Park Ranger (Wilderness) Job

Vacancy No. PW-1548-SR-25-12596657-DE Department National Park Service
Salary $18.96 to $34.20 Grade 5 to 7
Perm/Temp Temporary FT/PT Part-time
Open Date 12/2/2024 Close Date 12/10/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Enumclaw, WAGlacier, WALongmire, WAMarblemount, WA


Summary

The Pacific West Region is recruiting for summer seasonal Park Ranger (Wilderness), GS-0025-5/7 positions intended to assist permanent staff with emergency medical services.

Open to the first 350 applicants or until 12/10/2024 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

The Pacific West Region is recruiting for TEMPORARY seasonal positions not to exceed 1039 hours work in a service year. Dates of employment will vary between sites depending on funding, weather conditions and visitation. Within regulatory limitations, the length of initial appointment may be shortened or extended depending on work availability and funding.

Duties

Multiple positions will be filled at multiple locations. Pay rates may vary based on duty location.

  • Mount Rainier NP - Longmire, Enumclaw (White River), WA
  • North Cascades NP - Marblemount, Glacier, Whatcom County (Hozomeen), Stehekin, WA
GS-05: You will perform a variety of duties both in the wilderness areas of the park and at the Wilderness Information Center. Backcountry patrols vary in length from 1 to 10 days per pay period but averages 3-6. The remainder of the time is spent on office tasks. Duties include:
  • Patrolling the backcountry by foot including rugged terrain in a range of weather conditions, making educational contacts with visitors, assisting in emergency response, campsite maintenance and light trail work, and other tasks relating to wilderness management.
  • Office duties include assisting visitors with wilderness trip planning and safety information, issuing permits, discussing Leave No Trace and wilderness regulations, informal educational presentations, data entry, and other office related tasks as assigned.
GS-07: You will be a team leader wilderness ranger position. You will be expected to be knowledgeable and able to lead the following position duties:
  • Patrolling the backcountry by foot including rugged terrain in a range of weather conditions, making educational contacts with visitors, assisting in emergency response, campsite maintenance and light trail work, and other tasks relating to wilderness management. Backcountry patrols vary in length from 1 to 10 days per pay period but averages 3-6.
  • The remainder of the time is spent on office tasks. Office duties include assisting visitors with wilderness trip planning and safety information, issuing permits, discussing Leave No Trace and wilderness regulations, informal educational presentations, data entry, and other office related tasks as assigned.
  • Additional duties at this level include assisting in training, mentoring and scheduling other staff, identifying and taking the lead on projects, and serving as a reference and leader for new staff and volunteers.
This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Mount Rainier National Park is located in southeast Pierce County and northeast Lewis County in Washington State. The park encompasses 236,381; it rises abruptly from the surrounding land with elevations in the park ranging from 1,600 feet to over 14,000 feet. Over two million people visit Mount Rainier National Park each year. Eatonville Washington is the closest community providing a medical clinic and grocery store 44 miles from Paradise. All services can be found in Puyallup 65 miles from Paradise. For more information, please visit: https://www.nps.gov/mora/index.htm.

Area Information for North Cascades Duty Locations: Marblemount, Whatcom County (Hozomeen), Stehekin, WA

Marblemount has about 350 residents and boasts gas stations, churches, community center, a post office and a number of small restaurants. Recreation focuses on outdoor activities including hiking, mountaineering, fishing and boating. About 18 miles down valley, the larger town of Concrete provides a larger grocery store, medical office, and specialty stores such as those selling hardware goods. The weather in the summer is relatively dry with high temperatures in the 80's, with some warmer periods in the 90's. Nighttime temps are in the 50's. Annual average precipitation is 84 inches. Closest metropolitan area is Seattle, Washington (100 miles).

Hozomeen is at the north end of Ross Lake. Vehicle access is via a 40-mile gravel road from Hope, British Columbia. Power is provided by on site facilities and may not be consistent. There is no landline or cell service. Communication is via radio system or emergency satellite phone. There may be satellite internet. There are no services available in Hozomeen--shopping and medical facilities are in Hope, B.C. Applicants for Hozomeen must possess valid USA/Canadian border crossing travel documents by enter on duty date, and must be legally allowed to enter Canada to access the duty station.

Stehekin is at the north end Lake Chelan, accessed by airplane or 50-mile boat trip. A round-trip ferry fee costs about $75 plus possibly additional baggage fees. A concession operation provides a restaurant and small gift shop. Shopping, medical, and other services are available in Chelan at the south end of lake. Groceries and other supplies are ordered by mail and shipped via boat at the employee's expense. There is no phone service in the residences-there is one pay phone in Stehekin.

The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period for PWR Seasonal Recruitment is April-October, but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: April 2025.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
  • Travel, transportation & relocation expenses will not be paid. Relocation expenses will be the employee's responsibility.
  • Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • At the GS-07 (and some GS-05 positions), 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 may be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties. Prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year thereafter (or more frequently if management determines such need exists), you will be required to sign an affidavit certifying to your possession of a valid State issued driver's license that is current and has not been revoked, suspended, canceled, or otherwise disqualified in any way to prohibit your operation of a motor vehicle. You will also submit a photocopy of your valid State issued driver's license prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year, or more frequently if management determines such need exists. Lastly, you may be required to 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 discloses all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. Please indicate in your application whether you possess a valid State driver's license.
  • 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 may be required to travel overnight away from home including backpacking and camping in wilderness areas.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by 11:59 EST when the 'applicant cut-off' is reached (which may be sooner than 12/10/2024).

