Seasonal Animal Packer bei Department of the Interior

Not Required

Duties

Assembles and packages all types of cargo in neat, correct and compact arrangements and manties in a tight package that can be handled, carefully balanced, and packed aboard horses and mules. Packs a wide variety of cargo such as tandem packing lumber (up to 16' lengths), doors, bridge decking, culverts, cook stoves, refrigerators, furniture, boat motors, wheel barrows, bed springs and frames, electronic equipment, prefabricated pit toilets, roofing, explosives, hay and any other type of supplies and materials. Loads and hitches packed supplies and equipment onto pack animals, balances and adjusts side packs and insures that pack saddles and varied or modified packs are not rubbing or otherwise in a position to cause injury to the pack stock or the cargo. Provides professional grade care and handling of stock which includes grooming, shoeing, feeding, watering and caring for the medical needs such as administering shots and medication. Maintains and repairs packing equipment such as ropes, halters, pack and riding saddles, cargo boxes, mantas, harnesses, leads, pigtails, slings and cargo ropes. Splices and weaves new rope accessories, sews various leather materials, etc., needed in packing assignments. Leads strings of 6 to 9 pack animals, plus a lead horse, over the best self-chosen routes in rugged mountainous terrain, over rain or snow melt, swollen creeks and rivers, across snow pack areas up and down series of switchbacks, etc., to reach destinations without injury to self, pack stock or cargo. Hauls personnel, animals, equipment and materials to and from trail heads. When not actively engaged in packing operations, may be assigned as a working member of a trail crew performing various trail maintenance functions including but not limited to: sawing out downed trees, miscellaneous shoveling, trail grubbing, pasture fencing, and hiking. Physical Effort: These positions are required to lift and move large heavy loads over 100 pounds on a regular basis. Awkward items such as rock drills, wood stoves, concrete bags, etc. must be placed onto mules and carried to remote work sites. Incumbent must walk, bend and ride on horseback for long hours. Required to lift, carry and secure awkward loads up to 100lbs. onto the sides of animals at or above chest height and use arms to hold packs in position while hitching ropes. Incumbent must be able to adjust these loads along the trail in steep, rocky or other poor footing situations. While preparing loads, incumbent is constantly required to bend, squat, twist, lift and carry loads onto trucks for transport. Position requires that the incumbent have good physical stamina and strength in arms, back and legs to perform these required tasks safely and efficiently. Position also requires ability to walk up to 20 miles per day while carrying loads or leading multiple heads of stock. Working Conditions: These positions may work up to altitudes up to 10,000 feet in elevation, in all extremes of weather from wind, rain, snow and extreme cold, to hot, dry and dusty. Temperatures range from -40F to 95F sudden, violent changes. There is danger of cuts, burns and hypothermia; danger of strained or pulled muscles due to the movement of animals while hitching or loading, shoeing, etc.; danger from animals crushing, striking, or biting. Incumbent may work with chainsaws and rock drills in dusty areas where visibility and breathing are compromised. Incumbent may spend multiple nights in the backcountry camping with park stock in remote, cold environments.

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. 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. Positions at Glacier, Grand Teton and Rocky Mountain National Parks require a valid commercial driver's license (CDL) within 30 days of employment. Grand Teton and Rocky Mountain National Parks require a Class A CDL. Glacier National Park requires a Class B CDL. Positions at these locations will be required to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment. In addition, these positions at these respective parks are subject to random testing for illegal drug use. All positions in this announcement require a valid driver's license. 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 18 years old.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, you must have sufficient knowledge and ability in the following job-related factors: ABILITY TO DO THE WORK OF THE POSITION WITHOUT MORE THAN NORMAL SUPERVISION (SCREEN OUT) Applicants must show in their application package that they have experience with all of the following: packing stock animals for backcountry use under a leader or some supervision; handling and caring for horses and mules; safe and proper use of basic materials and equipment of the packing/trails trade with some assistance; and preparing, loading, and packing basic cargo over backcountry trails for long trips (greater than 10 miles). If your knowledge and ability in the SCREEN OUT factor above is not sufficient, you will receive no further consideration. In preparing your application, describe in detail the experience and training which you have had that specifically prepared you for this job and to perform the duties described for this job. Experience should be clearly described and documented in your resume. The qualifications reviewer will not assume performance of such duties by Job Titles alone. Address your knowledge, skills and/or abilities in the areas shown in the job-related factors. 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 Statement: 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.

Education

There is no substitution of education for experience for Wage Grade (WG) positions.

Other Information

Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. 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. Highest Previous Rate may be used as a pay setting. Click here for the Federal Wage Schedule Website to calculate location specific pay. This job opportunity announcement will be used to fill one or more additional selections at any time without notification. The locations listed on the announcement anticipate filling vacancies. However, not all grade levels may be filled at all locations. Eligibility and qualifications will be verified if there is a vacancy for the location and grade for which you applied. 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.