Park Ranger (I)

Summary This position is located in Pecos National Historical Park, in the Division of Interpretation. Responsibilities Major Duties: – Plans, designs, develops, and improves interpretive materials such as signs, wayside exhibits, publications, exhibits, video, and other digital content. – Develops and presents a variety of formal and informal interpretive opportunities. – Supports planning and development of interpretive programming, coordinating with chief of interpretation. – Response to electronic, telephone, or written inquiries from the public. – Orients, educates, and informs visitors regarding access and opportunities to participate in and contribute to memorable experiences. Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level. Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and recommendation by the positions supervisor. At the GS-7 grade level, this position is responsible for developing the skills to apply a full range of interpretive techniques to identify, interpret, and resolve moderately complex program issues and complete a variety of interpretive projects and assignments. Developmental assignments are typically performed in connection with an intensive training program. At the GS-9 level, this position is responsible for applying resourcefulness, judgment, and ingenuity, as well as fully-developed interpretive skills, techniques, and tools to resolve diverse program issues and complete a substantial variety of interpretive projects and assignments. Perform the following major duties at least 80% of the time on a regular and recurring basis. Interpretation and Communication. Area Information: Pecos National Historical Park is located 2 miles south of the village of Pecos, New Mexico on State Highway 63, four miles north of interstate 25. Pecos NHP is 25 miles east of Santa Fe and 44 miles to the west of Las Vegas, New Mexico. The multi-cultural resource of the park are enclosed in a predominately pinon/juniper woodland plant community with elevation from 6900 to 7400 feet. Precipitation averages 7 to 10 inches per year. Snowfall averages 12 to 16 inches in the winter. Average maximum winter temperature is 40 degrees. Average maximum summer temperature is 80 degrees. Elementary and secondary schools as well as banking facilities are available in Pecos. Las Vegas and Santa Fe provide all modern amenities and collegiate opportunities while Santa Fe provides all the cultural features of a major metropolitan area. For additional information, please visit the Pecos NHP web site at www.nps.gov/peco 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 countrys 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. Requirements Conditions of Employment U.S. Citizenship required. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males. Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required. 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. Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. You will be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid drivers license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operators 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 drivers licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. 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. If you are a new employee 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 occasionally. 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-10/21/2024-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 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized 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. 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-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-05 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Experience may have been in technical, administrative, or scientific work, fish and wildlife management, recreation management, law enforcement, or other park-related work. Your resume must include hours per week worked. Examples of qualifying specialized experience may include, but are not limited to, the following: park guide or tour leader, work in a park, recreation or conservation area, environmental education, history and/or cultural resources education, and natural sciences education. Work will include independent research and presentation. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least one full year of graduate study in one of the following fields: natural resource management, natural sciences, earth sciences, history, archeology, anthropology, park and recreation management, law enforcement/police science, social sciences, museum sciences, business administration, public administration, behavioral sciences, sociology, or other closely related subjects pertinent to the management and protection of natural and cultural resources. (One year of graduate education is 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours). You must include transcripts. -OR- Superior Academic Achievement: Successful completion of all the requirements for a bachelors degree with Superior Academic Achievement: 1) Class Standing – Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; OR, 2) Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) – Applicants must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 (“B” or better) as recorded on your official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 (“B” or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; OR, 3) Honor Society Membership – Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies: https://www.achshonor.org/ -OR- Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For example, six (6) months of experience (50% of experience) plus one-half year (9 semester or 14 quarter hours) of directly related graduate education as described above (50% of education), would equal 100% to meet this requirement. You must include transcripts. To qualify for this position at the GS-09 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-07 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Examples of specialized experience could include park ranger, or tour leader; environmental educator or teacher; law enforcement or investigative work; archeological or historical preservation research work; forestry and/or fire management; work in a park, recreation, or conservation area; management, assistant, or program specialist work. This work includes: (1) revising educational or interpretive programming to align with feedback or educational standards; (2) delivering presentations to the general public; (3) responding in writing to comments or feedback from the public about organizational programs or services; (4) answering questions orally from the general public about organizational policies or procedures. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least a masters or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or a LL.B. or J.D. in one of the following fields: natural resource management, natural sciences, earth sciences, history, archeology, anthropology, park and recreation management, law enforcement/police science, social sciences, museum sciences, business administration, public administration, behavioral sciences, sociology, or other closely related subjects pertinent to the management and protection of natural and cultural resources. (Two years of graduate education is 36 semester hours or 54 quarter hours). You must include transcripts. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For example, six (6) months of experience (50% of experience) plus 27 semester hours or 41 quarter hours of directly related graduate education as described above (50% of education), would equal 100% to meet this requirement You must include transcripts. 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. Additional Information 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: The work requires some physical exertion and can involve extensive periods of standing and walking, in some cases over rough surfaces or inclines outdoors or in caves, and carrying backpacks, tools, rescue equipment, or other loads. Some employees may engage in firefighting, search and rescue, and other strenuous activities; these employees may be required to lift or carry equipment weighing more than 50 pounds over long distances. Employees who participate in all-risk operations will be required to meet fitness requirements on a continuing basis. Working Conditions: The work can include moderate risks or discomforts that require safety precautions (e.g., exposure to extreme temperatures, climates, rough terrain, wild animals, pests, and/or insects). The incumbent may be required to use protective clothing or gear, such as masks, boots, gloves, etc. Some employees may be engaged in all-risk operations and be exposed to high risk and potentially dangerous situations which require a range of safety and other precautions. 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. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=ReasonableAccommodationsforUSAHire Documentation for the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) eligibility, submission of 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 (dates should match the dates on the SF-50s).