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Seasonal Park Guide

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
Wrangell-St. Elias 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
03/10/2026 to 03/17/2026
Salary
$19.73 to - $28.69 per hour

An additional 3% cost of living allowance (COLA) will be added to the salary above. Pay is subject to annual review and adjustment.

Pay scale & grade
GS 4 - 5
Locations
Copper Center, AK
3 vacancies
Slana, AK
3 vacancies
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Temporary - 1560 hours
Work schedule
Multiple Schedules
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-WRST-26-12904467-LH
Control number
860483000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This position is being filled using the Alaska National 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 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, by reason of having either lived or worked in or near the unit may apply. See Qualifications section for eligibility requirements.

Duties

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These positions offer two work schedules listed below. Positions at the GS-05 grade level offer a full-time or part-time (24 hours per week) work schedule for the Copper Center duty station only. GS-05 positions at the Slana duty station are full-time only.

Positions at the GS-04 grade level offer a full-time or part-time (24 hours per week) work schedule for the Slana duty station only. GS-04 positions at the Copper Center duty station are full-time only.

Regardless of the duty station or grade level applying for, you will be prompted to indicate the work schedule you wish to be considered for. If you select part-time, but apply to a grade level and duty station that does not offer that work schedule, you will be considered for the full-time schedule only. When prompted you may select one work schedule or both.

  • Full-time (this work schedule is available for Copper Center and Slana duty stations).
  • Part-time (24 hours per week) (this work schedule is available for the Copper Center duty station at the GS-05 grade level or Slana duty station at the GS-04 grade level).


Duties of the position include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Primarily provides front line customer service by staffing a visitor center desk.
  • Distributes information and orientation.
  • May facilitate pre-established interpretive talks, normally following a prescribed outline. Interpretive efforts will be created with oversight.
  • Learns Park resources by reviewing published maps, park research materials, and other documents previously prepared by park rangers and other professionals.
  • Greets visitors and provides information on a variety of subjects including local and regional attractions.
  • Conducts trip planning sessions with an emphasis on safety.
  • Conducts sales of cooperating association publications, replenishes stock of free publications when necessary, and issues federal subsistence permits.
  • Answers the telephone and provides area information or takes messages.
In addition to the above, duties for the GS-05 grade level include, but are not limited to the following:
  • As assigned and with minimal supervision, performs various administrative and collateral duties which may include gathering routine information for reports, compilation of statistical data, cleaning and manual labor projects, graphic design projects, editing of site bulletins and displays, management of social media and participation with special events.


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 one 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 03/17/2026 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 application package 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 paragraphs.

Areas considered "near" Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve are Chisana, Chistochina, Chitina, Copper Center, Dot Lake, Gakona, Gakona Junction, Glennallen, Gulkana, Healy Lake, Kenny Lake, Long Lake, Lower & Upper Tonsina, McCarthy, Mendeltna, Mentasta Lake, Nabesna, Nelchina, Northway/Northway Village, Northway Junction, Slana, Tanacross, Tazlina, Tetlin, Tok, Tonsina and Yakutat.

-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:

  • Ability to communicate orally to diverse groups and in a variety of settings.
  • Skill in daily operation of a busy visitor center/information desk, sales outlet, bookstore, or similar facility to include providing frontline information and support services.
  • Ability to deliver natural and cultural history interpretation through prescribed talks/demonstrations and provide guide services to various audiences.
  • Ability to communicate through writing.

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 may extend the time limitation up 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.

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

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.

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.

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 application package does not clearly reflect having lived / worked within the area of consideration, does not clearly 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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