This position is located in New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, in the Interpretation Division. The primary purpose of this position is to interpret resources to convey national significance; connect visitors to personal relevance; facilitate shared learning; inform the public for compliance, safety; support management of natural and cultural resources of national heritage; and enhance mutual understanding for individual and social benefit.

Duties

MAJOR DUTIES MAY INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING: Independently research, develops, and offers high quality interpretation that is audience centered and meets NPS 21st century standards. Independently provide informative information and informal interpretation for visitors, especially at a visitor center desk, while balancing park operations and ensuring it all runs effectively, including register sales, information requests, and possible emergencies. Develops and presents a variety of interpretive programs including orientation talks, conducted walks, and demonstrations to a variety of general public audiences or school groups. Initiates or assists with development or revision of interpretive materials, such as brochures, guidebooks, handouts, exhibits, and social media. Collaborates with partners and stakeholders, such as state and local agencies, nonprofit organizations, and community groups, to advance the mission of the park and to promote public awareness and support for its programs and resources. Engage the public through presenting a series of formal structured programs (e.g., walks, talks, tours, presentations, demonstrations, events, and virtual interactions) and informal contacts/conversations with the public. Create, facilitate, and support opportunities for audiences to understand national significance and personal relevance through intellectual and emotional connections to resource meanings and their current context. Coordinate the operation of a visitor facility and/or information desk; develop daily work schedules that include tours of duty and location of assignments for the supervisor's approval. Assist in helping others learn through formal or informal methods; train, mentor, coach, and evaluate interpretive programs and products conducted by lower-level interpreters, critique these activities, and recommend individual or program improvements. Work with internal and external customers to assess, address, and resolve visitor concerns; identify effective customer service practices and facilitate a collaborative, proactive, and welcoming work environment. 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. PARK RANGER INTERPREPTATION: 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-11/19/2024-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 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. TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION AT THE GS-07 GRADE LEVEL, YOU MUST POSSESS AT LEAST ONE OF THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS BY CLOSE OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT: EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as but are not limited to: park guide or tour leader, work in a park, recreation or conservation area, environmental education, history and/or cultural resources education, and natural sciences education. Work will include independent research and presentation. (YOU MUST INCLUDE HOURS PER WEEK WORKED). OR EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least one full year of graduate study in one of the following fields: natural resource management, natural sciences, marine biology/sciences, earth sciences, history, archeology, anthropology, park and recreation management, law enforcement/police science, social sciences, wetlands ecology, or other closely related subjects pertinent to the management and protection of natural and cultural resources. (YOU MUST INCLUDE TRANSCRIPTS). OR Meet the criteria for Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.) as evidenced by one of the three following methods: I am in the upper third of my graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; OR I have a GPA 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum, or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in my major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; OR I am a member in one of the national scholastic honor societies. (YOU MUST INCLUDE TRANSCRIPTS). OR Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. For example, having six months of the specialized experience described above (50% of the experience requirement), and 27 semester hours or 41 quarter hours of directly-related graduate level college study in an accredited institution (50% of the qualifying education). The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. (YOU MUST INCLUDE TRANSCRIPTS). TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION AT THE GS-09 GRADE LEVEL, YOU MUST POSSESS AT LEAST ONE OF THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS BY CLOSE OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT: EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-???????07 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as but are not limited to: experience that involved developing and presenting a wide variety of audience and learner-centered interpretive experiences using a variety of interpretive skills, techniques, and tools delivered in person and through interpretive media and technology; conduct site or topic based research on different scientific and/or historical subject and evaluate many different sources for their relevance, validity, and bias; engage the public through formal structured programs (e.g. walks, talks, tours, presentations, demonstrations, etc.) and informal presentations. OR EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least two full years (36 semester hours) of progressively higher level graduate education OR master's or equivalent graduate degree in directly-related field of study such as 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 education and experience as described above. For example: 6 months of specialized experience as described above (50% of experience requirement), and 1.5 years (27 semester hours) of graduate level college study in a directly related field of study as described above (50% of the education requirement). The percentages must total at least 100. (YOU MUST INCLUDE 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. ADDITIONAL SELECTION: This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

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 New River Gorge National Park and Preserve PO Box 246 Glen Jean, WV 25846-0246 US
• Name: Marcia Mims-Washington
• Phone: 267-638-1570
• Email: [email protected]