Park Ranger (Protection) at Department of the Interior

Not Required

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. 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.

Requirements

U.S. Citizenship required. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Males must meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement. DIRECT DEPOSIT: Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program. Must possess a National Park Service Type II Law Enforcement Commission. DRUG TESTING: 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. REQUIRED OCCUPANCY: Occupancy of government quarters is required. UNIFORM: You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided. WORK SCHEDULE: You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and/or shift work. DRIVER'S LICENSE: 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. TRAVEL: You may be required to travel overnight away from home occasionally. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes. PHYSICAL FITNESS: Prior to appointment, you must be determined physically fit by an authorized government physician to perform strenuous and physically demanding duties; and also pass a medical examination (which includes vision, hearing, cardiovascular, and mobility of extremities) given by an authorized government physician. You will also be required to undergo periodic medical examinations throughout employment. FIREARM PROFICIENCY: Selectee will be required to carry a firearm while performing duties and maintain firearm proficiency. Applicants must be at least 21 years old. ** REQUIREMENTS CONTINUED BELOW IN THE "QUALIFICATIONS" SECTION **

Qualifications

** CONTINUED FROM "REQUIREMENTS" SECTION ABOVE ** PHYSCIAL EFFICIENCY BATTERY (PEB): Incumbents must be determined physically fit by an authorized physician to perform strenuous and physically demanding duties, pass a medical examination, and pass the Physical Efficiency Battery (PEB). The PEB is a fitness test consisting of five different components: 1) agility run - measures the ability to get up from the ground and sprint while changing directions; 2) bench press - measures upper body strength for one repetition; 3) 1.5 mile run - measures cardio/respiratory fitness; 4) sit and reach - measures flexibility in the lower back, legs and shoulders; and 5) body composition - measures body fat. ARDUOUS WORK CAPACITY "PACK TEST": Incumbents are required to pass a Pack Test, a job-related test of the capacity for arduous work. It consists of a 3-mile hike with a 45-pound pack over level terrain. A time of 45 minutes (passing score for test) approximates an aerobic fitness score of 45, the established standard for firefighters. Applicants shall be disqualified for appointment if they fail to meet any physical requirement. Probationary employment is subject to termination for failure to meet the 25th percentile in each of the identified components being measured. Selectee must be free of any domestic violence convictions. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination. ********************************************** QUALIFICATIONS: All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-09/10/2025-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. IMPORTANT: Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), 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. You MUST limit your resume to no more than 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. You can only submit one resume; only the resume submitted under the "Resume" "Document Type" will be used to determine your qualifications and for rating purposes. To qualify for this position, you must meet ALL of the Selective Factors AND the Specialized Experience (or education substitution) listed below: SELECTIVE FACTORS: Mandatory Minimum Age Requirement: This position has a mandatory requirement that applicants must be 21 years of age or older. -AND- Law Enforcement Commission: Applicants must meet one of the following criteria by the close date of this announcement to be considered for this position: Currently hold, or have previously held (within the past three years), a National Park Service Seasonal (Level II) or full (Level I) law enforcement commission, or equivalent within the past three years. Successful completion a Seasonal Law Enforcement Training Program during the last three years, but have not yet received a National Park Service Seasonal (Level II) Law Enforcement Commission. Will successfully complete a Seasonal Law Enforcement Training Program by the entrance on duty date from one of the approved participating academies found at https://www.anpr.org/career/prlea. NOTE: This is not regular police officer training. You MUST CERTIFY in your supporting documents (i.e. your resume) that you possess at least one of the above LE Commission requirements. Include your commission number with expiration date (or your anticipated graduation date) from an approved NPS Seasonal Law Enforcement Academy within your resume. Please upload any supporting documentation with your application. -AND- To qualify for this position at the GS-07 grade level you must possess one of the following: A. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: One full year (52 weeks) of Specialized Experience equivalent to the GS-05 level in the federal service. Specialized Experience is experience performing law enforcement duties for the protection, conservation, use, and management of natural and/or cultural resources in park areas or similar operations, which involved the application of law enforcement authorities and procedures to protect visitors and resources. Law enforcement duties include apprehending, detaining, and firearm experience. -OR- B. EDUCATION: One full academic year of graduate education related to the occupation (one year of full-time graduate education is defined as 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours) in a directly-related fields such as natural resource management, natural sciences, earth sciences, history, archeology, anthropology, park and recreation management, law enforcement/police science, social sciences, museum sciences, business administration, public administration, behavioral sciences, sociology, or other closely related subjects pertinent to the management and protection of natural and cultural resources. Course work in fields other than those specified may be accepted if it clearly provides applicants with the background of knowledge and skills necessary for successful job performance in the position to be filled. -OR- C. COMBINATION: Combination of experience and education as described above. For example, 6 months of specialized experience (50% of the experience requirement) and 9 semester hours of graduate-level college study in a directly-related field of study (50% of the related coursework required). Qualifying experience may be obtained in the private or public sectors. The OPM Qualification Standards Handbook is available for review at: OPM Qualification Standards. 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.

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 the interpretation of foreign education programs and that (1) deemed your education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program, or (2) given full credit for courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

Other Information

Zion National Park is located in southwestern Utah. The climate is generally hot with daytime high temperatures ranging from 95 to 110 degrees in the summer and 55 to 10 degrees in the winter. Nighttime lows range from 65 degrees in the summer to 10 degrees in the winter. Minimal shopping is available in Springdale, located two (2) miles from Park Headquarters. A full range of shopping, medical, dental, religious, and recreational facilities are available in Hurricane (25 miles), St. George, (45 miles), and in Cedar City, (63 miles), Utah. Elementary school (grades K-5) is available in Springdale with bus service provided. Junior high and high school is available in Hurricane with bus service provided. Utah Tech University is located in St. George and Southern Utah University is located in Cedar City. Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid. This job opportunity announcement will be used to fill one or more additional selections at any time without notification. The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster with supervisory approval. Employment may be terminated at any time due to fluctuations in funding levels, project needs, employee performance, or other considerations.