Supervisory Park Ranger Job in Kings Canyon National Park, CA

Vacancy No. PW-1549-SEKI-25-12628643-ST Department National Park Service
Salary $72,758.00 to $94,583.00 Grade 11 to 11
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 12/10/2024 Close Date 12/23/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Kings Canyon National Park, CA


Summary

This position is located in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, in the Division of Interpretation, Education and Partnerships.

Open to the first 101 applicants or until 12/23/2024 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.

Government housing may be available.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to current and former federal career/career conditional employees with competitive status, Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP and VEOA eligibles, 30 percent or More Disabled Veterans, Certain Former Overseas and Foreign Service Employees, Military Spouses, Interchange Agreement and Other Miscellaneous Authorities, People with Disabilities, Peace Corps and VISTA, Reinstatement and Public Land Corps eligible candidates.

Duties

This position is located at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (SEKI) in the Division of Interpretation, Education, and Partnerships. SEKI receives significant visitation (~1.5 million annually) and, administratively, the two units are among the most complex units of the National Park Service (NPS). SEKI represents an extraordinary continuum of ecosystems (97% designated wilderness) arrayed along the greatest vertical relief (1,370 feet to 14,495 feet in elevation) of any protected area in the lower 48 states and includes some 500 permanent and temporary federal employees as well as over 1,000 volunteers who provide a wide range of visitor services and operational support. There are five major organizational divisions within the parks, each of which is further subdivided into functional organizational branches.

The incumbent serves as the Kings Canyon District Interpreter working as a supervisory park ranger in the Kings Canyon District interpretive and visitor services operation, serves on interdivisional committees, teams, or task forces, and acts in other parkwide and division-wide roles. The incumbent works with other division leaders to make and implement decisions that affect division-wide operations.

Major Duties:

  • Provides first- and second-line supervision for a large and diverse staff, including permanent and temporary employees, interns, and volunteers, and manages human capital to meet operational and workforce demands.
  • Recruits and hires employees using diverse hiring authorities and manages human capital to meet operational and workforce demands.
  • Trains, evaluates, coaches, and mentors staff to ensure high-quality interpretive/educational programs, visitor services, and staff growth.
  • Coordinates, administers, and manages all aspects of a complex frontline interpretive/educational operation and ensures high-quality services through effective planning and the efficient use of staff and resources.
  • Contributes to the accomplishment of division, park, and service wide goals, including serving on committees; acting as a formal liaison to other workgroups and organizations; and completing supporting tasks, projects, and special assignments.
The employees of the National Park Service care for special places that are the heritage of all Americans. Since its inception in 1916, the National Park Service has been dedicated to the preservation and management of this country's outstanding natural, historical, and recreational resources. Park ranger - interpreters connect people to parks. They play a key role in ensuring that visitors have a meaningful, satisfying, and safe park experience, help visitors decide how to spend their time in the park, and inform them about the wonders that await their discovery. Park ranger - interpreters are specially trained to engage the public so that each park visitor can find a personal connection with the meanings and values found in the places and stories of that park. They help visitors explore the many dimensions of parks by introducing them to a variety of perspectives. By providing the opportunity for visitors to care about the places they visit, they promote stewardship and the opportunity for those visitors to care for park resources. National parks are among the most remarkable places in America for recreation, learning, and inspiration. The work done by park ranger-interpreters through effective interpretive and educational programs encourages the development of a personal stewardship ethic and broadens public support for preserving and protecting park resources, so that they may be enjoyed by present and future generations.

Hiring Manager Contact Information:
Marc Neidig
Chief of Interpretation, Education and Partnerships
Marc_Neidig@nps.gov

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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.

Qualifications

Requirements (Cont):
  • If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
  • You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 1 nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
  • You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.

Qualifications:
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-12/23/2024-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.

To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level, you must possess one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience must include at least 4 of the following:
  • Research, design, and then present a variety of original formal and informal interpretive or educational programs.
  • Review data and trends, and then analyze information to make recommendations or suggestions for program and operations improvements and efficiencies.
  • Plan, design, develop, and/or improve interpretive or educational materials such as signs, marketing materials, waysides, exhibits, publications, and digital media.
  • Coordinate the day-to-day operation of a contact station, visitor facility, and/or information desk.
  • Train, mentor, coach, and/or evaluate a broad range of interpretive or educational programs
  • Coordinate and manage the development and implementation of special projects or events
You must include hours per week worked.

