Job opening: Park Ranger (Interpretation)
Salary: $20 per hour
Published at: Nov 15 2023
Employment Type: Multiple Schedules
These positions are located in Rocky Mountain National Park, in the Interpretation & Education Division as a Park Ranger Interpreter/EMT, primarily at a high elevation (11,800 ft ) visitor center.
These positions may be filled for a six-month seasonal period, but can vary due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: April-May 2024.
For more park(s) information, select "Learn more about this agency" below:
Duties
Be a successful applicant. Watch this 5 minute video to learn how to create a federal resume.
This position works in the Division of Interpretation and Education as a Park Ranger Interpreter/EMT with responsibilities for visitor orientation and information, interpretation, and emergency medical services. Must possess a National Registry Emergency Medical Technician or higher certification valid through October 31, 2024.
Primary duties include staffing the park's busiest visitor center (often with more than 3,000 visitors/day), answering questions to help visitors plan safe and memorable visits, operating cash registers, and being the initial contact for accident and emergency reporting. For at least 3 days per week, this work is performed at the Alpine Visitor Center which is at an elevation of 11,800 feet. This position is also responsible for conducting basic research to present thematic interpretative programs (orientation talks, guided hikes, formal talks, demonstrations, and Power Point programs) on a variety of topics including wildlife biology, botany, forest ecology, geology, history, and weather, using a variety of basic interpretive techniques. This position will develop and/or use written program outlines and are expected to meet NPS standards for interpretation. Park Ranger Interpreter/EMTs also hike park trails and staff overlooks to answer visitor questions and provide informal interpretation. This position must be skilled at working effectively with all ages, children through adult, and with visitors from very diverse backgrounds. The ability to foster positive relationships with co-workers and partners, and to professionally represent the National Park Service to the public is essential. In addition, this position provides emergency medical treatment at the EMT level of certification or higher to visitors and employees at the Alpine Visitor Center. This includes conducting thorough patient assessments, making decisions for patient care, and completing proper documentation. Situational awareness, the ability to think quickly during stressful situations, and a desire to support park emergency operations are essential to this component of the job.
The work done by Park Ranger Interpreter/EMTs through effective visitor information, orientation, and interpretive and educational programs encourages safe and sustainable use of park resources, the development of a personal stewardship ethic, and broadens public support for preserving and protecting park resources for present and future generations. Work of this position is performed both indoors and outdoors in all types of weather from snow, wind, rain, to sun and heat.
Physical Demands: The work involves extensive periods of standing and walking, in some cases over rough or uneven surfaces or inclines, carrying backpacks, tools, rescue equipment, etc at elevations between 7500 to 12,500ft.
Work Environment: The work is performed in settings in which there is regular and recurring exposure to moderate discomforts and unpleasantness, e.g. high or low temperatures, confined spaces, or adverse weather conditions.
Area Information: Established on January 29, 1915, Rocky Mountain National Park is a living showcase of the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains. The park embraces 415 square miles of pristine, uninhabited mountains in north-central Colorado and, as such, is one of the most spectacular, yet easily accessible high mountain areas in North America. With elevations ranging from 7,800 feet at park headquarters to 14,259 feet at the summit of Longs Peak, the park has glacier-sculptured valleys, rugged gorges, alpine lakes, and vast areas of alpine tundra. Trail Ridge Road, the highest paved continuous road in the United States, stays above tree line for 11 miles and reaches 12,183 feet in elevation. Elk, deer, bighorn sheep, moose, coyotes, and smaller animals are found throughout the park, as well as threatened and endangered species, such as the Greenback Cutthroat Trout and Boreal Toad. Due to the park's easy accessibility to the Front Range communities of Colorado, Rocky experiences over 4 million visitors annually. This position will be filled on the east side of Rocky Mountain National Park. The nearest community is Estes Park, CO, which has K-12 schools, a post office, restaurants, medical facilities, and grocery stores. Denver, CO which has a major airport, cultural events, and several professional sports teams is a two hour drive away.
Limited government housing may be available.
Employment may be terminated at any time due to fluctuations in funding levels, project needs, employee performance, or other considerations.
Qualifications
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-11/29/2023-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.
SELECTIVE FACTOR: These positions perform emergency medical response, and certification at the National Registry Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or higher is required. Candidates who do not meet this requirement by close of this announcement will receive no further consideration for this position. Documentation must be included as part of your application.
- AND -
To qualify for this position at the GS-05 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS- grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of a Park Ranger. Experience may have been in technical, administrative, or scientific work, fish and wildlife management, recreation management, law enforcement, or other park-related work. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include, but are not limited to, the following: park guide or tour leader; law enforcement or investigative work; archeological or historical preservation research work; forestry and/or fire management work in a park, recreation, or conservation area; 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. YOU MUST PROVIDE HOURS PER WEEK WORKED ON YOUR RESUME.-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least four years of education above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or 24 semester hours of course work in a related field. Related fields of study include natural resource management, natural sciences, earth sciences, history, archaeology, anthropology, park and recreation management, law enforcement/police science, 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. One year of education above high school is equivalent to 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours. YOU MUST PROVIDE TRANSCRIPTS. -OR-
Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For example, I have 6 months of specialized experience such as described in A above, (50% of the required specialized experience) and I have three years of education above high school for 50% of the education as in B above. Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e. beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. One full academic year of study beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience. YOU MUST PROVIDE 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.
ICTAP/CTAP Statement: 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.
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.
The employees of the National Park Service (NPS) care for special places that are the heritage of all Americans. Since its inception in 1916,the NPS has been dedicated to the preservation and management of this country's outstanding natural, historical, and recreational resources. Park ranger - interpreters connect people to parks. They play a key role in ensuring that visitors have a meaningful, satisfying, and safe park experience, help visitors decide how to spend their time in the park, and inform them about the wonders that await their discovery. Park ranger - interpreters are specially trained to engage the public so that each park visitor can find a personal connection with the meanings and values found in the places and stories of that park. They help visitors explore the many dimensions of parks by introducing them to a variety of perspectives. By providing the opportunity for visitors to care about the places they visit, they promote stewardship and the opportunity for those visitors to care for park resources. National parks are among the most remarkable places in America for recreation, learning, and inspiration. The work done by park ranger-interpreters through effective interpretive and educational programs encourages the development of a personal stewardship ethic and broadens public support for preserving and protecting park resources, so that they may be enjoyed by present and future generations.
Contacts
- Address Rocky Mountain National Park
1000 Highway 36
Estes Park, CO 80517
US
- Name: Natalia Sanchez
- Email: [email protected]
Map