Summary

This is an excepted service appointment that does not confer competitive status.
The typical seasonal Entry On Duty period for Sitka National Historical Park is April-September, but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: April 2026

NOTE: OPM has identified this position as eligible for an exception to the typical 1039-hour season. See the Additional Information section for details.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

This position is being filled using the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) local hiring authority (16 USC 3198). Any U.S. Citizen who has acquired special knowledge or expertise regarding the natural or cultural resources of Sitka National Historical Park, by reason of having either lived or worked in or near the unit may apply. See Qualifications section for eligibility requirements.

Duties

Duties of this position include but are not limited to the following:

Performs seasonal gardening and grounds maintenance tasks including preparing soil, fertilizing, planting, transplanting, watering, pruning shrubs and trees, aerating, mowing, edging, mulching, and removing invasive or unwanted vegetation.
Maintains landscaped areas by inspecting plants for pests, diseases, or poor growth and reporting issues to a supervisor.
Uses and performs minor maintenance on gardening tools and power equipment such as mowers, sprayers, aerators, and hand tools.
Maintains grounds by removing debris and sweeping or raking walkways and parking areas.
Regularly operates light-duty motor vehicles up to 10,000 pounds to transport tools, equipment, materials, and personnel throughout the park, performing operator-level vehicle checks and following established routes and safety procedures

Please visit find a park for additional park information.

Requirements

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 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.
Applicants must be at least 18 years old

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement 03/16/2026 unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
Special knowledge or expertise concerning the park's or preserve's natural and/or cultural resources and the management thereof is required. Local knowledge of the resources and the typical conditions that affect the work to be accomplished will be applied in the performance of duties.

-AND-

To be eligible your application package must clearly show periods of time having lived or worked in or near the area of consideration. The area of consideration can be found in the below paragraph.

Areas considered "near" Sitka National Historical Park are Baranof Island, which includes the community of Sitka, and the adjacent Admiralty Island including Angoon, the adjacent Chichagof Island including Hoonah, and the nearby City and Borough of Juneau.

-ALSO-

The following are the competencies identified for this position. Applicants are not required to address these competencies in a separate document, but are encouraged to include in their resumes experience related to these competencies:

Knowledge of basic horticultural practices, plant care, soil preparation, lawn maintenance, and proper planting techniques.
Ability to identify obvious plant diseases, pests, and non-native species.
Use and maintain gardening tools, machinery, and light-duty motor vehicles.
Ability to possess and maintain a valid state driver's license.
Ability to follow instructions for chemical mixing and application, using required personal protective equipment. Performs physically demanding

Education

There is no substitution of education for the required special knowledge or expertise concerning the park's or preserve's natural and/or cultural resources and the management thereof as outlined in this announcement.

Additional information

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.
This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.
Government housing may be available.
All travel, transportation, and relocation expenses associated with reporting for duty in this position will be the sole responsibility of the selectee.
Alaska currently does not have a state income tax.
Selectee may be moved between duty stations within park boundaries.
OPM has identified this position as eligible for an exception to the typical 1039-hour season. This exception allows up to 1560 hours which may extend the season(s) reflected in this announcement. In support of Executive Order (EO) 14189 "Celebrating America's 250th Birthday" and EO 14314 "Making America Beautiful Again by Improving our National Parks," the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has approved an exception to the 1039-hour time limitation for this position. This approval may extend the time limitation up to 1560 hours for this temporary seasonal appointment.

Physical Demands: Work requires frequent walking, standing, pushing of lawnmowers, carts and wheelbarrows, bending, stooping, and climbing in and out of vehicles. Occasionally climbs ladders to trim and/or prune vegetation/trees. Frequently lifts heavy objects such as bags of fertilizer grass seed, etc.

Work Environment: Work is done outside or in a greenhouse. In working outside, the gardener is subject to discomfort from long periods in the hot sun, and sometimes to chilly or rainy weather. In some instances the conditions will involve working in air contaminated with chemical dust and sprays being used on trees and shrubs. The employee will be required to wear protective clothing during pesticide/herbicide application; as well as, normal safety items such as gloves, boots, glasses, etc. Because of the duties performed, the incumbent is subject to minor injuries such as cuts, scratches, bruises, and scrapes.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents, responses to the questions in the assessment). If your application package does not clearly reflect having lived / worked within the area of consideration, does not clearly reflect special knowledge of the natural and/or cultural resources of the park or preserve, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible' or 'not qualified'.

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.

Required Documents

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 03/16/2026:

Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed. 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.
Complete all Required Assessments
To be eligible, your application package must clearly show periods of time having lived or worked in or near the areas of consideration as described in the Qualifications section of this announcement.
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.

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.

How to Apply

There are multiple options for applying to this position, please see application options and instructions below:

To apply online: You must 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 03/16/2026. You must provide documentation to support your eligibility claim.

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."
- Click here for USAJobs Help with "How to create an application"
- To PREVIEW the application questionnaire, select the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12897261
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.

To apply via mail: Mailed applications must be postmarked by the closing date of the announcement. If applying via mail, you must include answers to the Application Questionnaire. The Application Questionnaire can be accessed via the link in the instructions above. If your application is postmarked by the closing date, it must be received in a sealed envelope no later than seven calendar days after the closing date. The seven-day waiting period may be extended if weather delays mail delivery.

Applications may be mailed to:
National Park Service
Alaska Regional Office
Attn: Human Resources
240 W. 5th Ave.
Anchorage, AK 99501

Applications must include the vacancy announcement number. If you are applying to multiple vacancy announcements, you must submit a separate application for each vacancy.

Agency contact information

HR Assistant

Phone: 907-644-3828
Email: akr_usa_staffing@nps.gov

Address: Alaska Regional Office
240 W 5th Avenue
Anchorage, AK 99501
US

Next steps

If 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.

Seasonal Gardener (Motor Vehicle Operator) Job in Sitka, AK