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:
1. These positions must hike and backpack safely in a wide variety of environmental conditions, including over snow, up to 10 miles per day carrying heavy loads up to 50 pounds. Such wilderness travel skills require experience to develop and, given the short duration of the summer season and immediacy of need, such skills cannot be acquired on-the-job in a reasonable amount of time. Candidates who do not meet this requirement by close of this announcement will receive no further consideration for this position. Experience MUST be documented in application.

2. These positions perform pre-hospital care for medical emergencies. Emergency Medical Services certification, as listed below, is required. Candidates who do not meet this requirement by entry on duty date will receive no further consideration for this position. Certification or enrollment in course MUST be documented in application.
  • GS-07 Only Park Ranger (Wilderness) - Emergency Medical Responder or Wilderness First Responder or higher certification
- 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 comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-04 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: park guide or tour leader; environmental educator or teacher; 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. You must include hours per week worked in your resume.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least at least four years of progressively higher level undergraduate coursework leading to a bachelor's degree or equivalent undergraduate degree with major study, at least 24 semester hours, in any combination of courses 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, behavior sciences, sociology, or other closely related subjects pertinent to the management and protection of natural and cultural resources. 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 bachelor's degree, in excess of 60 semester hours, and divide by 60 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 hours per week worked and 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 comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: 1) perform front or backcountry patrols in a park or natural area to education visitors and protect resources; 2) staff a visitor center or information desk providing information and orientation to visitors; and 3) provide emergency medical treatment to others within the scope of your licensure. (Note: Normally one grade interval work such as guide, clerk, assistant or technician work (Park Guide or Visitor Services Assistant) in a single grade occupational series at the GS-05 level does NOT qualify for this position, however GS-06 level experience may). You must include hours per week worked in your resume.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least at least one year of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree with a major study in a 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, behavior sciences, sociology, or other closely related subjects pertinent to the management and protection of natural and cultural resources. 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 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 hours per week worked and 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.

ICTAP/CTAP Statement: 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.

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.

Additional information

If you would like more information regarding this announcement, please contact:
Mount Rainier: Daniel Van Der Elst, Daniel_van_der_Elst@nps.gov, 360-569-6651
Tabbatha Cavendish, Tabbatha_Cavendish@nps.gov, 360-569-6671
North Cascades: Kristen Doering, Wilderness Ranger, Kristen_Doering@nps.gov
James Paetsch, james_paetsch@nps.gov

A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected. The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.

A Recruitment Incentive May Be Authorized for a newly selected employee when appointed to a permanent, temporary, or term position. A Federal employee who is transferring to the National Park Service from another component, bureau or Federal agency and who does not meet the conditions under 5 CFR §575.102 is not eligible for a recruitment incentive.

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

Non-Competitive Rehire Eligibility: Temporary seasonal employees can only maintain their non-competitive rehire eligibility if they work no more than a combined total of Temporary NTE less than 1040 hours anywhere in the National Park Service (NPS) within their established service year. Accordingly, non-competitive rehire eligibility allows for re-appointment to the same position or another position appropriate for temporary appointment with the same qualification requirements (5 CFR 316.402[b][7]), based on series and grade, anywhere in the major subdivision (NPS).

If you have held a temporary seasonal appointment in the past 12 months and have already worked the maximum temporary appointment less than 1040 hours during that period, you are still welcome to apply. However, please be aware that exceeding the limit of 1040 hours in your established service year will result in the loss of your non-competitive rehire eligibility.

The limit can be exceeded by working multiple temporary seasonal positions that result in a combined total greater than 1040 hours. The limit also can be exceeded by working a single temporary seasonal appointment that exceeds 1040 hours, unless granted an exception by OPM.

Employment may be terminated at any time due to fluctuations in funding levels, project needs, employee performance, or other considerations.

Physical Demands: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion such as extensive periods of standing and walking, in some cases over rough, uneven, rocky or snowy surfaces and includes lifting and carrying backpacks, tools, rescue equipment, etc. Work may be performed on uneven, steep, rough, slippery, and/or rough terrain.

Working Conditions: The work is performed in a setting in which there is regular and recurring exposure to moderate discomforts and unpleasantness, e.g., high or low temperatures, confined spaces or adverse weather conditions. In addition, work may be performed in areas of extremely rough terrain with wide annual variations in climactic conditions.

The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.

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 two categories:

  • 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:
  • First Response
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Spatial Orientation
  • Technical Competence
  • Leadership (GS-07 Only)

Required Documents

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 12/10/2024:

  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.
  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 that you meet 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 90 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.

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 12/10/2024. 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.

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  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."
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  9. Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown.
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  10. Review and Submit Application.
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Agency contact information

Kelley Kennec
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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.


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