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Park Ranger (P) - National K9 Program Manager

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
Visitor Resources and Protection - Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position has dual responsibilities serving as the National Canine Program (NPS-LE K9 Program) Manager and serves as a commissioned law enforcement K9 handler. The duty station is negotiable to any unit of the NPS supporting an active law enforcement K9 program willing to partner with LESES. To see current available parks and duty locations, please see the Duties section of this announcement.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
07/08/2025 to 07/21/2025
Salary
$73,939 to - $108,859 per year

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 11
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Location Negotiable After Selection
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Announcement number
WO-1614-VRP-25-12755102-IMP
Control number
840192300

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Duties

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The major duties of the Park Ranger (P) - National K9 Program Manager position include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Detection, investigation, apprehension, and prosecution under applicable laws, rules, and regulations enacted to insure the protection and safe use of National park resources.
  • Educate, interpret, and inform visitors about resources, conservation, laws, and regulations.
  • Emergency medical services, structural firefighting, special response, technical rescue, swift water rescue, and helicopter rescue.
  • Educate, inform and perform K9 handling duties within the National Park Service.


Location Negotiable after Selection - The Park Ranger (P) - National K9 Program Manger position will only be located in the following locations:

  • Chickasaw NRA, Sulphur, OK
  • Boston NHS, Boston, MA
  • Lake Mead NRA, Boulder City, NV
  • Organ Pipe NM, Ajo, AZ
  • Yosemite NP, Yosemite, CA
  • Independence NHP, Philadelphia, PA
  • Hot Springs NP, Hot Springs, AR
  • Padre Island NS, Corpus Christi, TX

Please use the following link for further information on NPS law enforcement and to search for these specific parks/locations, see "Find Positions and Locations": Become A Law Enforcement Ranger.

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
  • Direct Deposit: Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • Drug Testing: You will be required to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use.
  • Medical Certification: This position requires the incumbent meet the medical standards qualifications per DO/RM57, pre-employment and periodic physical examinations, and must participate in the Physical Efficiency Battery (PEB) annually.
  • Incidental Driving: You may be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties. Prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year thereafter (or more frequently if management determines such need exists), you will be required to sign an affidavit certifying to your possession of a valid State issued driver's license that is current and has not been revoked, suspended, canceled, or otherwise disqualified in any way to prohibit your operation of a motor vehicle. You will also submit a photocopy of your valid State issued driver's license prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year, or more frequently if management determines such need exists. Lastly, you may be required to 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 discloses all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. Please indicate in your application whether you possess a valid State driver's license.
  • Minimum Age Requirement: This position is covered by enhanced retirement provisions which stipulate mandatory retirement at age 57 after 20 years of service. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age and must not have reached their 37th birthday upon appointment to this position. Exceptions allowed: 1) an applicant has prior Federal service in a primary covered position sufficient to complete 20 years of service on or before the mandatory retirement age of 57; 2) an applicant is a qualified veterans' preference eligible.
REQUIREMENTS CONTINUED UNDER QUALIFICAITONS...

Qualifications

...REQUIREMENTS CONTINUED

  • Time-in-Grade: Any individual who is currently holding, or has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet time-in-grade requirements (must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent in the Federal service); with few exceptions as outlined in 5 CFR 300.603(b). Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal civilian employees applying for reinstatement who have had a break in service of less than one year, as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointments. Time-in-grade does not apply to new excepted service appointments and must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
  • Probationary Period: If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
  • Financial Filer Requirement: The position to which you will be appointed is subject to a financial disclosure reporting requirement and you will be required to complete a new entrant Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days of your appointment.
  • Travel: You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 5 nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
  • Government Charge Card: You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
  • Uniform: You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
  • Firearm Proficiency: Required to carry a firearm while performing duties, required to maintain firearm proficiency and be subject to the Lautenberg Amendment.
QUALIFICATIONS:

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-07/21/2025-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 for each federal position listed as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of qualifying experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, 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.

