Summary
This is an open continuous announcement. Applicants will be referred throughout the announcement period. Final application disposition will be completed once all positions have been filled or the announcement reaches the end of the open period stated in the announcement. The last cut-off date is 11:59 pm (est), February 12, 2026.
Please see the "Next Steps" section for additional cut off dates.
This job is open to
The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.
Clarification from the agency
Under this announcement we are accepting applications from 1. All United States citizens 2. CTAP/ICTAP Eligibles.
Duties
The Pacific West Region is recruiting for TEMPORARY Summer seasonal positions not to exceed 1039 hours work in a service year. Dates of Summer employment will vary depending on funding, weather conditions, projects and visitation. Within regulatory limitations, the length of initial appointment may be shortened or extended depending on work availability and funding. The typical season can be variable due to weather conditions, project needs, visitors or funding. See below for specific 2026 summer season timeframes.
Duty Locations/Parks, Seasonal timeframes & Government Housing:
MAJOR DUTIES:
- Live and work out of remote wilderness camps for up to 8 days or up to several weeks/months at a time.
- Load and unload supplies and materials from trucks, trailers, dollies, and pack animals etc.
- Maintain hiking trails, i.e., cutting back vegetation, cleaning drainage structures, clearing rockfall, and repairing trail and stock fences.
- Perform, strenuous manual labor such as digging ditches and trenches with pick and shovel where soil is hard and compact and must be graded or sloped, shoveling snow requiring significant endurance for sustained periods of time.
- Mix and pour concrete, asphalt and hot/cold mix and fills and levels holes in damages roads/trails.
- Construct and maintain trail structures such as retainer checks, bridges, turnpikes, retaining walls, waterbars, and swales.
- Moves heavily loaded wheelbarrows and hand trucks. Cuts heavy trees with axe or chainsaw, stacks heavy logs, lumber and sacks of cement or performs other duties.
Physical Demands: The work performed requires very heavy physical effort. The incumbent routinely lifts, pushes, pulls, and carries items weighing 50 pounds, and up to 150 pounds (or more) with assistance. Grade 3 laborers exert very heavy physical effort in doing such tasks as frequently lifting and moving objects weighing over 50 pounds.
Working Conditions: Almost all of the incumbent's work will be outside in all kinds of weather conditions, and involve the possibility of bruises, muscle strains, cuts and scrapes, and other injuries. Work requires the employee to follow proper safety procedures and use standard safety equipment to avoid serious injuries. At the grade 3 level the tasks involved may result in more serious injuries than at lower grade levels. The incumbent works the majority of time outdoors in temperatures ranging from 0 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter to excess of 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer.
Poor air quality afflicts Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, especially during summer months - generally May to October. High ozone levels may be the most harmful pollutant here. In summer months, concentrations often exceed the federal ozone health standards. For more 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.
- Required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
- Travel, transportation & relocation expenses will not be paid. Relocation expenses will be the employee's responsibility.
- 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 may be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards.
- You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
- You may be required to travel and live in backcountry camps for up to 6 months.
- 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.
Qualifications
Have the ability to do the work of a Laborer (Trails) without more than normal supervision (Screen out). Work experience includes the following tasks:
- Perform work tasks on a crew or work group responsible for carrying out tasks in remote areas.
- Use shovels, picks, rakes and saws to perform landscape or construction type work.
- Digging trenches, clearing water drainages and cutting & bucking timber.
- Must have experience in backpacking and camping
- Must have ability lift and carry objects weighing more than 50 pounds.
Certain locations/parks (Sequoia, Kings Canyon and Yosemite) require regular and recurring work and camping in rugged mountainous backcountry at high elevations as described. It is a Selective Factor (Screen Out). To be considered for this position, you must provide the detailed description as required above. Be sure your resume and application reflect high elevation work if you apply to these specific locations/parks.
