceed 90'F for extended periods of time. During the dry season the skies are clear and sunny, and temperatures vary from mid 60's to mid 70's. Occasional cold fronts can cause temperatures to dip into the 40's and 50's. South Florida offers a wide variety of recreational activities including diving, paddling, fishing, bicycling etc. Urban communities adjacent to the park offer a wide variety of sporting events, performances and concerts, museums, festivals and more! The vibrant diversity of South Florida offers unique opportunities for an immersive cultural living experience.

For more information about the local area, please visit:

• Everglades National Park official website: http://www.nps.gov/ever/index.htm
• Monroe County and the Florida Keys: Monroe County, FL - Official Website | Official Website
• Miami Dade County Chamber of Commerce: http://www.m-dcc.org/

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 submit to a pre-employment and periodic physical examination.
• 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, overtime and shift work.
• You will be required to complete a one-year trial period.
• You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to five nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
• 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 possess a current Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or higher-level emergency medical response certification, as well as Basic Life Support Provider and CPR certifications.
• You must have the ability to lift up to 50 lbs.
• You will be required to operate small watercraft less than 26 feet in length.
• If you do not already possess one, you will be required to obtain a Department of the Interior Motorboat Operator Certification Course (MOCC) certification within 3 months of Entering on Duty.

Qualifications

Requirements Continued...
Applicants must be at least (1) 18 years old or (2) at least 16 years old and: (a) Have graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; OR (b) Have completed a formal vocational training program; OR (c) Have received a statement from school authorities agreeing with their preference for employment rather than continuing their education; OR (d) Be currently enrolled in a secondary school and either work only during school vacation periods or work part-time during the school year under a formal student employment program.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a one-year trial period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.

This trial period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated.

Upon completion of your trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications:

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-02/09/2026-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: This position performs emergency medical and search and rescue response which requires applicants to provide documentation of possessing the following licenses and certifications in order to receive further consideration for the position of GS-0025-11 Park Ranger (Preventative Search and Rescue (PSAR)). Candidates who do not meet these requirements, and provide documentation to support such claims, by close of this announcement will receive no further consideration for this position. DO NOT SUBMIT DOCUMENTS WITH PHOTOGRAPHS. Photographs may not be included with application packages. Please be sure photographs are redacted prior to submitting supporting documentation. Submission of photographs on supporting documentation will result in disqualification from further consideration for the position of GS-0025-11 Park Ranger (Preventative Search and Rescue (PSAR)).

• Applicants must provide documentation to support holding a current, valid state issued driver's license which has not been suspended or revoked.
• Applicants must provide documentation to support holding a current, valid National Registry Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or higher-level certification OR equivalent through a State Emergency Medical Service Organization with the ability to obtain a National Registry Certification.
• Applicants must provide documentation to support holding a current, valid Basic Life Support certification.
• Applicants must provide documentation to support holding a current, valid CPR certification.

- AND -

To qualify for this position at the GS-11 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 comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Experience may have been technical, administrative, or scientific work, fish and wildlife management, recreation management, law enforcement, or other park-related work. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include but are not limited to the following: park guide or tour leader; law enforcement or investigative work; archeological or historical preservation research work; forestry and/or fire management work in a park, recreation, or conservation area; management, assistant, or program specialist work involving the development and implementation of policy related to protection, conservation, or management of park areas or similar operations. Additionally, experience must include: planning, coordinating, and conducting search and rescue (SAR) and preventative search and rescue (PSAR) operations in remote or high-risk environments; responding to emergency incidents involving lost, injured, or overdue visitors; assessing risk, terrain, weather, and visitor behavior to prevent incidents; coordinating multi-agency responses with local, state, tribal and federal partners; operating emergency communication systems and tracking resources; preparing incident documentation and after-action reports; and providing visitor education and outreach focused on safety, risk management and resource protection. You must include hours per week worked.

-OR-

EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education, or a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree related to the occupation. Related fields of study include but are not limited to: park and recreation management, law enforcement/police science, emergency management, behavioral sciences, or other closely related subjects pertinent to the field of search and rescue. 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 experience and education as described above. To combine experience and education, first take the number of months of full-time experience and divide by 12 months. Then 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. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. 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.

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.

Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. You may only submit one resume. 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 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:

• Administration and Management
• First Response
• Oral Communication
• Planning and Evaluating
• Public Safety and Security

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.

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 02/09/2026:

1. Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, dates specified in month and year format, 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. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade. 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. Headers may be slightly larger but must remain legible. 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.
2. Complete All Required Assessments.
3. Other Supporting Documents, if applicable, such as:
   • Veterans Preference Documentation:
     • If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.
     • 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.
     • If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother 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.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability.
4. Documentation of meeting the Selective Factors.
5. College transcripts, if qualifying based on education.
6. Documentation for Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan 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 or above 85 on the rating criteria for this position.

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.

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