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Summary

You will serve as a Cook(YCC) Seasonal Yellowstone National Park..

The typical seasonal entry-on-duty is April-May but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: May 2027.

Open to the first 100 applicants or until 10/13/2026 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.

Overview

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Accepting applications
This job will close when we have received 50 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Location
Few vacancies in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$28.58 - $33.33 per hour

Salary does not include locality pay. For specific wage information, reference the OPM Salaries and Wages link in the Additional Information section.

Pay scale & grade
WG 8
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Multiple Schedules - Work schedule dependent on position.
Travel Required
Not required
Appointment type
Temporary - Not to exceed 1039 or 1560 hours
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
Yes
Drug test
No
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
CAHQ-27-13069129-DE-KK
Control number
887553800

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Duties

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DUTIES:

  • Perform full food services for 50-60 teens and staff at the YCC facility including: dining hall management; food preparation; cooking; serving and replenishing food; cleaning facilities, equipment, and utensils; cleaning/stocking tables in dining areas; and handling foods and supplies.
  • Plan and execute menus for well-balanced meals to serve YCC program participants. Research and prepare meals for participants with special food allergies or other dietary restrictions such as vegetarian, gluten-free, or vegan.
  • Maintain a clean and sanitary dining facility which includes kitchen equipment, pots and pans, floors, counters, kitchen racks, tables, chairs, food service machines, and serving utensils.
  • Lead and positively interact with and enjoy working with youth enrollees, ages 15-18.
Physical Demands: The work is indoors and requires physical exertion from continual standing and walking, and frequent stooping, reaching, pushing and pulling, and bending. Frequent lifting of heavy objects weighing up to 50 pounds with the assistance of lifting devices or other workers is required. Usually work requires average agility and flexibility. Driving a government vehicle is also part of the job.

Working Conditions: Most of the work is performed indoors. Kitchens and dining area are sometimes small, hot, and noisy, and make-shift operations are required. It may also be found to be uncomfortably warm or cold, and outside temperatures may drop to 20°F. The incumbent will be alone a large portion of the time and sometimes be without means of communications or by means of a park radio only. Exposure will occur to steam, fumes, and odors from cooking, frying, baking, and washing dishes and utensils and to extreme temperature changes when entering walk-in coolers. There is danger of slipping on wet floors that have been recently mopped or where food has been spilled. Subject to possible cuts from knives and burns from steam, hot foods, stoves, hot grease, and water.

The YCC base camp/facility is located in Mammoth Hot Springs, headquarters of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, elevation 6,200 feet. Mammoth is a small community that includes a housing area, a small store, a post office, a medical clinic, a visitor center, and a hotel. The camp consists of a dormitory for enrollees and crew leaders, who are required to live there, and a cafeteria facility that is used for meals and meetings during the weekends. From Monday through Friday, work crews live in dorm or camp in front country and backcountry campsites throughout Yellowstone National Park. Summer temperatures vary from 0 degrees at night to 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the day. Many community facilities such as stores, a drugstore, motels, and restaurants are available in Gardiner, Montana, 5 miles north of headquarters. All other services are available within 55 to 75 miles of Mammoth.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or 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.
  • Some locations may require the non-sensitive Tier 1 (T1) background investigation to be or )will be elevated to include the childcare public trust requirement.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit Home | E-Verify
  • Must have and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
  • You are required to wear a uniform and comply with uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
  • 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.
  • You must be at least 18 years of age or older to operate government vehicles.
  • You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-10/13/2026-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.

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)
  2. Work Practices including keeping things neat, clean, and in order.
  3. Dexterity and Safety
  4. Technical Practices (theoretical, precise, artistic)
  5. Ability to Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc (includes blueprint reading)
  6. Ability to Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment
  7. Knowledge of Materials

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. Resume must be no more than 2-pages. If resume is longer than the two-page limit, only the experience within the first two pages will be reviewed to determine qualifications.

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.

Current or former displaced Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified, score at least 85 (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry.

Education

There is no substitution of education for experience at the grade level(s) 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.

Click here for the OPM Salaries and Wages to calculate locality pay.

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

Temporary Appointment: This is a temporary seasonal appointment not to exceed 1039 hours. The appointment is expected to end upon completion of the season's work.

Non-Competitive Rehire Eligibility: As a temporary seasonal employee, you can be rehired in future seasons without reapplying, as long as you do not exceed 1,039 hours anywhere in the NPS during your service year.

Rehire eligibility applies to the same position or to another position with the same qualification requirements as long as it is a temporary seasonal appointment. Your service year is the 12 months that begin on the date of your first temporary appointment with the bureau, and it starts over on that date each year. Every temporary appointment you hold with the bureau during a service year counts toward the total.

Once you reach 1,040 hours, this eligibility ends unless OPM approves an exception. These rules come from 5CFR 316.402[b][7]. Already reached the limit this service year? Don't worry. You are still welcome to apply to this announcement or any future one.

Employment may be terminated at any time due to fluctuations in funding levels, project needs, employee performance, or other considerations.

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.

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.

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 lowered and/or adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration 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.

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

  • Ability To Do The Work Of The Position Without More Than Normal Supervision (SCREEN OUT)
  • Ability To Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc. (other than blueprints)
  • Ability To Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment
  • Dexterity and Safety
  • Knowledge of materials
  • Technical Practices (theoretical precise, artistic)
  • Work Practices (including keeping things neat, clean, and in order)


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. 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 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 National Park Service (NPS) is to preserve 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

DOI Seasonal Temp Team
Email
seasonaltempteam@ios.doi.gov
Address
Seasonal Staffing Office-Intermountain Region
12795 West Alameda Parkway
Lakewood, CO 80228
US

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