Park Ranger (Protection) (Temporary)

Summary

Park Ranger (Protection) (Temporary) apply laws and regulations to protect both visitors and resources of our public lands and ensure a safe visitor experience through patrols, emergency response, and investigations. Projected Entry on Duty: October- December 2026. This is a temporary position expected to last 1 year but may be extended up to a maximum of two years based on agency needs and potential funding.

Duties

Park Ranger (Protection) Standard Duties: Enforce federal laws, regulations and policies. Patrol front country and backcountry sites. Emergency response (utilizing Incident Command System) including medical services, search and rescue, and wildland/structural fire suppression. Facilitate visitor stewardship and orientation; wilderness management; boundary enforcement; protection of natural and cultural resources (e.g. wildlife, plants, archaeological sites, historic buildings). Proactively protects park resources from all forms of degradation. Assist with preliminary investigations of felonies, crimes and violations of park rules, public use, safety requirements, and motor vehicle accidents. Crowd control activities. Proactively protects park resources from all forms of degradation. The incumbent will independently conduct law enforcement investigations into misdemeanor violations. Under the supervision of a Type I commissioned personnel, investigate felony violations and fatalities.

Requirements

Must be a U.S. Citizenship or National. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Males must meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement. Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program. Must possess or be able to obtain a National Park Service Type II Law Enforcement (LE) Commission. Must pass the Physical Efficiency Battery (PEB) prior to start date. Pre-employment medical exam and drug testing are required. You must be at least 21 years old. You must be free of any domestic violence convictions. Government housing may be available but is not guaranteed. You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with uniform standards. You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and/or shift work. You may be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties. Prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year thereafter (or more frequently if management determines such need exists), you will be required to sign an affidavit certifying to your possession of a valid State issued driver's license that is current and has not been revoked, suspended, canceled, or otherwise disqualified in any way to prohibit your operation of a motor vehicle. You will also submit a photocopy of your valid State issued driver's license prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year, or more frequently if management determines such need exists. Lastly, you may be required to submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that discloses all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. Please indicate in your application whether you possess a valid State driver's license.

Qualifications and evaluation

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessments required for this position. 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. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. You may only submit one resume. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed. Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into the following categories: Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position. Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job. You will be assessed in the following competencies: Criminal Law Interpersonal Skills Public Safety and Security Writing

Education

You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include your name, school name, grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, and date the degree was conferred, if applicable. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not qualified for the position. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work. Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education. https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualification

How to apply

You must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/13/2026. You must provide documentation to support your claim for each eligibility selected. Please review the required documentation listed in the eligibilities language to ensure you submit the appropriate information. Note: You will only be marked eligible for those eligibilities that you selected and provided the appropriate supporting documentation. The application process is as follows: Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account. Prompted to Start the Application Process by selecting "Apply". Click here for USAJobs Help with "How to create an application" To PREVIEW the application questionnaire, select the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13047882 Select or add the resume you want to use for this application. Click here on how to build a resume in USAJOBS. Select documents you want included in this application. Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed. Select if you want to include your demographic information. After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site." Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application. Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown. Upload any missing required documents or optional documents. Review and Submit Application. While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position. You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement. To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select "+" next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job. Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. So it is important that you select all documents you want to use in the re-application.

Required documents

ALL required documentation must be submitted to receive full consideration for eligibilities and veterans' preference selected. The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/13/2026. Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates in month-year format and indicate hours worked per week (or full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. Your 2-page resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements. If you have federal experience, you should include series, and grade for each position held, and if experience is part of a career ladder position, you must clearly distinguish the job duties and length of time working for each grade level. More information on how to write a Federal Resume: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include Complete Assessments Questionnaire. Documentation for required commission and/or certifications. All College Transcript(s), if qualifying based on education. Please submit both undergraduate and graduate level transcripts, as applicable. Other Supporting Documents, if applicable, such as: Veterans Preference Documentation: If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives. If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation. If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability. Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan (I/CTAP): If you are applying under I/CTAP, you MUST submit proof of eligibility including 1) copy of the agency notice, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc.; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be well qualified or above 85 on the rating criteria for this position. Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from all documents. Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.

Additional information

A Recruitment Incentive May Be Authorized for a newly selected employee when appointed to a permanent, temporary, or term position. A Federal employee who is transferring to the National Park Service from another component, bureau or Federal agency and who does not meet the conditions under 5 CFR §575.102 is not eligible for a recruitment incentive. A Relocation Incentive May Be Authorized for a Federal employee when the employee must move, as directed by the National Park Service (NPS) either through a management directed reassignment or selection for employment, to a different location at least 50 miles away from the one where his/her position of record held at time of selection is currently located, due to a need of the NPS. A relocation incentive is not the same as a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move and, as such, may be granted in conjunction with one another. This job opportunity announcement will be used to fill one or more additional selections at any time without notification. PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Rigorous field work requires above average physical performance, endurance and superior conditioning. This includes prolonged standing, walking over uneven ground, and recurring bending, reaching, lifting and carrying of items weighing over 50 pounds and shared lifting and carrying of heavier items, and similar strenuous activities requiring agility and dexterity. Duties often involve working in isolated outdoor environments while exposed to severe weather conditions. Dangerous persons must be physically confronted, subdued, and apprehended, many of whom are known to carry weapons. There is a high-stress component associated with much of the incumbent's work assignment. WORK ENVIRONMENT: Duties require extended periods of outdoor work and exposure to conditions including temperatures well below freezing to 100+ degrees Fahrenheit. Investigations are conducted on foot, in four-wheel drive vehicles, or other forms of conveyance in remote backcountry settings. Emergency service and law enforcement work requires entry into hazardous environments, exposure to dangerous persons, animals, and substances, and potential exposure to infectious diseases. Long periods of surveillance work may be required in cramped or unpleasant locations and under unpleasant conditions. A wide range of personal protective equipment and clothing is required to be used, some of which may be uncomfortable, hot or inconvenient to wear. Adherence to specific safety procedures and other precautions is required. Pay rates vary depending on location. Click here for the OPM Salaries and Wages to calculate locality pay. If a special rate salary applies, you will receive the higher salary. Cost of Living Allowance (COLA): COLA pay in U.S. Virgin Islands is 11.88%. The salary annotated on this announcement does not include the cost-of-living allowance.