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Field Unit Local Hiring Authority (FUL) Tractor Operator

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
CUMBERLAND GAP NHP

Summary

You will serve as a Field Unit Local Hiring Authority (FUL) Tractor Operator for the Facilities Division.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted this week · Apply by 07/14/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 14, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$24.35 - $28.40 per hour
Pay scale & grade
WG 7
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Other
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
SE-CUGA-26-12993549-FUL
Control number
874821200

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This position is being filled under the Field Unit Local Hiring Authority and is open to U.S. citizens and nationals who meet all eligibility requirements, including permanent and exclusive residency within the defined vicinity of the field unit as described in this announcement. Under this authority, veterans' preference and traditional rating and ranking procedures do not apply.

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Duties

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Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following:

Operates farm type tractors and towed or attached equipment on steep hills or in rough terrain where there is a significant danger of overturning the tractor or equipment. Some examples of the type of work performed include contour plowing, planting and mowing on steep hills, building erosion control dams, and operating equipment in performing earthmoving projects to close tolerances.

Frequently operates towed or attached equipment from the seat of the tractor through hydraulic or mechanical controls. Operating this equipment involves making multiple mechanical and hydraulic connections between the towed or attached equipment and the tractor and making numerous equipment adjustments.

Equipment may be powered by direct drive or a power takeoff, and may include mowers, aerators, plows, harrows, chippers, sprayers, disks, post hole diggers, front-end loading devices, movable dozer blades, and backhoes. Performs daily preventative maintenance and makes repairs and adjustments to tractors and equipment. This includes, but is not limited to, replacing belts, chains and cables, oil and filter changes, battery checks, safety inspections, and other servicing that may be required.

AREA INFORMATION: Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. Park Headquarters is in Middlesboro, KY. Middlesboro, with a population of approximately 9,000 includes facilities such as medical, dental, and shopping centers. Elementary schools are in Middlesboro, KY, Harrogate, TN and Ewing, VA. Southeast Tech Community College, which is in Middlesboro, approximately 3 miles from the Park, has a 2-year program. Lincoln Memorial University, located in Harrogate, approximately 2 miles south of the Park, has a 4-year program. Summers are warm and humid with temperatures in the 90's; winters are normally cool with low's occasionally 15 degrees; elevation is 1040 feet. For more information concerning the park go to https://www.nps.gov/cuga.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
  • Direct Deposit participation required.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit www.dhs.gov/EVerify/.
  • Pre-employment and random drug testing are required. You will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test is received.
  • Must have and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment. 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 will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
  • Must have a current or obtain within 365 days a valid Commercial Driver's License (CDL) with Class A license of EOD.
  • You are required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.
  • Ability to lift 50 pounds.
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.

This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider:
  • your performance and conduct;
  • the needs and interests of the agency;
  • whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
  • whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
*Additional Requirements located under qualifications*

Qualifications

Requirements Continued...

Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated.

Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

To qualify for this position, you must have sufficient knowledge and ability in the following job-related factors:

  1. Ability To Do The Work Of The Position Without More Than Normal Supervision (SCREEN OUT)
If your knowledge and ability in the SCREEN OUT factor above is not sufficient, you will receive no further consideration. In preparing your application, describe in detail the experience and training which you have had that specifically prepared you for this job and to perform the duties described for this job. Experience should be clearly described and documented in your resume. The qualifications reviewer will not assume performance of such duties by Job Titles alone. Address your knowledge, skills and/or abilities in the areas shown in the job-related factors.

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.

ICTAP/CTAP: Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. Well qualified means that the applicant meets the following: OPM qualification standards for the position; all selective placement factors, where applicable; special qualifying conditions that OPM has approved for the position, where applicable; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at least at the well qualified level on all competencies. Federal employees seeking CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit proof that they meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(2) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of their most recent Performance Rating, and a copy of their most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP/ICTAP eligible. If you are selected for Federal employment, you will be required to fill out a Declaration of Federal Employment, OF-306, prior to being appointed to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. Failing to answer all questions truthfully and completely or providing false statements on your application may be grounds for not hiring you, or for firing you after you begin work. Also, you may be punished by fine or imprisonment (U.S. Code, Title 18, section 1001).

Education

There is no substitution of education for experience for Wage Grade (WG) positions.

Additional information

This position will be filled under the Field Unit Local Hiring Authority. Eligibility is limited to applicants who reside within the defined local commuting area at the time of application. For this announcement, the local commuting area is the area from which individuals can reasonably commute to the duty station under normal conditions. The defined vicinity for this position is within 65 miles of the duty station listed below. Residency will be verified during the hiring process.

  • Field Unit Local hiring for Middlesboro, KY is defined as 75 miles from 91 Bartlett Park Road, Middlesboro, KY 40965

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies.

Physical Demands: Frequent arm and leg movements are required to operate the tractor and manipulate equipment controls in difficult terrain. This type of physical effort is consistent with the grade 7 level in the job grading standard at which tractor operators exert additional effort in operating the tractor and manipulating equipment controls to compensate for difficult terrain.
Working Conditions: Work is performed outside, and it is often performed on steep slopes and in rough terrain subjecting the incumbent to injury from falls or overturned tractors and equipment. The working conditions of this position are consistent with the grade 7 level in the job grading standard. At that grade level the tractor operator works on steep slopes and in rough terrain and may be subject to injury from falls and overturned tractors and equipment.


All Department of Interior (DOI) employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, https://www.doi.gov/ethics/ethics-prohibitions.

Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.

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.

This position will be filled under the Field Unit Local Hiring Authority. Eligibility is limited to applicants who reside within the defined local commuting area at the time of application. For this announcement, the local commuting area is the area from which individuals can reasonably commute to the duty station under normal conditions. The defined vicinity for this position is within 65 miles of the duty station listed below. Residency will be verified during the hiring process.

  • Field Unit Local hiring for Middlesboro, KY is defined as 65 miles from 91 Bartlett Park Road, Middlesboro, KY 40965

Upon receipt of a completed application package, the Servicing Human Resources Office will review your resume and supporting documentation to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification requirements described in this announcement.

Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages. Resumes longer than two pages will not be reviewed. Applicants may submit only one resume. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine qualifications and eligibility. If more than one resume is submitted, only the most recent submission will be reviewed.

If your resume is incomplete or does not demonstrate that you meet the qualification requirements or specialized experience described in this announcement, you may be determined ineligible or not qualified for further consideration.

Providing false or misleading information on your resume or supporting documentation may result in removal from consideration or other action consistent with applicable federal hiring regulations. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.

National Park Service

The National Park Service preserves the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. You can make a difference by bringing your unique experience, background, and perspective to our work. Click here to learn more about The National Park Service.

Agency contact information

Jody Solis-Mitchell
Phone
000-000-0000
Email
jody_solis-mitchell@ios.doi.gov
Address
CUMBERLAND GAP NHP
91 Bartlett Park Road
Middlesboro, KY 40965-1848
US

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