These positions are located in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, in the Visitor and Resource Protection Division. The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period for Great Smoky Mountains National Park is April - October, but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: 6 April 2025

Duties

This National Park Service (NPS) position is located in the Division of Visitor and Resource Protection (VRP) at Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM), and based in Gatlinburg or Townsend, TN. The incumbent serves as the seasonal PSAR Ranger for GRSM, reporting to the PSAR Supervisor. The primary duty of this position is either Cherokee, NC, Townsend, TN, or Gatlinburg, TN. The incumbent is required to wear a uniform, and the position requires a background investigation and is subject to drug testing. MAJOR DUTIES: Educate the public regarding preventative search and rescue messaging. Provide emergency medical response at the EMT level or higher. Create educational material to share with the public. Participate in search and rescue missions which may include technical or swift water rescue. Leading SAR and EMS trainings for staff members AREA/DUTY STATION INFORMATION: At 522,427 acres, GRSM is one of the largest parks in the eastern United States. The Park contains 384 miles of roads; 930 miles of backcountry trails; 104 designated backcountry campsites; over 300 miles of boundary; 66 species of mammals; 200 species of birds; 39 species of reptiles, 43 species of amphibians; 68 species of fish; 730 miles of fishable streams; 342 structures, 97 of them historic; 10 auto campgrounds; and 3 major developed areas with concession operations. The park also manages the Foothills Parkway, used by millions of non-recreational motorists. The park is managed under areas of exclusive and concurrent Federal jurisdiction. The park is located in the states of Tennessee and North Carolina and is surrounded by five counties and National Forest land. Duty station is near Gatlinburg, TN located within an hour drive of Knoxville. The area provides a wide range of residential communities, good schools, and recreational opportunities. Open to the first 100 applicants or until 12/20/2024 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.

Requirements

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-12/20/2024-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. SELECTIVE FACTOR: You must possess or be able to obtain an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or higher-level certification through the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, or state equivalent with the ability to obtain a National Registry Certification. YOU MUST PROVIDE A COPY OF YOUR EMT CERTIFICATION OR REGISTRATION FOR AN APPROPRIATE COURSE. - 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: EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-04 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: Education of park visitors, response to EMS/SAR events, operating government vehicles in a safe and lawful manner, participating in hiking/rescues in adverse weather and conditions, Recognizing and upholding safety objectives outlined by the park to reduce preventable accidents among staff and visitors, carrying out the above duties in a safe, professional, and respectful manner, completing special projects as assigned and agreed upon, managing inventory of supplies and equipment, participation in SAR/EMS training, cleaning and maintenance of vehicles and equipment, other job duties as assigned. You must include hours per week worked on your resume. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least a four year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with 24 semester hours of related coursework (one year of full-time undergraduate study is defined as 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours). 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 and divide by 18 semester hours (or equivalent). Then take the number of months of full-time experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts and hours worked per week on resume. 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: 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). 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.

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 Great Smoky Mountains National Park DO NOT SEND MAIL TO THIS ADDRESS 107 Park Headquarters Road Gatlinburg, TN 37738 US
• Name: Jessica Armenta
• Email: [email protected]