Duties
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 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.
Winter seasonal Seasonal Recreation Assistant (Winter Outdoor Activities), GS-0189 positions include Mount Rainier National Park which is recruiting for a GS 6 and Yosemite National Park which is recruiting for GS 5/6/7.
Major Duties:
- Presents informal and formal educational talks pertaining to resource protection to all types of audiences. Responds to visitor's inquiries for information, direction and general knowledge. Provides answers to recurring questions.
- Provides a wide range of services to visitors including assistance with lost articles, equipment failure, and first aid.
- Uses multimedia (such as, audio-visual equipment, computer software) to create informational presentations or products and to communicate operational status and needs.
- Performs day-to-day patrol operations to facilitate visitor understanding, enjoyment and protection of the resource and to induce behavior that complies with park regulations. Negotiate with individuals or organizations to resolve conflicts, disputes or grievances.
- Performs emergency services to ill and injured visitors in a variety of settings. Assists with trip itinerary planning using the "Preventive Search and Rescue" concepts.
- Possesses excellent skills in alpine and/or Nordic skiing in steep backcountry avalanche terrain in order to safely conduct field patrols, make field observations, perform snow surveys, and participate in search and rescues. Practices mountain and avalanche safety measures while patrolling in high-elevation and avalanche prone terrain by ski, snowshoe or snowmobile.
Physical Demands: The work requires strenuous physical exertion for extended periods including skiing, walking, climbing, throwing, lifting, shoveling, and carrying objects weighing 50 pounds or more for long distances and while performing mountaineering activities. The work requires regular strenuous physical exertion, such as shoveling several feet of snow off of critical infrastructure, carrying a litter, climbing on steep snow and ice, walking over rough terrain, carrying heavy objects, such as climbing ropes, technical climbing equipment and litters equipped with sleeping bags, first aid supplies, and splints. Must be able to withstand the physical demands of extended search and rescue missions in winter above tree line in very high winds potentially at night in whiteout conditions. The incumbent's duties require navigating rough, uneven or rocky terrain, carrying and using snow survey equipment/instruments, bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, and reaching to conduct tests and gather data from the air or snow depths while standing on ground which may be uneven, unstable, or slick at high altitudes (elevations over 10,000 feet above sea level).
Work Environment: Work may be performed on uneven, steep, rough, slippery and/or rugged terrain and in all types of weather. The work environment involves regular and recurring exposure to potentially dangerous situations or unusual environmental stress where safety precautions cannot completely eliminate the danger and the high-risk factors cannot be reasonably controlled. Incumbent may be expected to perform duties at elevations over 10,000 feet above sea level in alpine environments covered in snow and ice that pose unique winter challenges and dangers. This work requires specific skills and experience, including winter backcountry travel, and the ability to assess hazardous winter environments. The hazardous nature of the work requires protective clothing (helmet, boots, gloves, etc.) to be worn and protective equipment (avalanche beacons, probes, and climbing equipment) to be used on a routine basis. Incumbent may work alone at times and must be able to drive to different field sites.
The island of Hawaii is subject to high concentrations of volcanic fumes (VOG), especially sulfur dioxide gasses and fine particulates. The fumes are known to be hazardous to an unborn fetus, and persons with heart and respiratory problems. The coastline primarily experiences VOG conditions throughout the year, and occasionally eastern Hawaii Island and other Hawaiian Islands. Long-term effects on normal healthy persons are unknown.
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.
- For Mount Rainier National Park, 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.
- At Mount Rainier National Park, you will be required to possess a current Emergency Medical Technician certification.
- At Yosemite National Park, you will be required to possess a current Wilderness First Responder certificate or higher.
- At Mount Rainier National Park, you may be required to work weekends and holidays. Also, you may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 2-3 nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
- Travel, transportation & relocation expenses will not be paid. Relocation expenses will be the employee's responsibility.
Qualifications
All qualifications must be met when the applicant limit is reached which may be sooner than by the closing date of this announcement-08/25/2025-.
