Park Ranger (Visitor Services)

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 11/09/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. 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 periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the work schedule requirement as the service dates will be reflected.

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. Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications: Basic Educational Requirement AND/OR Specialized Experience for the series to which you are applying.

To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level: Experience: To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors).

Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience such as developing and delivering interpretive programs and environmental education activities; conducting community outreach and public communication; building and maintaining partnerships; coordinating volunteers and special events; providing visitor services and resource interpretation; and planning, organizing, and implementing programs and projects.You must include hours per week worked. -OR- Education: Successful completion of at least a Ph.D. or equivvalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a PH.D.

You must include transcripts. -OR- Combination of education and experience as listed above: To combine education and experience, first take the number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year of graduate study and divide by 18 semester hours (or equivalent), which represents one year of graduate education at this level. Then take the number of months of full-time specialized experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together.

The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include hours per week and transcripts. To qualify for this position at the GS-12 grade level: Experience: To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors).

Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience such as developing and managing interpretive and environmental education programs; leading community outreach and partnership initiatives; overseeing volunteer programs and special events; providing technical guidance on visitor services and resource interpretation; and planning, implementing, and evaluating visitor services programs, projects, and outreach strategies. You must include hours per 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.

Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following: Develop and deliver outreach plans, including public meetings and briefings. Build and manage partnerships with community groups and organizations. Oversee and execute MOAs and MOUs for visitor-services partnerships. Plan refuge events and coordinate participation in external activities. Support Refuge Support Groups and manage funding, donations, and cost-share needs.

Coordinate with landowners and agencies to promote cooperation and joint planning. Develop and deliver interpretive and environmental education programs for diverse audiences. Manage visitor facilities, ensuring safety, accessibility, and proper maintenance. Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.