Park Guide

Summary The primary purpose of this position is to provide guide services to visitors. The work involves giving talks, interpreting natural and historic features, answering questions, guiding tours, and providing miscellaneous services to visitors Responsibilities For additional park information contact Grand Portage National Monument, Stephen Veit, 218-475-0123, stephenveit@nps.gov. Grand Portage National Monument (GRPO) is made up of 710 acres, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Monument lands are encompassed by Reservation lands of the Grand Portage Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. GRPO and the Grand Portage Band are partners in operating the national monument, with the Band responsible for all maintenance operations in the park. Incumbent will work frequently with Grand Portage Band members and tribal employees. Cultural resources are largely related to canoe-dependent exploration of North America, fur trade archeological resources, and Native American heritage. Significant natural resources include Lake Superior shoreline, wetlands, boreal forest, and Pigeon River frontage on the United States and Canadian border. Presents talks/demonstrations and leads tours, providing general information based on the interpretive themes of the site. Programs are generally brief and given to varied audiences. They cover a specific topic relative to park themes and utilize previously prepared research and documentation prepared by park staff.Develops and prepares occasional programs/tours of a more specific nature that are of interest to the employee and are consistent with site interpretive themes. May present programs off site.Staffs both indoor and outdoor interpretive areas as well as monuments heritage center. Greets visitors, provides basic orientation to the site and local area, provides safety messages, responds to questions in person, and by telephone, and works in cooperating association sales area.Assists with planning, preparation, and execution of NPS sponsored special events and programs such as Rendezvous, Junior Ranger program, and youth programs.Provides a variety of interpretive support duties including the use and care of audio-visual equipment, care for living history clothing (inventory and tracking, and cleaning items as well as making needed repairs), care and cleaning of interpretive props in all areas, inventory and stocking of brochures, maintaining supplies at interpretive stations, opening and closing the site, and records visitation statistics. 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.. Driving: 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 drivers 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 drivers 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 drivers licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. Please indicate in your application whether you possess a valid State drivers license. Uniform: You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided. Government housing is available. Applicants must be at least (1)18 years old or (2) at least 16 years old and: (a) Have graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or (b) Have completed a formal vocational training program; or (c) Have received a statement from school authorities agreeing with their preference for employment rather than continuing their education; or (d) Be currently enrolled in a secondary school and either work only during school vacation periods or work part-time during the school year under a formal student employment program. Qualifications All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-10/28/2024-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. 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. To qualify for this position at the GS-04 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: EXPERIENCE: At least six months of general experience and six months specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-03 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). General Experience is (1) Any type of work that demonstrates the ability to perform the work of the position, or (2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation. Specialized Experience is experience that involved oral presentation of historical, scientific, or program information to groups; or developing and/or revising technical, historical, or scientific information for oral presentation to groups. Examples of specialized experience could include but are not limited to Park Guide or tour leader; docent; museum or observatory guide; teaching assistant; or other similar work. (Excess specialized experience can be substituted for general experience; but excess general experience cannot be substituted for required specialized experience). You must include hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least two years of education above high school (60 semester hour or 90 quarter hours) which included at least 12 semester hours of directly related courses, such as in American history, science, public speaking, parks & recreation, education, or communications. You must include transcripts. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. To combine education and experience, first take the total number of semester hours divided by 60. Then take the number of months of full-time experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts. 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: one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-04 level. Specialized Experience is experience that involved oral presentation of historical, scientific, or program information to groups; or developing and/or revising technical, historical, or scientific information for oral presentation to groups. Examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to, Park Guide or tour leader; naturalist; environmental educator or teacher; or other similar work. -OR- EDUCATION: Must have completed four years of education above high school (120 semester hour or 180 quarter hours) leading to a bachelors degree with courses related to the occupation, such as American history, science, public speaking, parks and recreation, education or communications. You must include transcripts. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. To combine education and experience, first take the total number of semester hours beyond 60 divided by 60. NOTE: Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelors degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. Then take the number of months of full time experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts. IMPORTANT – PLEASE NOTE: If you are using education to qualify you must document your coursework and/or degree completed in your resume or other application materials you submit. You must submit a copy of your transcripts or a complete list of college courses taken that identifies for each course the college or university, semester or quarter hours earned, grade received, and date completed. If you are qualifying based on education and you do not submit specific coursework information as described previously, your application will be rated not qualified for consideration. (A copy of your official transcripts will be required before entrance on duty, if selected). 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. Non-Competitive Rehire Eligibility: Temporary seasonal employees can only maintain their non-competitive rehire eligibility if they work no more than a combined total of Temporary NTE less than 1040 hours anywhere in the National Park Service (NPS) within their established service year. Accordingly, non-competitive rehire eligibility allows for re-appointment to the same position or another position appropriate for temporary appointment with the same qualification requirements (5 CFR 316.402[b][7]), based on series and grade, anywhere in the major subdivision (NPS). If you have held a temporary seasonal appointment in the past 12 months and have already worked the maximum temporary appointment less than 1040 hours during that period, you are still welcome to apply. However, please be aware that exceeding the limit of 1040 hours in your established service year will result in the loss of your non-competitive rehire eligibility. The limit can be exceeded by working multiple temporary seasonal positions that result in a combined total greater than 1040 hours. The limit also can be exceeded by working a single temporary seasonal appointment that exceeds 1040 hours, unless granted an exception by OPM. Employment may be terminated at any time due to fluctuations in funding levels, project needs, employee performance, or other considerations. Physical Demands: The work requires standing for long periods of time, walking for long distances, climbing and descending steep inclines, bending, and lifting moderately heavy items. Mental stress and physical fatigue occur due to high volume of personal contacts, occasional emergency responses, and repetitive nature of interpretive programs. Working Conditions: Work is performed both indoors and outdoors resulting in exposure to a variety of weather conditions. The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.