Clarification from the agency

This position is being filled using the Alaska Nat'l 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 Denali Nat'l Park and Preserve, by reason of having either lived or worked in or near the unit may apply. To be eligible your resume must clearly show periods of time having lived or worked in or near the area of consideration (see qualifications section).

The typical season for this position is mid-March through mid-August but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. The anticipated entry on duty is March 2026.

If selected, you will work as a Park Ranger (Mountaineering), GS-0025-07, at Denali National Park and Preserve. Duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Regularly leads extended patrols, accompanied by trained Volunteers in Parks (VIP) in high altitude mountain terrain on Denali and other areas in the Alaska Range.
• Regularly performs or directs high-altitude technical climbing for search and rescue operations, coordination of multiple resources from numerous agencies and sources, coordination of helicopter and fixed wing aircraft, as well as including use of medical techniques.
• Enforce Park regulation by performing aerial and ground patrols in the backcountry. Winter and summer ground patrols require backpacking. Travel during winter conditions may involve use of skis, snow machine, or dog sled. Travel during summer conditions may involve small river craft such as pack-raft and operating rafts.
• Operates a visitor contact station and provides the general public information and interpretation of the park, provides expert advice and assistance to mountaineers entering the park from Talkeetna. Collaborates between the NPS, park concessionaires, and business use licensees.
• Provides input and feedback to supervisor regarding park operations, park needs, requirements, etc. in participation in the planning of district operations.
• Responsible for gathering, compiling, and reporting mountaineering and resource management data; maintains patrol reports and drafts responses to correspondences pertaining to mountaineering; investigates and prepares accident and incident reports.

Please visit find a park for additional park information.

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 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, and overtime.

• You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 25 nights per month.

• 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 have a Wilderness First Responder (WFR), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Paramedic (EMTP), or higher-level, medical certification and training by entrance on duty. (If EMT/EMTP level, must be national registry.)

• You will be required to have an Avalanche Professional Level 1, or higher-level, Avalanche certification and training by entrance on duty.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement 12/29/2025 unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

You must meet the following Selective Factors/Screen Outs. Candidates who do not meet these requirements AND support them in their applications, as described below, by close of this announcement (unless otherwise stated), will receive no further consideration for this position.

Mountaineering and Climbing (screen out): You must have experience in high altitude mountaineering and technical climbing that includes having led or guided a minimum of two (2) mountaineering expeditions that reached 17,200 ft, or higher, one of which must have been on Denali (Mt. McKinley). This experience must have been gained as a guide, assistant guide, trip leader, or search and rescue member and cannot have been obtained by being a trip participant or client on a guided expedition. You must list previous climbs that you have led, and your climbing/mountaineering experience and altitudes reached in your application package, or you will be rated ineligible.

-AND-

Wilderness First Responder (WFR) or higher-level medication certification (screen out): You must have a Wilderness First Responder (WFR), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Paramedic (EMTP), or higher-level, medical certification and training by entrance on duty. (If EMT/EMTP level, must be national registry.) Include a copy of your certificate showing the level and expiration date or list your medical certification AND expiration date in your resume, or the level AND date you anticipate completing your course for certification. Proof of certification will be required before entrance on duty. If you do not include this information in your application, you will be rated ineligible.

-AND-

Avalanche certification (screen out): You must have an Avalanche Professional Level 1, or higher-level, Avalanche certification and training by entrance on duty. Include a copy of your certificate showing the level and completion date or list your Avalanche certification level AND completion date in your resume, or the level AND date you anticipate completing your course for certification. Proof of certification will be required before entrance on duty. If you do not include this information in your application, you will be rated ineligible.

-AND-

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 resume 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" the Talkeetna and Trapper Creek duty stations include: Big Lake, Cantwell, Chase, Chulitna, Curry, Denali Park, Farm Loop, Ferry, Healy, Kantishna, Knik, Lake Minchumina, Meadow Lakes, McKinley Village, Nenana, Nikolai, Palmer, Petersville, Sunshine, Talkeetna, Tanana, Telida, Trapper Creek, Wasilla, and Willow.

-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.

1. Skill in high-altitude mountaineering, alpine climbing, technical rock/ice climbing, and ski mountaineering. These may include (1) the ability to lead traditional routes of at least Grade IV, 5.9, WI 4; (2) the ability to travel over steep snow and ice; and (3) the ability to gain first-hand knowledge of technical routes on peaks.
2. Ability to lead expeditions in remote wilderness environments and technical high-altitude glaciated alpine terrain.
3. Knowledge and skill in mountain search and rescue techniques/procedures and the ability to perform in high-stress emergent situations.
4. Knowledge of river travel techniques using pack-rafts and operating rafts, and of backcountry skiing and snow machine use, and the ability to survive in extremely remote terrain under adversely cold temperatures while performing park patrols.

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 resume does not reflect having lived / worked within the area of consideration, if your responses to the questions in the assessment do not 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.

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 12/29/2025:

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. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade. Also, to be eligible your resume 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. 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 that you meet the Selective Factors/Screen Outs.

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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