Senior Staff Ranger Job

Vacancy No. WO-1614-VRP-25-12769035-IMP Department National Park Service
Salary $105,383.00 to $171,268.00 Grade 13 to 13
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 7/30/2025 Close Date 8/12/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Grand Canyon, AZSan Francisco, CAYosemite National Park, CAWashington, DC


Summary

This position serves as the Senior Staff Ranger (Park Ranger (Protection)) for the National Park Service (NPS) at the Washington Support Office (WASO), NPS Headquarters. The Senior Staff Ranger reports directly to the Superintendent of the NPS Law Enforcement Training Center (LETC) and collaborates with parks and human resources to oversee the selection and placement of new law enforcement officers within the agency.

Duties

Major Duties of the Senior Staff Ranger (Park Ranger (Protection)) position include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Serves as a subject matter expert in the NPS law enforcement profession.
  • Mentors new applicants through the process of applying to and training for NPS law enforcement positions.
  • Maintains expertise in law enforcement position hiring processes and serves as a point of contact for parks with law enforcement staff to facilitate their hiring processes.
  • Performs law enforcement duties pertaining to apprehension, detention, or investigation of individuals suspected or convicted of offenses against criminal laws of the United States.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males
  • Direct Deposit: Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • Time-in-Grade: Any individual who is currently holding, or has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet time-in-grade requirements (must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent in the Federal service); with few exceptions as outlined in 5 CFR 300.603(b). Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal civilian employees applying for reinstatement who have had a break in service of less than one year, as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointments. Time-in-grade does not apply to new excepted service appointments and must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
  • Drug Testing: 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.
  • Driver's License: 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.
  • Uniform: You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
  • Probationary Period: If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
  • Travel: You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 5 nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
  • Government Charge Card: You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
REQUIREMENTS CONTINUED IN QUALIFICATIONS SECTION...

Qualifications

...REQUIREMENTS CONTINUED
  • Financial Filer Requirement: The position to which you will be appointed is subject to a financial disclosure reporting requirement and you will be required to complete a new entrant Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days of your appointment.
  • Minimum Age Requirement: This is a primary position covered by enhanced retirement provisions which stipulate mandatory retirement at age 57 after 20 years of service. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age and must not have reached their 37th birthday upon appointment to this position. Exceptions allowed: 1) an applicant has prior Federal service in a primary covered position sufficient to complete 20 years of service on or before the mandatory retirement age of 57; 2) an applicant is a qualified veterans' preference eligible.
  • Firearm Proficiency: Required to carry a firearm while performing duties, required to maintain firearm proficiency and must be able to testify in court without restriction.
  • Medical Requirements: This position requires the incumbent meet the medical standards qualifications per DO/RM57, pre-employment and periodic physical examinations, and must participate in the PEB annually.

QUALIFICATIONS:

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-08/12/2025-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 for each federal position listed as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of qualifying experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, your resume must state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience.

For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.

SELECTIVE FACTORS: Applicants must meet ALL of the following to qualify. Candidates who do not meet these requirements by close of this announcement will receive no further consideration for this position.
  • Previous Law Enforcement Experience: Prior law enforcement experience, as gained by substantial service in a primary law enforcement officer position or equivalent experience outside the Federal government is a MANDATORY PREREQUISITE for the incumbent of this position. (Experience must be documented in your Resume.)
  • Type I Law Enforcement Commission: Must currently possess or previously held (within the past three years), a FLERT issued Land Management Police Training (LMPT), full Type I Law Enforcement Commission or equivalent; or be qualified to receive a Type I Commission upon appointment. This will be based upon having completed approved NPS training as outlined by policy including Natural Resource Police Training (NRPT), Land Management Police Training Program (LMPT), US Park Police Integrated (USPPI), Uniformed Police Training Program (UPTP), BIA Basic Police Officer Training Program (BIA-BPOTP), or Criminal Investigator Training Program (CITP). This is required by the closing date of the announcement.
- AND -

To qualify for this position at the GS-13 grade level, you must possess all 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-12 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Experience at this level must include ALL of the following: (1) Identify program needs, develop short and long range plans related to operational needs, establish development operational guidelines, and set short and long range objectives; (2) Measure and evaluate program effectiveness and achievements against planned results and make program revisions and recommendations as needed; (3) Communicate orally and in writing to internal and external audiences; AND (4) Prepare or direct the preparation of reports and correspondence on administrative and law enforcement matters which often include sensitive subjects and complex issues. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
  • EDUCATION: There is no substitution of education for experience at the grade level of this announcement.
You must include months, years and hours per week worked to receive credit for your work and/or volunteer experience. One year of specialized experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week. Part-time hours are prorated. You will not receive any credit for experience that does not indicate exact hours per week or is listed as "varies". Experience listed as full-time will be credited at 40 hours per week.

