Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens, Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)

This is an open continuous announcement. Applicants will be referred throughout the announcement period. Final application disposition will be completed once all positions are filled or announcement reaches the closing date. The first cut-off date is 11:59 pm (EST), March 2, 2026.

• Serves as an ocean lifeguard at one of six protected Seashore beaches.
• Responsible for public safety, water oriented assists and rescues, enforces beach regulations, administers first aid, as well as providing informational services and interpretation to visitors.
• May assist with conservation and park protection programs, particularly during periods of inclement weather.
• Lifeguards must pass a pre-season run/swim test.
• Required to be able to work outdoors for long periods of time.

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.
• Lifeguard certification from a national recognized organization required prior to entry on duty.
• CPR and First Aid certifications required prior to entry on duty.
• A pre-employment examination is required prior to entry on duty at applicant's expense. 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.
• Government housing may be available.
• 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.
• This position is subject to pre-appointment physical abilities tests, including a 500-meter swim in 10 minutes or less, and a 1.5 mile run in 12 minutes or less.
• Applicants must be at least 18 years old due to hazardous duties (ie. driving a motor veichle).

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-04/02/2026-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.

To qualify for this position at the GS-03 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

EXPERIENCE: At least six (6) months of general experience. General Experience is (1) any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position, or (2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation. Examples of general experience would be working a YMCA, at a summer camp, Boy Scout/Girl Scout clubs, customer service, etc. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least one year above high school. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
COMBINATION of Experience and Education: Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts.

To qualify for this position at the GS-04 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

EXPERIENCE: 6 months of general experience AND 6 months of specialized experience. General Experience is any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position, or experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation. Examples of general experience would be working as a lifeguard at a YMCA, counselor at a summer camp, work as a leader with Boy Scout/Girl Scout clubs and customer service. Specialized Experience is experience which is in the occupation of the position to be filled, in a related occupation, or in one of the specialized areas within that occupation, which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to successfully perform the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been at least equivalent to the next lower grade in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Some examples of specialized experience are a) Aid or assistant in the issuance of authorized property, and in the maintenance of inventory control and accountability for such property in a recreation facility; b)Aid or assistant in a hotel or resort recreation service, with duties such as setting up areas for games, tournaments, and other organized group recreational activities; c)Aid or assistant in the organization and administration of recreation activities, such as preparing activities calendars, maintaining attendance records, and providing information concerning schedules and activities; d) Summer aid in a State or national park, with duties related to the recreational activities of visitors to campsites, trails, picnic areas, nature and raft centers, and boating and fishing areas (e.g., demonstrating camping techniques and park safety, conducting nature tours, and overseeing farm animal areas provided for children). You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least two year above high school that included at least 12 semester hours in courses related to recreation (e.g., basic psychology, group dynamics, physical education, arts and crafts, etc.). You must include transcripts.
-OR-
COMBINATION of Experience and Education: Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts.

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). Specialized experience is experience which is in the occupation of the position to be filled, in a related occupation, or in one of the specialized areas within that occupation, which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to successfully perform the duties of the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade. Some examples of specialized experience are a) experience as a lifeguard in a pool, lake, or ocean providing lifesaving skills; b) experience providing lifesaving skills such as swim instructor; c) teacher's aid in school recreation or physical education program, with emphasis on development of general recreational skills and abilities. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least four years above high school leading to a bachelor's degree in any field with a minimum of 24 semester hours in recreation or physical education. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
COMBINATION Education and Experience: Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts.

** Applicants must provide a valid Lifeguard certification from a nationally recognized organization, CPR certification, and First Aid certification prior to entry on duty.

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.

• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• First Response
• Public Safety and Security
• Technical Competence

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 04/02/2026:

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. College transcripts, if qualifying based on education.
5. 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.

Next steps