SELECTIVE FACTORS: Applicants must meet ALL of the following to qualify:
  • Previous Law Enforcement Experience: Prior law enforcement experience, as gained by substantial service in a primary law enforcement officer position or equivalent experience outside the Federal government is a MANDATORY PREREQUISITE for the incumbent of this position. (Experience must be documented in your Resume.)
  • Type I Law Enforcement Commission: Must currently possess or previously held (within the past three years), a FLERT issued Land Management Police Training (LMPT), full Type I Law Enforcement Commission or equivalent; or be qualified to receive a Type I Commission upon appointment. This will be based upon having completed approved NPS training as outlined by policy including Natural Resource Police Training (NRPT), Land Management Police Training Program (LMPT), US Park Police Integrated (USPPI), Uniformed Police Training Program (UPTP), BIA Basic Police Officer Training Program (BIA-BPOTP), or Criminal Investigator Training Program (CITP). This is required by the closing date of the announcement.
  • K9 Handling Experience: Prior experience handling a K9 service animal that conducts searches, locating or tracking, protects officers or public from threats, deployment as reasonable control measure to effect arrest (Graham v. Connor) and as a public relations tool.
Candidates who do not meet these requirements by close of this announcement will receive no further consideration for this position.

- AND -

To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level, you must possess all of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:
  • EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: Experience at this level must include all of the following: 1) performing law enforcement duties for the protection, conservation, use, and management of natural and/or cultural resources in park areas or similar operations, which involved the application of law enforcement authorities and procedures to protect visitors and resources; 2) providing law enforcement or investigative services which include apprehending, detaining, detection, and prosecution of individuals; 3) applying knowledge of applicable laws, regulations, policies, and areas of jurisdiction when serving as a person with law enforcement authority; 4) responding to accidents, emergencies, and/or natural disaster; and 5) using precautionary methods and techniques while patrolling to mitigate any crimes or violations of the law. You must include hours per week worked.

-OR-
  • EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree related to the occupation. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. You must include transcripts.

-OR-
  • Successful completion of a COMBINATION of education and experience as described above. To combine education and experience, first take the number of semester hours or equivalent earned towards a graduate degree, in excess of 36 semester hours, and divide by 18 semester hours or equivalent. Then, take the number of months of experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts.
  • Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. You must include your resume with hours worked per week annotated, as well as transcripts
You must include months, years and hours per week worked to receive credit for your work and/or volunteer experience. One year of specialized experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week. Part-time hours are prorated. You will not receive any credit for experience that does not indicate exact hours per week or is listed as "varies". Experience listed as full-time will be credited at 40 hours per week.

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

Click here for the OPM Salaries and Wage to calculate locality pay

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.

Additional Selections: This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Physical Demands: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion such as running in pursuits or emergency responses, long periods of standing, walking, driving, stooping, reaching, crawling, and similar activities, in many cases on uneven, steep, rough, slippery, and/or rugged terrain. Strenuous exertion is frequently required in law enforcement, firefighting, search and rescue, medical and related emergency activities. Lifting or carrying equipment weighing over 50 pounds, such as emergency equipment, or search and rescue equipment is required. In some assignments heavy packs may have to be carried long distances over mountainous, desert, or snow-covered terrain.

Duties involve performing physically rigorous assignments, often in isolated outdoor environments, frequently while exposed to severe weather conditions. The work requires common physical characteristics and abilities in agility and dexterity and the strength to pursue, apprehend, and detain uncooperative suspects.

The incumbent is also responsible for the wellness and performance of their K9 partner which at times may add complexity to the physical demands of the assignment.

Office work occasionally requires long hours of desk work and is occasionally stressful in that the incumbent must resolve conflicting viewpoints.

Position is required to meet and continuously maintain the physical/medical standards as set forth in the requirements of D.O.#57. There is a physical, mental, and emotional high-stress component to much of the incumbent's work assignment.

Working Conditions: The work environment is a mix of office setting and field work. Field work is performed outdoors in all kinds of weather and climatic conditions for various hours of the day and night and for prolonged periods during emergency situations. The incumbent is frequently exposed to high-risk and potentially dangerous situations in law enforcement and emergency situations requiring use of a wide range of personal protective gear, adherence to specific safety procedures and other precautions.

Long periods of surveillance work may be required in cramped, or unpleasant locations and under unpleasant conditions. Shift work is often required. Incumbent is required to operate motor vehicles of various types, may be required to fly in small fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft, and may be required to operate and/or ride in small watercraft. Emergency law enforcement operations will require entry into hazardous environments, exposure to dangerous persons; animals; and substances, and potential exposure to infectious diseases.

Telework: The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. 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 the additional assessments required for this position. 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 adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions can affect your rating.

Candidates who apply under Competitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are highly qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Best qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

Candidates who apply under Noncompetitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are minimally qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

You will be evaluated on the following competencies:

  • Criminal Law
  • Decisiveness
  • Oral Communication
  • Public Safety and Security
  • Technical Competence


In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessments, including a panel resume review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.

Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation and 2) a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process.

If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.

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