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Volunteer-In-Parks Assistant (Seasonal)

Department of the Interior
National Park Service

Summary

The typical seasonal period for Seasonal Staffing Office-Pacific West Region is April-October but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding.
Open to the first 100 applicants or until -10/26/2026- whichever comes first.

Overview

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Accepting applications
This job will close when we have received 100 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Location
Few vacancies in the following locations:
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$24.18 - $31.43 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
GS 7
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Multiple Schedules - Work schedule is dependent on the position
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Temporary - Not to Exceed 1039 Hours
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
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-26-13080362-DE-DLB
Control number
889197300

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This announcement is for Pacific West Region - Please refer to the "Location" section to see which National Parks are included on the announcement.

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Duties

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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.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, California. View this link for information about salary. Government housing may be available. You will be required to provide a Driving Record prior to entry on duty. You will be required to wear a uniform. You will be required to work weekends and overtime. The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington. View this link for information about salary. Government housing is available. You will be required to provide a Driving Record prior to entry on duty. You will be required to wear a uniform. The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position MAY be suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

The purpose of this position is to assist the Volunteer Coordinator with specialized duties related to Volunteers-in-Parks (VIP) and/or Youth Programs with continued and independent responsibilities for projects, questions, or problem resolution where the incumbent has significant responsibility to prioritize work and provide authoritative explanation of technical requirements. This position carries the primary responsibility for assisting the Volunteer Coordinator in completing a wide variety of volunteer program tasks including planning, coordinating, administrative paperwork and documentation, corresponding with volunteers, logistics support, documenting and reporting project results, developing standard operating procedures, and maintaining databases/volunteer duty schedules.

Duties:

  • Identifies, plans, coordinates, implements, and leads viable volunteer projects and makes assignments to the appropriate volunteer work groups.
  • Utilizes program monitoring systems to effectively track and analyze fiscal, personnel, volunteer hours, expenditures, training, resources, and project results data according to agency guidelines.
  • Prepares work planning documents for accomplishing volunteer projects.
  • Develops and implements new processes for streamlining work practices, and identifies and recommends ways of eliminating, simplifying, and improving administrative procedures affecting the volunteer and or youth programs.
  • Collaborates with park supervisors/managers in determining recruitment and training needs, including safety training for short- and long-term work assignments.
    • uses knowledge/experience to determine potential volunteer workforce sources and to orchestrate an effective recruitment program.
  • Recruits and interviews applicants to determine their aptitudes, abilities, and qualifications.
  • Prepares and recommends revisions to local guidelines and operating procedures that would improve the park-wide VIP program.
  • Promotes the overall program: Communicates with the general public on where and how to apply for volunteer opportunities.
  • Provides accurate, reliable, and timely information on the administrative functions of the VIP program.
  • Maintains volunteer database to include new volunteer records, inputting volunteer time, generating monthly/quarterly/annual reports, and general maintenance of the data supporting the volunteer database.
  • Enters volunteer opportunities in https://volunteer.gov and assists with the scheduling of volunteer interviews.
  • Completes program tasks such as volunteer training, safety orientations, equipment inventory and arranging transportation.
  • Ensures that all VIP program related documents are prepared in accordance with established policy and procedures.
  • Provides general orientation for new volunteers and prepares or assists in the completion of their required paperwork.
  • Hikes at high elevations on uneven terrain.
Air Quality: Poor air quality afflicts Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, especially during summer months - generally May to October. High ozone levels may be the most harmful pollutant here. In summer months, concentrations often exceed the federal ozone health standards. For more information: http://www.nps.gov/seki/learn/nature/airqualityinfo.htm.

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 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.
  • Travel, transportation & relocation expenses will not be paid. Relocation expenses will be the employee's responsibility.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by 11:59 (EST) when the applicant limit is reached which may be sooner than the closing date of this announcement-10/26/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience.

To qualify for the Volunteer-In-Parks Assistant position at the GS 07 grade, you must meet one of the following:

EXPERIENCE:
At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-06 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: working directly with a wide range of people in planning, coordinating and executing group activities, organizing volunteer projects, recruiting volunteers for projects, and creating programs or projects for volunteers. This experience may have been gained through working in events management, public relations, teaching, or related activities. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-

EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least one full year of graduate-level study (18 semester hours or equivalent) that directly applies to the work of the position such as communications, education or business. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are applying based on education, you must submit a copy of your transcripts.
-OR-

EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least one full year of graduate-level study (18 semester hours or equivalent) that directly applies to the work of the position such as communications, education or business. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are applying based on education, you must submit a copy of your transcripts.
-OR-
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. Example of a qualifying combination: 6 months of specialized experience (50% of the required specialized experience), and 9 semester hours of graduate-level classes (50% of the education requirement) may qualify an applicant for this position. NOTE: Transcripts and hours per week worked on resume must be included.

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

To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

Additional information

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

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

Pay will vary based on the duty location for which you're selected. First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate.

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: Temporary seasonal employees can only maintain their non-competitive rehire eligibility if they work no more than a combined total of Temporary NTE less than 1040 hours anywhere in the National Park Service (NPS) within their established service year. Accordingly, non-competitive rehire eligibility allows for re-appointment to the same position or another position appropriate for temporary appointment with the same qualification requirements (5 CFR 316.402[b][7]), based on series and grade, anywhere in the major subdivision (NPS).

If you have held a temporary seasonal appointment in the past 12 months and have already worked the maximum temporary appointment less than 1040 hours during that period, you are still welcome to apply. However, please be aware that exceeding the limit of 1040 hours in your established service year will result in the loss of your non-competitive rehire eligibility.

The limit can be exceeded by working multiple temporary seasonal positions that result in a combined total greater than 1040 hours. The limit also can be exceeded by working a single temporary seasonal appointment that exceeds 1040 hours, unless granted an exception by OPM.

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

Physical Demands:The job involves both sedentary and moderate to strenuous physical exertion when working with volunteers and providing support to volunteer/Youth events and activities. Duties require frequent trips by car to various locations in the park and community. There may often be a requirement to walk on trails or cross-country in a variety of terrain in order to lead or check on volunteer work or to assist with large park gatherings/events. This requires some walking over rough, uneven, rocky terrain or slippery surfaces in elevations and in high temperatures.

Working Conditions: Work is performed in an adequately lighted and climate-controlled office as well as in the field. Office work will require the ability to sit for extended periods of time working at a computer. Field work involves regular and recurring exposure to moderate risks and discomforts associated with visiting remote park sites. Work takes place during normal business hours and on weekends and may require early morning or evening work to support volunteer/youth activities.

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.


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.

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:

  • Clerical
  • Manages and Organizes Information
  • Technical Competence
  • Technology Application


Veterans' preference will be based solely on the claimed preference. Your eligibility will not be changed based on the documentation provided. If you are uncertain which preference to claim, you can learn more by visiting the VetGuide.

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-Pacific West Region
333 Bush Street - Suite 500
San Francisco, CA 94104
US

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