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Park Ranger (Interpretation)

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
Inflation Reduction Act
This job announcement has closed

Summary

There are a total of 3 positions at multiple park locations. Please read below for more information.

See the "Duties" section for locations, salary and anticipated Term Not to Exceed (NTE) periods.

Open to the first 101 applicants or until 10/04/2024 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
09/30/2024 to 10/04/2024
This job will close when we have received 101 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$98,240 to - $127,707 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Location
3 vacancies in the following location:
National Parks of Boston
Boston, MA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Term - Not To Exceed 13 months, but with possible extensions.
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
NPS-IRA-25-12555948-DE
Control number
811268500

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens; Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP).

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Duties

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These are TERM positions (more than 1 year) with an initial appointment expecting to last at least 13 months but may be extended up to a total of three years, or more based on any changes to regulations governing the number of years term appointments may last, without further competition. Term positions do not convey permanent status in the Federal service.

The National Park Service retains the right to extend the duration of this appointment after selection and/or appointment, based on changes to the regulation governing the number of years term appointments may last. This change, which may be made at the agency's sole discretion and without further competition, shall not be construed or interpreted as the granting of a right to a selectee or employee to such an extension. No extension to a term appointment shall be granted to a selectee/employee to an amount of time that exceeds the maximum number of years authorized under any present or current regulation, unless such regulation expressly allows such action.

National Parks of Boston
The National Parks of Boston is a constellation of three National Park Service sites - Boston National Historical Park, Boston African American National Historic Site and Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park - collectively managed by a general superintendent. Established by individual legislation and designated purposes, the three units have come together as a unified, relevant and collaborative organizational structure. More commonly, you may know us as the Bunker Hill Monument, Charlestown Navy Yard, and Dorchester Heights or our partnerships along Boston's "Trails to Freedom" or our partnership on the Boston Harbor Islands. You may also know us from the Park Ranger uniform, but we also employ a wide variety of employees from across varied career fields.

The position duty location is Boston, Massachusetts; There are a Total of 3 positions:

Boston National Historical Park-Two (2) Positions will perform duties/ provide support to Boston National Historical Park NTE 3 Years.
Boston National Historical Park is a unique partnership park that encompasses eight historic sites of national significance associated with the colonial struggle for independence and American ideals of self-determination and civil freedom. The park works collaboratively with federal, municipal and private partners to preserve, protect, and interpret the Old South Meeting House, Old State House, Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere House, Old North Church, Charlestown Navy Yard (including USS Constitution and USS Cassin Young), Bunker Hill Monument and Dorchester Heights. The park also operates two visitor centers and the Bunker Hill Museum. For additional information, please visit www.nps.gov/bost.

Boston African American National Historic Site-One (1) Position will perform duties/ provide support to the Boston African American National Historical Site. NTE 2 Years.
Boston African-American National Historic Site is a unique partnership park that encompasses the largest area of pre-Civil War black owned structures in the United States. The nearly two dozen historic sites, linked by the 1.6 mile Black Heritage Trail, were homes, businesses, schools, and churches of a thriving black community that, in the face of great opposition, fought the forces of slavery and inequality. The site includes the African Meeting House, the Abiel Smith School, and the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial. For more information, please visit www.nps.gov/boaf.


Major Duties:
  • Manages and provides strategic direction for collaborative interpretive planning and execution of high visibility events and programs associated with key commemorations and anniversaries.
  • Collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to plan, prototype and operationalize new approaches to activating public lands through visitor experiences that support park goals and public needs and interests.
  • Strategically manages financial resources to support program areas and foster continuous program improvement and accountability.
  • Develops communication tools, systems and practices to strengthen existing and support the creation of new partnership models that leverage park and partner expertise, resources and networks to achieve shared visitor experience goals.
  • Creates and sustains a work environment that encourages creative thinking and innovation to achieve visitor experience, employee health and wellness and community engagement goals.

Requirements

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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.
  • You will be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's 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 driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you.
  • You may be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel drive vehicle.
  • 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.
  • You will be required to complete a one-year trial period.
  • You may be required to travel overnight away from home up 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.
  • 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-10/04/2024-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.

Candidates who do not meet this requirement by close of this announcement will receive no further consideration for this position.

To qualify for this position at the GS-12 grade level, you must possess at least one or all of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:

QUALITY RANKING FACTOR: Knowledge of 18th and 19th century US political and social history, including Boston's roles in the American Revolution, abolition and organized efforts to expand civil rights and liberties.

EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-11) or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience obtained in either the public or private sector. Specialized experience includes but is not limited to experience that equips the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the duties of this position. Specialized experience includes: planning or leading a park education and interpretive program; serving as a lead interpretive ranger, educator, or recreation planner in a park, historic site, recreation, or conservation area; management or program specialist work involving the development and/or implementation of policy related to education/interpretation, outdoor recreation, and/or volunteer programs in park areas or similar operations; or other similar work (or similar business - local, state, federal). You must include hours per week worked.

There is no substitution of education for experience at the grade level of this announcement.

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.

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.

Education


There is no substitution of education for experience at the grade level of this announcement.

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.

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 ยง575.102 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.

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: Physical demands range from sedentary work in an office environment to frequent trips to partner sites and throughout park field areas. Travel to park field sites involves ferry and small craft water transit to island locations, walking on uneven surfaces and over hilly terrain, and may involve travel over snow in winter, walking on uneven terrain, or travel to locations away from the park and across the state or greater region. Occasionally, work may demand very long work hours with work in the evenings and on weekends.

Working Conditions: Work is generally performed in an office setting and duties involve extensive use of computers; however, work may also take place at partner sites and at island, harbor, and mainland locations throughout the three parks. Travel is accomplished on foot and using the city-wide public transportation system (bus, subway, ferry). Distance travel for regional meetings, off-site events and training may require use of park vehicles or commercial carriers. The incumbent must be able to work in the field for specific, limited purposes in all weather conditions, including rain, snow, cold and heat.

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.

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 will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:

  • Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position
  • Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job
  • Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.
You will be evaluated on the following competencies:
  • Communications and Media
  • Financial Management
  • Partnering
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Project Management

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