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Park Ranger (Protection) - Senior Staff Ranger

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
Visitor and Resource Protection; Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in Visitor and Resource Protection, in the Visitor and Resource Protection, Law Enforcement, Security, and Emergency Services Division.

This position may be filled at any of the National Park Service locations listed in this announcement.

Open to the first 50 applicants or 03/11/2025, whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.

Overview

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Job closed
Open & closing dates
02/25/2025 to 02/25/2025
This job will close when we have received 50 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$105,383 to - $137,000 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Locations
1 vacancy in the following locations:
Grand Canyon, AZ
San Francisco, CA
Yosemite National Park, CA
Washington, DC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
WO-1614-VRP-25-12700539-IMP
Control number
832425500

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

All current or former career/career-conditional National Park Service employees with competitive/reinstatement eligibility; CTAP within the local commuting area; and current or former time-limited employees under PL-114-47, Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) (within NPS Only).

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Duties

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  • Serves as a subject matter expert in the National Park Service (NPS) law enforcement profession
  • Serves as the Program and Hiring Manager for the NPS National Law Enforcement Hiring Program
  • 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

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required
  • Appointment subject to background investigation & favorable adjudication
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males
  • Subject to pre-employment physical & drug testing
  • Must possess a Type I Law Enforcement Commission
  • New employees of the Department of the Interior must identify a financial institution for direct deposit of net pay within 30 days of entrance on duty
  • 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). Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal civilian employees applying for reinstatement
  • Will be required to carry a firearm while performing duties & maintain firearm proficiency
  • Must be free of any domestic violence convictions. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation & favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.
  • You will be required to submit to a drug test & receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use.
  • Prior to appointment, you must be determined physically fit by an authorized government physician to perform strenuous and physically demanding duties; and also pass a medical examination given by an authorized government physician. You will also be required to undergo periodic medical examinations throughout employment.
  • Prior to appointment, the people selected for these positions must be determined physically fit by an authorized physician to perform strenuous and physically demanding duties, pass a medical examination, and pass the Physical Efficiency Battery (PEB).
  • Be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required.
  • Be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
  • If you are a new employee in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period
  • Must be at least 21 years old

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-03/11/2025-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:

1. Mandatory Minimum & Maximum Age Requirements:
This position is 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. Two exceptions are 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; or 2) an applicant is a qualified veterans' preference eligible, in which case the MEA is waived and their corresponding retirement age may be higher than 57 after completing 20 years of service.

2. Mandatory Law Enforcement Commission: Applicants must meet one of the following criteria by the close date of the announcement to be considered for these positions:

  • Currently hold, or have previously held (within the past three years), a National Park Service full (Level I) law enforcement commission, or equivalent within the past three years.
    • You MUST certify in your supporting documents the possession of at least one of the above criteria. Include your commission number with expiration date within your resume.
3. Primary Law Enforcement Experience: This is a covered secondary law enforcement position under the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S. C. 8336(c) (CSRS) and 8412(d) (FERS). Applicants for this position must possess experience gained by substantial service in a primary law enforcement position.

4. Driver's License: Must have a current, valid State Driver's License by 03/11/2025.

AND

Applicants must possess the following minimum qualifications by the close of the announcement:

To qualify for the GS-13 level:
  • 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). Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of this position. 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.

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 the GS-13 level.

Additional information

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.

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.

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: Required to meet and continuously maintain the physical/medical standards as set forth in the requirements of D.O. #57. The work requires long periods of sedentary behavior with intense concentration. The incumbent's primary responsibility as a law enforcement officer, with arrest authority, requires peak physical condition and the ability to operate under adverse climatic conditions as well as under stressful confrontational situations.

Working Conditions: Work is normally performed in an office environment. When necessary, the incumbent may be required to perform operational law enforcement duties on city streets or in a park are setting. This position is subject to random drug testing. Incumbent must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance at the appropriate level. To ensure a drug-free workplace, incumbent shall be responsible for effective implementation and ongoing conduct of programs within assigned functions.

Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) Statement: The salary annotated on this announcement does not include the cost-of-living allowance, nor locality pay. Click here for the OPM Salaries and Wages to calculate locality pay.

This is a secondary-administrative law enforcement position under the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S. C. 8336 (c) (CSRS) and 5 U. S. C. 8412 (d) (FERS). PLEASE NOTE: Applicants may meet qualification requirements, but may not be eligible for special retirement coverage. If such an applicant is selected, they will be placed in the regular retirement system. To be eligible for Secondary retirement coverage under CSRS, an employee must transfer directly (without a break in service exceeding 3 days) from a primary position to a secondary position. To be eligible for Secondary retirement coverage under FERS, an employee must: 1) transfer directly (without a break in service exceeding 3 days) from a primary position to a secondary position, AND 2) complete 3 years of service in a primary rigorous position including any such service during which no FERS deductions were withheld, AND 3) must be continuously employed in a secondary position(s) since moving from a primary rigorous position, except for any break in employment from a secondary position that began with involuntary separation (not for cause). It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure this office has enough information to determine your special retirement status to ensure you do not lose benefits (normally through submission of your work history or other documentation that demonstrates work history of approved covered positions). You must let this office know if you are in a Primary position.

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:

  • Communication
  • Law Enforcement
  • QTMATE
  • Recruitment (National Law Enforcement Hiring Program)
  • Staffing and Hiring (National Law Enforcement Hiring Program)


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 technical assessment (QTMATE). These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.

Performance Appraisal - Required for ALL Applicants:
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.

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