This position is located in Big Bend National Park, in the Visitor and Resource Protection Division. Open to the first 50 applicants or until 08/01/2024 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.

Duties

This is a Visitor Services Assistant (VSA) position in the Visitor and Resource Protection Division. As a VSA, you will interact with visitors and disseminate information to educate, interpret, and inform visitors about resources, conservation, laws, and regulations. This is a field level position, and duties may include entrance fee compliance checks, lost item assistance, campground compliance and monitoring, visitor information, and resource orientation. Collateral duties may include duties such as emergency medical services, special response or event, search and rescue, preventative search and rescue, wildland fire, structural fire, traffic control, volunteer supervision, or assist with removing trespass livestock from the campground. This position will be housed in remote housing location of Rio Grande Village. This position has preference to National Registry EMT level certification due to the remote and isolated location and limited outside resources. Area Information: Big Bend National Park encompasses 801,000 acres of the Chihuahuan Desert with more biodiversity than almost any other national park and a dark sky designation. Elevation in the park varies from 7825' to 1850'. The climate is generally pleasant with hot summers (90-110+ degrees F.) and mild winters (30-50 degrees F.). Recreational opportunities include hiking, bird watching, photography, backcountry camping, bicycling, and river rafting. The park has a post office, gas stations, camping stores, restaurant, library, gym, and lodge. The gateway town of Terlingua has lodging, restaurants, hardware store, small grocery and gift stores, churches and a bank. Lajitas has limited shopping, lodging, restaurants, golf course and churches. Alpine, Texas (100 miles from PJ) has most necessities, including supermarkets, variety of stores, a hospital, pharmacies, churches, a movie theater, and a university. The nearest larger cities are Midland/Odessa (225 miles) and El Paso (325 miles). An active employee/community association sponsors social events throughout the year. Visit our website for more information: https://go.nps.gov/bigbendareainfo. Daycare and School Information: The San Vicente Independent School District (SVISD) and SVISD Early Learning Center (ELC), are in Panther Junction and serve those that live in Big Bend National Park. SVISD ELC, is a state-accredited daycare facility for children ages 18 months to 4 years of age. Daycare services are currently free of charge (subject to change). The SVISD elementary school, is a Texas Education Agency, A-Rated, elementary school (K-8). SVISD will include High School as well (9-12) starting in 2024. Terlingua (30 miles) has a (K-12) state-accredited school. The High School is rich in academics, extracurricular, and athletic opportunities (9-12). Alpine, TX (100 miles) has a four-year university with in-person and online graduate programs. For more information about the Daycare and Schooling, contact Jessi Milam, Ed.D. Superintendent, Cell: (830) 333-1074 or SVISD School Office: (432) 244-3131.

Requirements

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-08/01/2024-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 this position at the GS-5 grade level, you must possess at least one 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-4 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as:(1) providing orientation and information to assist visitors in making choices during their visit; (2) providing information regarding natural, historic, and cultural features; (3) providing information regarding the need for and issuing various permits (e.g., camping and/or wilderness cabin permits); (4) performing backcountry patrols to provide information, guidance and services You must include hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least four years of education above high school (120 semester hours or 180 quarter hours) leading to a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in any field for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. You must include a copy of your transcripts with your application materials. -OR- COMBINATION: Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For example, I have six months of specialized experience (50% of the experience requirement), and three years of college study from an accredited institution (50% of the qualifying education) that equals 100% of the total requirement. 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 one year of specialized experience. You must include a copy of your transcripts with your application materials. 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.

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. Federal employees seeking CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit proof that they meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(2) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of their most recent Performance Rating, and a copy of their most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP/ICTAP eligible. If you are selected for Federal employment, you will be required to fill out a Declaration of Federal Employment, OF-306, prior to being appointed to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. Failing to answer all questions truthfully and completely or providing false statements on your application may be grounds for not hiring you, or for firing you after you begin work. Also, you may be punished by fine or imprisonment (U.S. Code, Title 18, section 1001).

Contacts

• Address Big Bend National Park Big Bend National Park Big Bend National Park, TX 79834 US
• Name: Vicki Duran
• Email: [email protected]