Additional information on the specific qualification requirements for this position are found in the Job Qualification System for Trades and Labor Occupations. It is available for review on OPM's web site at:
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/federal-wage-system-qualifications/#url=WG-3500
If your knowledge and ability in the
SCREEN OUT factor above is not sufficient, you will receive no further consideration.
In preparing your application, describe in detail the experience and training which you have had that specifically prepared you for this job and to perform the duties described for this job. Experience should be clearly described and documented in your resume. The qualifications reviewer will not assume performance of such duties by Job Titles alone. Address your knowledge, skills and/or abilities in the areas shown in the job-related factors.
- Ability to handle heavy loads.
- Ability to hike long distances at a minimum average of 3 miles per hour (MPH)
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 priorÂity 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
There is no substitution of education for experience for Wage Grade (WG) positions.
Additional information
For additional information:
- Seqouia National Park, CA: Antonio_Fiorino@nps.gov, Trails Supervisor
- Kings Canyon National Park, CA: Barnaby_Fisher@nps.gov, Trails Supervisor
- Point Reyes National Seashore, CA: Jason_Briggs@nps.gov, Facilities Manager
- Yosemite National Park, CA: Jessica_Crow@nps.gov, Supervisory Facilities Operations Specialist Roads and Trails
- Pinnacle National Park, CA: Gavin_Youngstrum@nps.gov, Trails Supervisor
- Redwood National Park, CA: Brittney_McGuire@nps.gov, Trails Supervisor
- Great Basin National Park, NV: David_Wright@nps.gov, Maintenance Supervisor
- Crater Lake National Park, OR: Andrew_Hoeg@nps.gov, Trails Maintenance Supervisor
- Olympic National Park, WA: Nathan_Forrest@nps.gov, Trails Program Manager
This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.
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.
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.
The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.
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.
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 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 and/or job elements:
- Ability To Do The Work Of The Position Without More Than Normal Supervision (SCREEN OUT)
- Ability To Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc. (other than blueprints)
- Ability To Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment
- Dexterity and Safety
- Work Practices (including keeping things neat, clean, and in order)
Required Documents
The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 02/12/2026:
- 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.
- A complete Occupational Questionnaire
- 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.
- Applicants who are eligible to be considered based on a Noncompetitive or Special Hiring Authority (i.e. Schedule A, VRA, Peace Corps, Americorp Vista, former PLC member, certain Military Spouses, 30% or More Disabled Veterans, Pathways Interns who have met the eligibility requirements for noncompetitive conversion, etc.) must submit appropriate documentation to verify your eligibility.
- Documentation that you meet Selective Factors for Sequoia, Kings Canyon and Yosemite.
- 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.
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 02/12/2026.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 "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.
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.
Standing Register Open Continuous Information: Cutoffs will be used for this announcement. Consideration will be given to candidates in sequential order within each group as depicted below as each group is exhausted. Qualification must be met for those applications submitted by the cut-off date. Applicants from the first group are entered onto the inventory at the same time, and those who apply later are entered as they are rated.
Cutoff Dates:
- Group 1: Applications received from 12:00 am (EST) 12/15/25 to 11:59 pm (EST) on 12/29/25.
- Group 2: Applications received from 12:00 am (EST) 12/30/25 to 11:59 pm (EST) on 01/13/26.
- Group 3: Applications received from 12:00 am (EST) 01/14/26 to 11:59 pm (EST) on 01/28/26.
- Group 4: Applications received from 12:00 am (EST) 01/29/26 to 11:59 pm (EST) on 02/12/26.
Note: To be considered for the position, you must meet all qualifications. Please note that certificates of qualified applicants will be issued in order of groups. Your application may not be reviewed or referred if supervisor has a certificate of qualified applicants and the group you applied in is not reviewed by the closing date of the announcement.
Additional locations
Point Reyes Station, CA
6 vacancies
Sequoia National Park, CA
8 vacancies
Yosemite National Park, CA
22 vacancies
Crater Lake, OR
6 vacancies
Port Angeles, WA
17 vacancies