Volunteer-In-Parks Assistant (Seasonal)

Summary

The typical seasonal period for Seasonal Staffing Office-Pacific West Region is April-October but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Open to the first 100 applicants or until -10/26/2026- whichever comes first.

Duties

A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected. The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, California. View this link for information about salary. Government housing may be available. You will be required to provide a Driving Record prior to entry on duty. You will be required to wear a uniform. You will be required to work weekends and overtime. The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington. View this link for information about salary. Government housing is available. You will be required to provide a Driving Record prior to entry on duty. You will be required to wear a uniform. The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position MAY be suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval. The purpose of this position is to assist the Volunteer Coordinator with specialized duties related to Volunteers-in-Parks (VIP) and/or Youth Programs with continued and independent responsibilities for projects, questions, or problem resolution where the incumbent has significant responsibility to prioritize work and provide authoritative explanation of technical requirements. This position carries the primary responsibility for assisting the Volunteer Coordinator in completing a wide variety of volunteer program tasks including planning, coordinating, administrative paperwork and documentation, corresponding with volunteers, logistics support, documenting and reporting project results, developing standard operating procedures, and maintaining databases/volunteer duty schedules. Duties: Identifies, plans, coordinates, implements, and leads viable volunteer projects and makes assignments to the appropriate volunteer work groups. Utilizes program monitoring systems to effectively track and analyze fiscal, personnel, volunteer hours, expenditures, training, resources, and project results data according to agency guidelines. Prepares work planning documents for accomplishing volunteer projects. Develops and implements new processes for streamlining work practices, and identifies and recommends ways of eliminating, simplifying, and improving administrative procedures affecting the volunteer and or youth programs. Collaborates with park supervisors/managers in determining recruitment and training needs, including safety training for short- and long-term work assignments. uses knowledge/experience to determine potential volunteer workforce sources and to orchestrate an effective recruitment program. Recruits and interviews applicants to determine their aptitudes, abilities, and qualifications. Prepares and recommends revisions to local guidelines and operating procedures that would improve the park-wide VIP program. Promotes the overall program: Communicates with the general public on where and how to apply for volunteer opportunities. Provides accurate, reliable, and timely information on the administrative functions of the VIP program. Maintains volunteer database to include new volunteer records, inputting volunteer time, generating monthly/quarterly/annual reports, and general maintenance of the data supporting the volunteer database. Enters volunteer opportunities in https://volunteer.gov and assists with the scheduling of volunteer interviews. Completes program tasks such as volunteer training, safety orientations, equipment inventory and arranging transportation. Ensures that all VIP program related documents are prepared in accordance with established policy and procedures. Provides general orientation for new volunteers and prepares or assists in the completion of their required paperwork. Hikes at high elevations on uneven terrain. Air Quality: Poor air quality afflicts Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, especially during summer months - generally May to October. High ozone levels may be the most harmful pollutant here. In summer months, concentrations often exceed the federal ozone health standards. For more information: http://www.nps.gov/seki/learn/nature/airqualityinfo.htm.

Requirements

U.S. Citizenship required. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males. Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program. You will be 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. You will 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 shift work. Travel, transportation & relocation expenses will not be paid. Relocation expenses will be the employee's responsibility.

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. 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: Clerical Manages and Organizes Information Technical Competence Technology Application 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

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.

How to apply

To apply for this position: 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) when the applicant limit is reached which may be sooner than on 10/26/2026. 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.WE DO NOT ACCEPT HARD-COPY OR E-MAIL APPLICATION PACKAGES. 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 "Start Application." 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/13080362 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

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) when the applicant limit is reached which may be sooner than on 10/26/2026: Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, dates specified in month and year format, 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. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade. 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. Headers may be slightly larger but must remain legible. 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. Complete All Required Assessments. 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.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability. College transcripts, if qualifying based on education. Documentation for Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan consideration if you are a displaced Federal employee within the local commuting area. You must include: 1) Proof you are a displaced Federal employee, 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 rated well-qualified or above 90 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 any badges, licenses, etc.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. First time hires to the Federal government normally start at step 1 rate. Pay will vary based on the 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: Temporary seasonal employees can only maintain their non-competitive rehire eligibility if they work no more than a combined total of Temporary NTE less than 1040 hours anywhere in the National Park Service (NPS) within their established service year. Accordingly, non-competitive rehire eligibility allows for re-appointment to the same position or another position appropriate for temporary appointment with the same qualification requirements (5 CFR 316.402[b][7]), based on series and grade, anywhere in the major subdivision (NPS). If you have held a temporary seasonal appointment in the past 12 months and have already worked the maximum temporary appointment less than 1040 hours during that period, you are still welcome to apply. However, please be aware that exceeding the limit of 1040 hours in your established service year will result in the loss of your non-competitive rehire eligibility. The limit can be exceeded by working multiple temporary seasonal positions that result in a combined total greater than 1040 hours. The limit also can be exceeded by working a single temporary seasonal appointment that exceeds 1040 hours, unless granted an exception by OPM. Employment may be terminated at any time due to fluctuations in funding levels, project needs, employee performance, or other considerations. Physical Demands:The job involves both sedentary and moderate to strenuous physical exertion when working with volunteers and providing support to volunteer/Youth events and activities. Duties require frequent trips by car to various locations in the park and community. There may often be a requirement to walk on trails or cross-country in a variety of terrain in order to lead or check on volunteer work or to assist with large park gatherings/events. This requires some walking over rough, uneven, rocky terrain or slippery surfaces in elevations and in high temperatures. Working Conditions: Work is performed in an adequately lighted and climate-controlled office as well as in the field. Office work will require the ability to sit for extended periods of time working at a computer. Field work involves regular and recurring exposure to moderate risks and discomforts associated with visiting remote park sites. Work takes place during normal business hours and on weekends and may require early morning or evening work to support volunteer/youth activities. 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.