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Seasonal Maintenance Worker (Trails)

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
Denali National Park and Preserve

Summary

NOTE: OPM has identified this position as eligible for an exception to the typical 1039-hour season. This exception allows up to 1560 hours which may extend the season(s) reflected in this announcement. See the Additional Information section for details.

The typical season for this position is April - September but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. The anticipated entry on duty is April 2026.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
01/29/2026 to 02/05/2026
Salary
$30.48 to - $41.27 per hour

Pay is subject to annual review and adjustment.

Pay scale & grade
WG 5 - 7
Location
9 vacancies in the following location:
Denali Park, AK
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
75% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Temporary - 1560 hours
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
AK-1537-DENA-26-12875112-LH
Control number
855823600

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This position is being filled using the Alaska Nat'l Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA), local hiring authority (16 USC 3198). Any U.S. Citizen who has acquired special knowledge or expertise regarding the natural or cultural resources of Denali Nat'l Park and Preserve, by reason of having either lived or worked in or near the unit may apply. To be eligible your resume must show periods of time having lived or worked in or near the area of consideration (see qualifications section).

Duties

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If selected, you will work as a Maintenance Worker (Trails), WG-4749-05 or 07, at Denali National Park and Preserve. The duties of this position revolve around seasonal summer operations. Incumbent works for the Trails Supervisor and/or under the direction of Work Leaders or other higher-graded employees and may be assigned to assist with a variety of trails and maintenance related duties, including but not limited to:

  • Typically works in a crew of 5 - 7 employees and may be asked to provide basic guidance to volunteers, youth corps, or other trail workers engaged in new trail construction or maintenance projects in Denali National Park and Preserve.
  • Projects include foot trails in alpine tundra, off-highway vehicle trails, and front country multi-use paths.
  • Perform heavy labor during construction projects.
  • Work safely and productively and actively participate in the development of Job Hazard Analysis documents, as well as being an active participant in safety meetings and training.
  • Move a variety of materials (e.g. stone, logs, fill, etc.) to worksites, maintaining and constructing trail tread, hauling materials, re-vegetating project sites, cleaning drainages, installing signs, transplanting native vegetation, and brushing trail segments.
  • Work may include digging drains, brushing trails, and constructing rock trail structures.
  • Safely operate and maintain a variety of equipment, including power tools and hand tools, small gas-powered equipment, power wheelbarrows, chainsaws, rock drills, generators, shovels, rock bars, picks, axes, crosscut saws, single-jack hammers, tape measures, and more.
  • Conduct daily vehicle inspections.
  • May perform other duties such as:
    • Routine painting, carpentry, janitorial, cleaning, trash pick-up, grounds keeping, digging, raking, or sweeping.
Additional duties at the WG-07 level include, but are not limited to the following:
  • Coordinate work for volunteers, youth corps, and other trail workers engaged in new trail construction or maintenance projects in Denali National Park and Preserve.
  • Lead heavy labor during construction projects, for the operation of small gas-powered equipment, operation of skid steer loaders, trailering materials, and using rigging systems.
  • Plan work effectively and report progress and needs to the Supervisor/Leader in a timely manner.
  • Maintains trucks, vans, and trailers.


Please visit find a park for additional park information.

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 may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 16 nights per month.

  • 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 18 years old.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement 02/05/2026 unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
Special knowledge or expertise concerning the park's or preserve's natural and/or cultural resources and the management thereof is required. Local knowledge of the resources and the typical conditions that affect the work to be accomplished will be applied in the performance of duties.
-AND-
To be eligible your resume must clearly show periods of time having lived or worked in or near the area of consideration. The area of consideration can be found in the below paragraph.

Areas considered "near" Denali National Park and Preserve, Toklat, and Wonder Lake duty stations include only: Anderson, Cantwell, Chulitna, Clear, Curry, Denali Park, Ferry, Healy, Kantishna, Lake Minchumina, McKinley Village, Nenana, Nikolai, Petersville, Talkeetna, Tanana, Telida, and Trapper Creek.

-ALSO-

The following are the competencies identified for this position. Applicants are not required to address these competencies in a separate document but are encouraged to include in their resumes experience related to these competencies:

  1. Ability to do the work of Maintenance Worker (Trails) without more than normal supervision.
  2. Knowledge of equipment assembly, installation, repair, etc.
  3. Knowledge of technical practices (theoretical, precise, artistic).
  4. Ability to use measuring instruments.
  5. Ability to interpret instructions, specifications, etc. (including blueprint reading).
  6. Ability to use and maintain tools and equipment.
  7. Knowledge of materials.

Education

There is no substitution of education for the required special knowledge or expertise concerning the park's or preserve's natural and/or cultural resources and the management thereof as outlined in this announcement.

Additional information

NOTE: In support of Executive Order (EO) 14189 "Celebrating America's 250th Birthday" and EO 14314 "Making America Beautiful Again by Improving our National Parks," the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has approved an exception to the 1039-hour time limitation for this position. This approval extends the time limitation to 1560 hours for this temporary seasonal appointment.

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.

Government housing is not available.

All travel, transportation, and relocation expenses associated with reporting for duty in this position will be the sole responsibility of the selectee.

Alaska currently does not have a state income tax.

Selectee may be moved between duty stations within park boundaries.

This is an excepted service appointment that does not confer competitive status.

Physical Effort (WG-4749-05):
Heavy physical exertion is frequently required in bending, lifting, and using hand and power tools in trail work. Examples of typical strenuous activity include lifting and carrying objects weighing up to 100 pounds, carrying and rolling rocks and logs, moving rocks of several tons with rock bars, using hammers to crush or shape rock, and using shovels extensively; frequently walks up to 20 miles daily; and must not have potential emergency medical problems that could complicate work in remote areas for extended periods of time.

Working Conditions (WG-4749-05):
Incumbent must have the ability to live and work effectively in isolated backcountry areas in close contact with small numbers of people. Incumbent must live and work out-of-doors on projects including mountainous terrain up to 14,000 feet in elevation in all extremes of weather. Trail work is dusty and hazardous conditions may exist when moving rock, working in and around rock slide areas, working around explosives, falling and bucking trees, and working around machinery.

Physical Effort (WG-4749-07):
Heavy physical effort is required in bending, lifting, and using hand and power tools in trail work. Examples of typical strenuous activity include:

  • Frequently lifts and carries objects weighing over 100 pounds, must carry and roll rocks and logs, move rocks of several tons with rock bars, use hammers to crush or shape rock, and use shovel extensively.
  • Frequently hikes up to 20 miles daily and must be able to do so while carrying backpack, power and/or hand tools.

Working Conditions (WG-4749-07):
Incumbent must have the ability to live and work effectively in backcountry areas in close contact with small numbers of people for extended periods of time. Incumbent must live and work out-of-doors on projects in various terrain up to 13,000 feet elevation in all extremes of adverse weather conditions. Trail work is dusty, and hazardous conditions may exist when moving rocks and logs, working in and around rockslide areas, working around stock, working around explosives, falling and bucking trees, and working around machinery.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents, responses to the questions in the assessment). If your resume does not reflect having lived / worked within the area of consideration, if your responses to the questions in the assessment do not reflect special knowledge of the natural and/or cultural resources of the park or preserve, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible' or 'not qualified'.

Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. You may only submit one resume. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed.

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