- Position Title
- Park Ranger (Interpretation)
- Agency
- National Park Service
- Announcement Number
- SE-1630-BLRI-25-12667764-MP Opens in new window
- Open Period
- Wednesday, January 15, 2025 to Wednesday, January 29, 2025
For preview purposes only. To apply, please return to the USAJOBS announcement and click the Apply button.
Eligibilities
1.
Are you a current or former federal employee displaced from the agency hiring for this position? If yes, confirm:
For more information, review the USAJOBS Help Center.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit supporting documentation such as a Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice or a Proposed Removal/Separation notice to include your latest performance rating (if the notice does not have this information included, you must submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal) and a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50.
- you are located in the same local commuting area of the vacancy; AND,
- you are applying to a position that is at or below the grade level of the position from which you were or will be separated; AND,
- you are applying to a position that does not have greater promotion potential than the position from which you were or will be separated; AND,
- your last performance rating of record is at least fully successful or the equivalent.
For more information, review the USAJOBS Help Center.
To verify your eligibility, you must submit supporting documentation such as a Reduction in Force (RIF) separation notice or a Proposed Removal/Separation notice to include your latest performance rating (if the notice does not have this information included, you must submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal) and a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50.
2.
Are you a current career/career-conditional Department of the Interior Federal employee and meet the following Competitive Merit Promotion Eligibility:
Current Department of the Interior Federal employee with a career or career- conditional appointment in the competitive service that holds, or have held a career or career-conditional position at a lower grade level as the position being announced.
To verify your eligibility as a current Department of the Interior Federal employee, you must provide a copy of your current Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) reflecting your competitive status showing that you are a current Department of The Interior employee. All required documentation will be outlined in the Job Opportunity Announcement.
Current Department of the Interior Federal employee with a career or career- conditional appointment in the competitive service that holds, or have held a career or career-conditional position at a lower grade level as the position being announced.
To verify your eligibility as a current Department of the Interior Federal employee, you must provide a copy of your current Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) reflecting your competitive status showing that you are a current Department of The Interior employee. All required documentation will be outlined in the Job Opportunity Announcement.
3.
Are you a current or former employee of a land management agency (Forest Service; Bureau of Land Management; National Park Service; Fish and Wildlife Service; Bureau of Indian Affairs; or Bureau of Reclamation) who:
To verify your eligibility, you must provide documentation for the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) eligibility, which includes ALL Appointment AND Termination SF-50s for EACH appointment as well as ALL performance evaluations, for each qualifying period of temporary employment claimed.
For more information, review Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA).
- was originally hired to a time-limited position under a competitive appointment; and,
- served one or more time-limited appointments at a land management agency for a period totaling more than 24 months without a break in service of two or more years; and,
- performed at an acceptable level of service during each period of service; and,
- if no longer employed by the land management agency, have been separated for no more than two years, and departed that position in good standing.
To verify your eligibility, you must provide documentation for the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) eligibility, which includes ALL Appointment AND Termination SF-50s for EACH appointment as well as ALL performance evaluations, for each qualifying period of temporary employment claimed.
For more information, review Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA).
4.
Are you a current career/career-conditional Department of the Interior Federal employee and meet the following Non-competitive Merit Promotion Eligibility:
Current Department of the Interior Federal employee with a career or career-conditional appointment in the competitive service that hold, or have previously held a career or career-conditional position at the same or higher grade level with the same or higher promotion potential as the position being announced.
To verify your eligibility as a Department of the Interior Federal employee, you must provide a copy of your current Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) reflecting your competitive status showing that you are a current Department of the Interior employee. All required documentation will be outlined in the Job Opportunity Announcement.
Current Department of the Interior Federal employee with a career or career-conditional appointment in the competitive service that hold, or have previously held a career or career-conditional position at the same or higher grade level with the same or higher promotion potential as the position being announced.
To verify your eligibility as a Department of the Interior Federal employee, you must provide a copy of your current Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) reflecting your competitive status showing that you are a current Department of the Interior employee. All required documentation will be outlined in the Job Opportunity Announcement.
5.
Reasonable Accommodations for taking the online assessments are provided on a case-by-case basis only to qualified individuals with a disability covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.
Do you have a disability (physical or mental) that you believe will interfere with completing the online assessments and require a Reasonable Accommodation?
Preferences
1.
Select the lowest grade you are willing to accept for this position.
2.
My performance is at an acceptable level and I am not serving under a formal Performance Improvement Plan (PIP).
A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score will be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions can affect your rating.
3.
When you applied to this job, did you have any engagement with a National Park Service (NPS) Recruiter?
Assessment 1
Thank you for your interest in the Park Ranger (Interp), GS-0025-07/09 position with the Blue Ridge Parkway. Your responses to this questionnaire, in conjunction with other portions of your completed application, will be evaluated to determine your qualifications. Please carefully follow all instructions before submitting your response. You must select only ONE response for each item. Your ratings are subject to change if discrepancies exist between your responses and supporting documents. You must document evidence supporting your response in your resume. You will be rated ineligible if your resume/application does not support the experience claimed.
Specialized Experience or Education Requirements
1.
