Skip to main content
U.S. flag
 

Park Ranger (Recent Graduate)

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Reclamation
Central California Area Office

Summary

Reclamation is seeking a career professional looking for an opportunity to capitalize on their expertise as a Park Ranger (Recent Graduate). You can make a difference in the West by assisting in meeting increasing water demands while protecting the environment.

First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate.

Overview

Help
Accepting applications
This job will close when we have received 50 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Location
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$50,925 - $66,203 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 5
Promotion potential
7
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Recent graduates
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Excepted Service
Represented by a union
Yes - National Federation of Federal Employees, Local 951.
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Not Required
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
CBVH-26-DE-13034420-TJP
Control number
880577900

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

Recent Graduate Eligibles- who has, within the previous two years, completed a qualifying Associate's, Bachelors, Masters, Doctorate, professional, vocational or technical degree or certificate program. Veterans unable to apply within two years of receiving their degree due to military service obligation have up to six years after degree completion to apply.

Videos

Duties

Help

  • Rule Enforcement and Safety: Maximize safe visitor enjoyment of facilities and water recreation. Conducts regular and frequent patrols by vehicle, or on foot, in heavily-used recreation areas in order to serve as a point of contact for a variety of guests. Advise guests and persuade them to come into compliance with park rules and regulations, to deter unsafe behavior and damage to federal property.
  • Visitor Services: Staff and maintain visitor contact posts including the Dufer Point Visitor Center and Oak Shores Day Use Area Entrance Station. Provide basic maintenance including facility cleaning and dispersed trash pickup. Assists with planning and implementing programs and events.
  • Natural Resource Management: Engages in trail work, recreation improvements, and resource restoration activities.
  • Emergency Assistance: Administers first aid and supplies emergency assistance while coordinating with first responders.
Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • Must provide proof of U.S. citizenship.
  • 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/.
  • Must have and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
  • You are required to wear a uniform and comply with the uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
  • Pre-employment and random drug testing are required. You will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test is received.
  • You are required to obtain and maintain a Motorboat Operator Certification Course (MOCC).
  • Must possess or obtain certification in First-Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) issued through the Red Cross or American Heart Association.
  • You are required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.
  • You 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.
Recent Graduate applicants must meet all eligibility and qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement, 08/27/2026.

To be eligible, you must meet one of the following:
  1. A student that has completed, within the previous two years, a qualifying associate's, bachelor's, master's, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution. Certain exceptions to the two-year limitation will be made for veterans who, due to military service obligations, were precluded from applying to the Program during the two-year eligibility period. OR,
  2. An individual who has completed a qualifying career or technical education program which may include Registered Apprenticeship Programs, Job Corps, Climate Corps, AmeriCorps, and Peace Corps or specific Volunteer Service Programs.

Qualifications

Requirements Continued...

  • Recent Graduates will enter a formal training program with a mentor and execute an Individual Development Plan outlining training requirements and program expectations.
  • Recent Graduates must receive at least 40 hours of formal training directly linked to their employment field.
  • Recent Graduates will be required to sign a Pathways Recent Graduate Participant Agreement.

Qualifications:

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-08/27/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

To receive credit for experience, 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.

Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:

To qualify for this position at the GS-05 grade level:

  • Specialized Experience Requirement: you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-04 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 may have been in technical, administrative, or scientific work, fish and wildlife management, recreation management, law enforcement, or other park related work. Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: 1) Park guide, environmental education or tour leader 2) Law enforcement or conducting patrols to check conditions at various areas; 3) Archeological or historical preservation research work 4) Forestry and/or fire management work in a park, recreation, or conservation area. 5) Management, assistant, or program specialist work involving the development and implementation of policy related to protection, conservation, or management of park areas or similar operations. -OR-
  • Education: Successful completion of at least a 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with 24 semester hours of coursework in a related field of study. Related fields of study include: natural resource management, natural sciences, earth sciences, history, archeology, anthropology, park and recreation management, law enforcement/police science, criminal justice, social sciences, museum sciences, business administration, public administration, behavioral sciences, sociology, or other closely related subjects pertinent to the management and protection of natural and cultural resources. Course work in fields other than those specified may be accepted if it clearly provides applicants with the background of knowledge and skills necessary for successful job performance in the position to be filled. NOTE: You must include transcripts. -OR-
  • Combination of education and experience. To combine education and experience, first take the number of months of full-time experience and divide by 12 months. Then, divide your semester hours of undergraduate education by 60. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. For example, I have 6 months of the specialized experience described in A above (50% of the experience requirement), and 3 years of college study from an accredited institution (50% of the qualifying education) which included at least 12 semester hours of related coursework as specified in B above (50% of the related coursework required). NOTE: Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. You must include hours per week and transcripts.
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

You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include your name, school name, grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, and date the degree was conferred, if applicable. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not qualified for the position. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education. https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualification

Additional information

Individuals serving in Recent Graduate appointments may be non-competitively converted to a permanent position with the Bureau of Reclamation upon successful completion of the program, but conversion is neither promised nor guaranteed. To be eligible for conversion to a permanent or term position, these Recent Graduates must also:

  • Be a U.S. Citizen or National;
  • Have completed at least one year of continuous service;
  • Have demonstrated successful job performance as documented by a rating of record (or summary rating) of at least Fully Successful or equivalent;
  • Be recommended for conversion by their manager or supervisor;
  • Meet the Office of Personnel Management's qualification standards for the position to which the Intern will be converted (which may include a positive education requirement); and
  • Meet all agency and program specific requirements as specified in their individual Participant Agreement.
If converted to a permanent or term appointment, the anticipated target position is Park Ranger, full performance level GS-0025-07; however, that may change based on the need of the organization at that time. The full performance level of the target position will be dependent on the type of position and will be determined at the time of conversion. Recent Graduates converted to a term position in the competitive service may subsequently be non-competitively converted to a career or career-conditional appointment without further competition.

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and recommendation by the position's supervisor.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year trial period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.

This trial 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.

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

The duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.

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), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of any additional assessment(s) required for this position.

Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. 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.

Minimally qualified students will be referred to the supervisor in unranked order by veterans preference status:

  1. Preference eligibles having a compensable, service-connected disability of 10 percent or more;
  2. All other candidates eligible for 10 point veterans preference;
  3. Candidates eligible for 5 point veterans preference; and
  4. Candidates not eligible for veterans preference.

You will be assessed in the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Attention to Detail
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Stress Tolerance

In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of the USA Hire Assessment, if required.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Physical Demands/Work Environment: Must be able to work under physically demanding conditions for extended periods (i.e., during emergency operations or when performing field work in remote locations). Duties may require the incumbent to sometimes work in remote outdoor environments. Required to patrol areas on foot, which typically involves walking over uneven or difficult terrain.

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.

Bureau of Reclamation

The Department of the Interior protects and manages the Nation's natural resources and cultural heritage; provides scientific and other information about those resources; and honors its trust responsibilities or special commitments to American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and affiliated Island Communities. Click here to learn more about the Department of the Interior and its bureaus.

The mission of the Bureau of Reclamation is to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public. Click here to learn more about the Bureau of Reclamation.

Agency contact information

Thomas Pratt
Email
thomas_pratt@ios.doi.gov
Address
CCAO
Bureau of Reclamation
7794 Folsom Dam Road
Folsom, CA 95630
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Bureau of Reclamation, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.usbr.gov

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.