Park Ranger (River) Seasonal

Summary

The typical seasonal entry-on-duty is March-May but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: April 2027. For more park(s) information, please visit find a park.

Duties

River rangers perform both solo and multi-boat patrols on white water rivers. They are responsible for checking rafting permits; evaluating concession-run raft trips; safety checks on private raft permit holders; river campground monitoring and maintenance; rescue and communications; river and rafting safety education and information; cooperation with other divisions, including Resource Management; transportation of staff along river corridors for orientation and job-related functions; maintenance of park rafts and the river cache; and other duties as assigned. Drives a truck/trailer to the put-ins to drop off river rangers and gear, gear repair. Assists in search and rescue operations. The GS-07 position also oversees the river cache and boat house including inventory and performs more training and mentoring roles. Limited park housing is available. The employee will spend the majority of the time camping along the river corridors and must be prepared to camp and row/and or operate motorized craft up to class V rapids in inclement weather. Physical Demands: This position can be physically demanding. You must be capable of Class III-IV rowing, hiking and working in rough terrain, safely lifting heavy loads and handling strenuous emergency situations, camping in the back country and strenuous physical labor in hot, dry weather. Work Environment: Work is performed primarily outdoors on the river in undeveloped back country sites, or in developed campgrounds or other disturbed habitats, during extreme variations in weather including snowstorms in the early season and temperatures near 100 degrees Fahrenheit in mid-summer. Working in the field entails living, sleeping and eating outdoors in a variety of weather conditions. Camping, boating and kitchen gear are provided for field work.

Requirements

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. Direct Deposit participation required. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit Home | E-Verify Depending on location, occupancy of government quarters may be required. Depending on location, government housing may be available. You may be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided. You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and/or shift work. You may be required to travel overnight away from home occasionally. You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority. You may be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel drive vehicle. You will be required to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use. If selected for a position/location required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record. You must also 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 disclose all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. Applicants must be at least (1)18 years old.

Qualifications and evaluation

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 lowered and/or adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position. Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. 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 (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): First Response Interpersonal Skills Leadership Technical Competence If fewer than three eligible and available candidates per vacancy result, the agency will expand the group of candidates in accordance with the pre-announced supplement strategy and 5 CFR 332.402(f). Veterans' preference will be based solely on the claimed preference. Your eligibility will not be changed based on the documentation provided. If you are uncertain which preference to claim, you can learn more by visiting the VetGuide. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Providing false or misleading information on your resume or supporting documentation may result in removal from consideration or other action consistent with applicable federal hiring regulations. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.

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

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the 10/12/2026--unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. To PREVIEW the application questionnaire, select the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13078517 Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status, visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.

Required documents

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 10/12/2026 - unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement: Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates in month-year format (include month/day/year format if needed for 52 weeks of experience), and indicate hours worked per week (or full-time). Your resume must clearly show how long you have held each grade/rank. 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 All Required Assessment. All college transcript(s), if qualifying based on education. Please submit both undergraduate and graduate level transcripts, as applicable. Veterans Preference Documentation, if applicable. Veterans must submit a copy of your latest Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (member 4 copy) or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Parent 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/records/ or call 1-800-827-1000. 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. Interagency Career Transition (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (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. For more information visit: USAJOBS Help Center - Career Transition Programs (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL). Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted. 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

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement. Pay will vary based on grade level and/or duty location for which you're selected. First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate. Temporary Appointment: This is a temporary seasonal appointment not to exceed 1039 hours. The appointment is expected to end upon completion of the season's work. Non-Competitive Rehire Eligibility: As a temporary seasonal employee, you can be rehired in future seasons without reapplying, as long as you do not exceed 1,039 hours anywhere in the NPS during your service year. Rehire eligibility applies to the same position or to another position with the same qualification requirements as long as it is a temporary seasonal appointment. Your service year is the 12 months that begin on the date of your first temporary appointment with the bureau, and it starts over on that date each year. Every temporary appointment you hold with the bureau during a service year counts toward the total. Once you reach 1,040 hours, this eligibility ends unless OPM approves an exception. These rules come from 5CFR 316.402[b][7]. Already reached the limit this service year? Don't worry. You are still welcome to apply to this announcement or any future one. Employment may be terminated at any time due to fluctuations in funding levels, project needs, employee performance, or other considerations. All Department of Interior (DOI) employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, https://www.doi.gov/ethics/ethics-prohibitions. The duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.