From the descriptions below, select the one response that best describes how your background meets the specialized experience or education requirements for the Park Ranger (I), GS-0025-07 position. Read all the responses before making your selection. MARK ONLY ONE RESPONSE. If you select more than one response, or leave this question blank, you will be rated ineligible. If you do not meet these minimum qualifications, you will be considered not qualified and will not receive consideration for this position. YOUR RESUME OR APPLICATION MATERIALS YOU SUBMIT FOR THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MUST SUPPORT THE ANSWER YOU CLAIM UNDER THIS AND OTHER QUESTIONS. IF NOT, YOU WILL BE FOUND NOT QUALIFIED OR YOUR SCORE WILL BE LOWERED.
2.
From the descriptions below, select the one response that best describes how your background meets the specialized experience or education requirements for the Park Ranger (I), GS-0025-09 position. Read all the responses before making your selection. MARK ONLY ONE RESPONSE. If you select more than one response, or leave this question blank, you will be rated ineligible. If you do not meet these minimum qualifications, you will be considered not qualified and will not receive consideration for this position. YOUR RESUME OR APPLICATION MATERIALS YOU SUBMIT FOR THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MUST SUPPORT THE ANSWER YOU CLAIM UNDER THIS AND OTHER QUESTIONS. IF NOT, YOU WILL BE FOUND NOT QUALIFIED OR YOUR SCORE WILL BE LOWERED.
Competency Assessment Questionnaire Section: For the task statements below, please select from A through E to indicate the skill level that you possess for each task listed. The task statements were developed based on the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies needed to perform the work of this position. It is important that your application package, including a resume or application form, clearly show how you possess the experience and skills levels you claim in this questionnaire. Each of your responses must be clearly supported by your education, training, and/or specific work experience you describe in your application packet submitted for this position application form or resume, transcripts, list and description of training completed and/or other items you submit. If not, your score will be lowered, or you will be found not qualified. The information you provide will be verified. Any exaggeration of your experience, false statements, or attempts to conceal information may be grounds for rating you ineligible, not hiring you, or for firing you after you begin work.
Select the one statement that most accurately describes your training and experience carrying out each task using the scale provided.
3.
Critiquing activities utilizing positive feedback, provisional questioning and providing specific feedback or improvement.
4.
Train, mentor, coach, and evaluate a broad range of interpretive programs and products conducted by fellow interpreters. Critique these activities and recommend individual or program improvements.
5.
Identify training needs, provide constructive feedback, and coach others on how to perform tasks and meet professional standards.
6.
Engaging and monitoring visitor services by provided by lower graded employees, and critiques activities and recommendations for improvements.
7.
Create, facilitate, and support opportunities for audiences to understand a park unit's national significance and inspire personal relevance through intellectual and emotional connections to resource meanings and their current context.
8.
Utilizes new styles of interpretation such as audience centered engagement or dialogic interpretation to allow the audience to engage with the topic and share their perspective.
9.
Engage the public through the presentation of a complete and highly varied suite of formal structured programs (e.g. walks, talks, tours, presentations, demonstrations, events, and virtual interactions) and informal contacts/conversations with the public.
10.
Communicate clearly and effectively with diverse groups of park users, including people of various ages and cultural backgrounds under a variety of circumstances.
11.
Directly connect park's cultural & natural resources, meanings, and significances to learners within the framework of their curriculum and standards of learning to inspire students to care about and care for these special places
12.
Serve as visitor operations lead for the park, manages day-to-day visitor service operations.
13.
Assist with daily interpretive program and visitor facility operations.
14.
Work with internal and external customers to assess, address, and resolve visitor concerns and needs.
15.
Assess overall effectiveness of interpretive experiences in achieving desired outcomes. Apply insights gained through data and evaluation to adjust and modify the interpretive program as a whole; and research and recommend the implementation and utilization of new interpretive techniques, topics and/or approaches.
16.
Compile evaluation reports and make data-driven recommendations for specific management problems, such as staffing and new exhibits/visitor center features.
17.
Formulate and execute park interpretive and resources plans that align with service-wide and park goals and objectives.
18.
Demonstrate understanding, courtesy, tact, empathy, and concern in handling contentious, hostile, or otherwise stressful situations.
19.
Serve on interagency, interdisciplinary, and/or community teams or committees to facilitate collaborative management strategies.
20.
Collaborate with educators to incorporate National Park content into lesson plans, units of study, and/or place based learning opportunities produced by an educational organization.
21.
Work with internal and external customers to assess, address, and resolve visitor concerns and needs which demonstrates a commitment to providing quality products and services by implementing best practices and recommending solutions to improve existing processes and procedures.
22.
Foster, coordinate, and maintain effective, positive, and productive working relationships with organizations (e.g. academic and cultural institutions, state and local government agencies, special interest/user groups).
23.
Develop or upgrade interpretive products (such as exhibit text, trail guide, web cast), for natural, historical, or cultural programs, publications, or exhibits.
24.
Plan, design, develop, and improve a wide variety of fully accessible non-personal services and interpretive media (such as signs, waysides, publications, exhibits, and audio, video, and other digital content).
25.
Proactively make safety walk-throughs and observations in facilities; immediately correct hazards when possible; alert others to unsafe conditions or behaviors for resolution.
26.
Develop daily work schedules that include tours of duty and location of assignments.
27.
Communicate safety information and write or update job hazard analyses for tasks and operations.