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

There is no substitution of education for experience at the grade level of this announcement.

Additional information

Click here for the OPM Salaries and Wage to calculate locality pay.

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.

Physical Demands: Position is required to meet and continuously maintain the physical/medical standards as set forth in the requirements ofD.O. 57. The work requires long periods of sedentary behavior with intense concentration. The incumbent's responsibility as a law enforcement officer, with arrest authority, requiring physical exertion in the performance oflaw enforcement activities possible under adverse climatic conditions, as well as under stressful confrontational situations. Incumbent, when in the field, may be required to walk over rough, uneven, or rocky surfaces and may require recurring bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, reaching, or similar activities.

Working Conditions: The work is normally performed in an office environment. When necessary, the incumbent may be required to perform operational emergency services or law enforcement duties within units of the NPS. Such work involves moderate risks and discomforts that are associated with such activities. Incumbent is required to qualify with firearms and may involve exposure to potentially dangerous situations or unusual environmental stress requiring use of a wide range of personal protective gear, adherence to specific safety procedures, and other precautions.

Telework: The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

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.

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.

IMPORTANT NOTE: 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 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 who apply under Competitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are highly qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Best qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

Candidates who apply under Noncompetitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are minimally qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

You will be evaluated on the following competencies:

  • Oral Communication
  • Personnel and Human Resources
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Technical Competence
Oral Communication, Personnel and Human Resources, Planning and Evaluating, and Technical Competence

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessments, including a panel resume review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.

Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation and 2) a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process.

If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.

Required Documents

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 08/12/2025.

  1. Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates specified in month and year format, and indicate hours worked per week. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade. Your resume must clearly show how long your have held each grade in a federal position.
  2. Complete All Required Assessments.
  3. Merit Promotion Eligibility Documentation such as:
    • Federal employees or former federal employees must submit a copy of their latest or last SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" reflecting career or career-conditional status in the competitive service, shows position title, series, grade and an additional SF-50 showing highest permanent grade ever held, if not reflected on your latest SF-50. Examples of acceptable SF-50s include: Promotion, Within Rate Increases (WRI/WGI), or Appointment SF-50s. Do not submit an Award SF-50. Time in grade will be determined by reviewing your resume and required SF-50s. Your last Federal performance appraisal plan for your last position must reflect a rating of Fully Successful or equivalent. If the SF-50 showing highest permanent grade ever held has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess the one-year time-in-grade, as required by this announcement. In this instance, your resume must clearly show that you held that grade for one-year
    • LMWFA: Documentation for the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act eligibility, which includes ALL Appointment AND Termination SF-50s for EACH appointment as well as ALL performance evaluations, for each qualifying period of temporary employment claimed.
  4. Performance Appraisals and Awards:
      • All applicants must submit their most recent performance appraisal showing the official rating of record and signed by a supervisor. If submitting a performance appraisal not dated within the last 18 months, a statement as to why it is the most recent must be submitted. If no performance appraisal is available, applicants must submit a statement as to why it is not available (including if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level).
  5. Documentation that you meet Selective Factors.
  6. 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.
  7. Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.
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 08/12/2025. 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.

  1. Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account.
  2. Prompted to Start the Application Process by selecting "Start Application."
  3. Select or add the resume you want to use for this application. Click here on how to build a resume in USAJOBS.
  4. Select documents you want included in this application.
  5. Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed.
  6. Select if you want to include your demographic information.
  7. After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site."
  8. Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application.
  9. Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown.
    • Upload any missing required documents or optional documents.
  10. Review and Submit Application.
  11. While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position.
  12. 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.
Please note, the eligibility section of the application process is designed to allow you to choose how you wish to be considered for this vacancy announcement. You will ONLY be considered for the appointment eligibilities that you select. You must provide the supporting documentation to support your claim. Please review the list of documentation provided in the eligibilities language to ensure you provide the appropriate information. You may choose more than one eligibility.

Agency contact information

Keri Vasquez
Address
Visitor and Resource Protection
1849 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20240
US

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.

Additional Locations

  • Glynco, GA
  • Saint Louis, MO
  • Van Buren, MO
  • Tupelo, MS
  • Great Falls, MT
  • Helena, MT
  • Yellowstone National Park, MT
  • Philadelphia, PA
  • Gatlinburg, TN
  • Colter Bay, WY
  • Moose, WY
  • Yellowstone National Park, WY


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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