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 FACTOR: These positions perform pre-hospital care for medical emergencies. A CURRENT Emergency Medical Technician certification, or higher certification, is required for Mount Rainier National Park and a Wilderness First Responder is required for Yosemite National Park. Candidates who do not meet this requirement by close of this announcement will receive no further consideration for this position. Certifications MUST be reflected in application materials.
QUALITY RANKING FACTOR for Mount Rainier National Park: Applicants who hold an AIARE Avalanche Pro 1 or equivalent level or higher certification will be able to better perform the duties required of this position. To get credit you MUST indicate type of training and expiration date on your resume.
- 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). Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: Group leader, counselor, or similar work in public and private recreation programs for adults or children such as summer camps, local playgrounds, YWCA and YMCA clubs, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, urban community centers, or resort recreational activities. Teacher's aide in elementary school recreation or physical education program, with emphasis on development of general recreational skills and abilities. Aide or assistant assignments in recreation while on active military service. Aide 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. Summer aide 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). Sales or stock clerk in a recreation supplies and equipment shop. Aide or assistant in the issuance of authorized property, and in the maintenance of inventory control and accountability for such property in a recreation facility. Aide 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. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours in courses related to recreation or physical education. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For example, I have 6 months of the specialized experience described above (50% of the experience requirement), and 3 years of college study from an accredited institution (50% of the qualifying education). NOTE: Two full academic years of study, or 60 semester hours, beyond the second year is equivalent to l year of specialized experience. You must include transcripts and a resume which indicates hours/week worked.
To qualify for this position at the GS-06 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: knowledge of and experience in monitoring winter recreational activities, providing education, and applying search and rescue techniques while in the field; knowledge of and skill in applying established educational practices, procedures, and methods sufficient to assist in the delivery of Leave No Trace educational programming to the public; use personal computers with office applications to provide field reports and data collection; makes decisions on appropriate actions to take to better protect the resource and park visitors (e.g., which trail to patrol, what questions to ask visitors, how to locate a missing visitor). You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least one year of graduate education with major study directly related to recreation or physical education. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For example, I have 6 months of the specialized experience (50% of the experience requirement), and 9 semester hours of directly related graduate education (50% of the qualifying education). You must include transcripts and a resume with hours/week worked.
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-06 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: receive complex assignments that involve problem-solving and independent decision making; solve operational problems and provide educated input to the work planning process to benefit the success of the program; serves as the unit lead and resident expert for operational functions on-site and in the field; operates independently in remote settings maintaining recreational equipment and government structures; travels independently and safely in variable winter conditions using a variety of different equipment and winter travel techniques; ability to assess terrain for avalanche danger and make appropriate decisions based on assessment. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least one year of graduate education with major study directly related to recreation or physical education. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For example, I have 6 months of the specialized experience (50% of the experience requirement), and 9 semester hours of directly related graduate education (50% of the qualifying education). You must include transcripts and a resume with hours/week worked.
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.
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.
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
- Leadership
- Oral Communication
- Teamwork
- Technical Competence
- Technology Application
Required Documents
The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) when the applicant limit is reached which may be sooner than on 08/25/2025:
- 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.
- Complete All Required Assessments.
- Documentation that you meet Selective Factors.
- College transcripts, if qualifying based on education.
- 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.
- 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.
ICTAP/CTAP: 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. Federal employees seeking CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit proof that they meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(2) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of their most recent Performance Rating, and a copy of their most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP/ICTAP eligible. If you are selected for Federal employment, you will be required to fill out a Declaration of Federal Employment, OF-306, prior to being appointed to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. Failing to answer all questions truthfully and completely or providing false statements on your application may be grounds for not hiring you, or for firing you after you begin work. Also, you may be punished by fine or imprisonment (U.S. Code, Title 18, section 1001).
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) when the applicant limit is reached which may be sooner than on 08/25/2025. 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.
Please limit your resume to no more than 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. You can only submit one resume; Only the resume submitted under the "Resume" "Document Type" will be used to determine your qualifications and for rating purposes.
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.