You will interpret resources to convey national significance; connect visitors to personal relevance; facilitate shared learning; support specific learning objectives to meet educator and community needs; inform the public for compliance and safety; and support management of natural and cultural resources. Open to the first 50 applicants or until 04/26/2024 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.

Duties

Develop and present a wide variety of formal and informal audience and learner-centered interpretive experiences using a variety of fully-developed interpretive skills and techniques. Provide interpretive programs to visitors at historic structures and interpret cultural or natural resources throughout the park. Actively engage and interact with local communities through on and off-site representation and interpretive programming. Provide the day-to-day coordination and execution of education programs, materials, and/or partnerships for the park to meet established national/state/local standards. Provide input into the development of digital strategies and efforts to implement and sustain existing/new media platforms that achieve park goals and meet audience needs. Work with others to appropriately prioritize social media work in the face of emerging trends and evolving needs. Open/Close/Secure park facilities and historic buildings. Answer a wide variety of in-person visitor questions. Answer the visitor center phone and respond to visitor inquiries, emails, and letters. Guide very large groups (50 people, or more). Provide a wide range of services to visitors, including assistance with lost articles, car trouble, and first aid; and provide information about weather conditions, highway routes, park regulations, park maps, park and concessioner facilities, services, and prices. Coordinate the operation of a visitor facility and/or information desk. Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level. 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. The employees of the National Park Service care for special places that are the heritage of all Americans. Since its inception in 1916, the National Park Service 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.

Requirements

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-04/26/2024-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 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized 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. 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 meet at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: GS-5: EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-4 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience includes, but is not limited to the following: Developing and conducting interpretive talks and guided tour programs limited in variety, or subject to little change from time to time; answering questions about a protected or public use natural, cultural or historical site that usually recur repeatedly and require knowledge of a limited variety of facts, events, circumstances, personalities, and natural characteristics identified with the site; providing information and advice on site activities and cultural, historical, and/or natural resources history and location; operating and performing minor maintenance on audiovisual equipment; collecting site reservation fees, explaining regulations and communicating with site visitors to obtain their cooperation; reporting to your supervisor problems or apparent violations of regulations concerning the use of protected or public land and/or heritage areas, and carrying out overall agency policies and procedures within the site. You must include beginning and ending dates in month/year format and number of hours worked per week. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least a bachelor's degree with at least 24 semester hours of related course work in natural resource management, natural sciences, earth sciences, history, archeology, 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. You must include transcripts. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of completed post-high school education and specialized experience as described above. Combine education and experience by first determining your total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining your education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. You must include transcripts. GS-7: EXPERIENCE: At least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-5 level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience includes, but is not limited to, the following: Coordinating, developing, and presenting formal interpretative programs as well as preparing and writing social media posts and other interpretative media using design-based software; suggesting new topics, revisions, and other changes or improvements in the overall interpretive program; participating in development of program plans that include program content, emphasis, and methods; developing interpretive materials such as pamphlets, exhibits, and signs; recommending location and layout of new exhibits; and auditing and coaching other rangers in the interpretive program. You must include beginning and ending dates in month/year format and number of hours worked per week. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of one full academic year of graduate level education related to the occupation or superior academic achievement (S.A.A.) with a major field of study in natural resource management, natural sciences, earth sciences, history, archeology, 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. For description of S.A.A., please visit General Schedule Qualification Policies (opm.gov) You must include transcripts. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of graduate level education and specialized experience as described above. Combine education and experience by first determining your total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining your education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. You must include transcripts. Combination of Specialized Experience and Post-High School Education Examples: GS-5 Example - Applicant has 6 months of specialized experience and 90 semester hours of college (30 semester hours beyond the second year and the equivalent of 6 months of specialized experience). The applicant meets 50 percent of the required experience (i.e., 6 months divided by 12 months) and 50 percent of the required education (i.e., 30 semester hours divided by 60 semester hours). At least 15 of the 30 semester hours must be directly related to the work of the position. Add the percentages which must total at least 100 percent to meet the qualification requirements. 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. Two full academic years of study, or 60 semester hours, beyond the second year is equivalent to 1 year of specialized experience. GS-7 Example - Applicant has 6 months of specialized experience and 9 semester hours of graduate level education. The applicant meets 50 percent of the required experience (i.e., 6 months divided by 12 months) and 50 percent of the required education (i.e., 9 semester hours divided by 18 semester hours). At least 12 semester hours must be directly related to the work of the position. Add the percentages which must total at least 100 percent to meet the qualification requirements. Specialized Experience: Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities/competencies to perform successfully the duties of the position and is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. 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.

Contacts

• Address Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site 2 Mark Bird Lane Elverson, PA 19520 US
• Name: William Jones
• Phone: 4045075774
• Email: [email protected]