-OR-

EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least 3 full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree related to the occupation. You must include transcripts.

-OR-

An appropriate combination of specialized experience and graduate level education (beyond what is required for a Master's degree, i.e., more than 36 semester hours leading to a Ph.D.). You must include transcripts.

For more information on qualifying education or on combining education and experience see OPM Qualification Standards linked below:
Individual Occupational Requirements, Park Ranger Series 0025

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.

CTAP/ICTAP Statement: 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 I/CTAP eligibility must submit proof that they meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(2) - CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 - ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of most recent Performance Rating, and a copy of most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level & duty location.

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.

Additional information

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.

A Relocation Incentive May Be Authorized for a Federal employee when the employee must move, as directed by the National Park Service (NPS) either through a management directed reassignment or selection for employment, to a different location at least 50 miles away from the one where his/her position of record held at time of selection is currently located, due to a need of the NPS. A relocation incentive is not the same as a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move and, as such, may be granted in conjunction with one another.

Physical Demands: Indoor work is generally performed in an adequately lit and climate-controlled office. Office duties, including meetings and daily work, require extended periods of sitting and the ability to operate computers and other common office equipment. Working at the visitor center information desk requires long periods of standing in one place and answering repetitive and complex visitor questions.

Field work may require walking frequently, standing for long periods, climbing, and descending steep inclines, bending, crouching, and lifting moderately heavy items in a repetitive motion are required. Occasionally, light to moderate hiking with up to a 30 lbs. backpack is required on developed and primitive park trails, up to six miles in length, and elevation gains of up to l,500 feet. Work may involve walking over rough, uneven, or rocky terrain, or slippery surfaces in extreme weather conditions.

The incumbent must be able to speak clearly and operate a handheld radio.

Work typically requires the daily operation of a motor vehicle ( e.g., automobiles, pick-up trucks, four-wheel drive vehicles and vans (up to 12 passengers)) on steep mountainous roads. Skill and knowledge to operate vehicles in a variety of conditions (i.e., rain, fog) over a variety of mountain roads including highways, narrow roads with various surfaces, and on steep winding grades. Work may include driving to sites up to 100 miles from park headquarters.

Working Conditions: Work is performed both indoors and outdoors. Indoor work is performed in an adequately lit and
climate-controlled office. Office work will require the ability to sit for an extended time working at a computer. Outside work may be performed under extreme weather conditions with temperatures ranging from ~ I 00 F to -10 F and at elevations ranging from 1,300-8,000 feet. Summers are hot and winters are mild at lower elevations, but higher elevations will experience snow, cold weather, and wind. Work includes exposure to poisonous plants, biting insects, and wildlife. SEKI is known for its poor air quality and the presence of smoke during fires. Work will be performed at times when there is poor air quality due to fires or smog. This position requires a valid state driver's license to drive in a government vehicle to various job sites.

The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable situational and emergency telework.

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 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:

  • Administration and Management
  • Decision Making
  • Managing Human Resources
  • Partnering
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • QTMATE
  • Teaching Others
  • 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 job-related technician assessment (QTMATE). 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 12/23/2024.

  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
    • Veterans Preference Documentation (e.g. DD-214, SF-15, VA Letter as appropriate)
    • 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.
    • 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.
      • 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 last18 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).
  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.
  6. Noncompetitive or Special Hiring Authority. 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.
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.

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) on 12/23/2024. 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.

  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.

Documentation for the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) eligibility: you must submit ALL SF-50s and performance information for each period of temporary/term employment that qualifies for LMWFA. Performance documentation can be obtained by contacting the supervisors for the positions you served in during your 24 months. If they did not complete performance appraisals ask them to provide a statement of performance for each period of service. The statement must specify the dates for each employment period and your level of performance consistent with your SF_50s.

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.

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.

Agency contact information

Jennifer Mengel
Address
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
47050 Generals Highway
Three Rivers, CA 93271
US
Learn more about this agency

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.


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


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