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Park Ranger

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Reclamation
Central California Area Office
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Summary

The Bureau of Reclamation is seeking a career professional looking for an opportunity to capitalize on their expertise as a Park Ranger. You can make a difference in the West by supporting mission objectives centered around managing and protecting water supply services in an environmentally sound manner in the interest of the American public.

Duty Location: Sonora, California

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
12/05/2023 to 12/11/2023
Salary
$46,696 to - $74,250 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 9
Location
Sonora, CA
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
9
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
BOR-CGB-24-DE-12214617-AD
Control number
764135100

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Duties

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As a Park Ranger, your duties and responsibilities will include :

  • Preparing reports, evaluations, bulletins, and memoranda in support of the conservation of park resources.
  • Providing information to visitors and making presentations to interested groups.
  • Monitoring onsite programs to determine if visitor needs are met or to develop recommendations for improvement.
  • Planning day-to-day operations of recreation areas and coordinating routine activities with maintenance personnel.
  • Conducting periodic inspections of grounds areas, picnic areas, buildings, roads, and parking areas to determine quality of operations and services.
  • Assisting in emergencies and cooperating with other law enforcement agencies to protect park visitors and resources.
  • Developing portions of cultural history resource management plans or visitor use management plans.
  • Performing other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.
  • You must be suitable for federal employment, as determined by a background investigation.
  • You must submit a resume and supporting documentation (see Required Documents).
  • You must submit eligibility documents for veterans consideration (see Required Documents).
  • You must meet any minimum education and/or experience requirements (see Qualifications).
  • You must submit transcript(s) to verify education requirements (see Qualifications/Education).
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary period.
  • Required to obtain and maintain a valid state-issued driver's license at all times, as the position requires operation of government vehicles. Failure to maintain a valid state-issued driver's license at all times may result in removal from the position.
  • Required to complete a successful pre-employment physical examination by a licensed physician certifying your ability to perform the duties of this position. A physical exam may not be required if a comparable agency approved examination was performed within the last 12 months. The cost of the exam will be reimbursed by the agency.
  • Required to wear the official Bureau of Reclamation prescribed uniform while on duty.
  • Must be willing and able to complete the Department of Interior's Motorboat Operator Certification Course (MOCC).
  • Must be willing and able to obtain certification(s) in First Aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and bloodborne pathogen exposure control/prevention.
  • Must be willing and able to complete the training requirements to obtain and maintain a Level I Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) Certification.
  • Overtime may sometimes be required.
  • Occasional overnight business travel may be required.
  • Duties may sometimes involve working in isolated outdoor environments and exposure to adverse weather conditions.
  • May be required to work evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Qualifications

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, the HR Office must be able to determine that you meet the specialized experience requirement -- this information must be clearly supported in your resume.

For the GS-07: One year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to at least the GS-05 level in the Federal service, which includes: 1) Advising visitors on matters concerning safety, fire prevention, and/or proper and authorized uses of recreational facilities; 2) Inspecting facilities and/or monitoring visitor activities to ensure compliance with rules and regulations pertaining to safety, parking, campfires, sanitation, noise levels, etc. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level in the Federal service (GS-05).

For the GS-09: One year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to at least the GS-07 level in the Federal service, which includes: 1) Developing and implementing interpretive, safety, or visitor use management plans; 2) Identifying and addressing visitor needs for specific programs and services through surveys and group discussions; 3) Developing work projects and coordinating activities with other park personnel; 4) Observing, monitoring, and evaluating onsite programs to determine if visitor needs are met and/or to formulate recommendations for improvement. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level in the Federal service (GS-07).

You could otherwise qualify on the basis of education. You may combine specialized experience and education to meet the minimum qualifications.

The superior academic achievement provision is to be used to determine eligibility for applicable GS-07 level positions of persons who have completed (or expect to complete within 9 months) all the requirements for a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a qualifying grade point average (GPA), class standing, or honor society membership. For more information, visit: OPM.

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.

You must meet all Eligibility and Qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors if applicable, by 12/11/2023.

Education

This vacancy announcement allows substituting education for experience at the GS-07 and GS-09 grade levels. You must submit a copy of college transcript(s) (unofficial copy is acceptable) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include the name of the college or university and date the degree was conferred. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission of school transcripts may result in being rated as not qualified for the position.

For the GS-07: If substituting education for experience, you must have 1 full academic year of graduate education related to the occupation, or superior academic achievement. Superior academic achievement may be determined for applicants who have completed (or expect to complete within 9 months) all the requirements for a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a qualifying grade point average (GPA), class standing, or honor society membership. For more information, visit OPM.

For the GS-09: If substituting education for experience, you must have 2 full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education, or master's or equivalent graduate degree with an emphasis of study related to the occupation.

You will be required to provide official college transcripts to verify educational qualifications, if selected. An official transcript must be sent directly from the University's Registrar's office and must be provided from the institution awarding the degree. Academic transcripts certified by notary publics are NOT official. Official transcripts must be submitted prior to reporting to work as a condition of employment. Failure to submit official transcripts may be grounds for dismissal or rescission of the job offer.

Accreditation: Only education from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education is acceptable to meet education requirements or to substitute for experience, if applicable. For additional info, refer to the Office of Personnel Management and U.S. Department of Education.

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. For additional info, refer to the U.S. Network for Education Information.

Additional information

  • Direct Deposit enrollment is required.
  • You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
  • You may be required to serve an initial probationary period.
  • Current, permanent Federal employees who are selected from this announcement may be required to serve a probationary period.
  • Reclamation has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and you may be allowed to telework with supervisory approval.
  • DOI uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including applicant rights and responsibilities, please visit https://www.e-verify.gov/
  • This position is designated as a LOW RISK position. It requires a fully completed and favorably adjudicated SF85 Background Investigation (T1 or equivalent) that is current (within the last 5 years). This is a condition of employment.
  • Male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must certify registration with the Selective Service System or that the applicant is exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Go to: https://www.sss.gov
  • This is a bargaining unit position.
  • Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Category rating and selection procedures will be used to evaluate applications from this announcement. If an applicant meets the basic qualification requirements, their on-line responses to the vacancy assessment questionnaire will be used to determine the quality and extent of his/her experience, education, training, etc., for placement in one of the following categories: 1) Best Qualified, 2) Well Qualified, and 3) Qualified. The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three" but protects the rights of Veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligible applicants within each quality category. Veterans' preference eligible applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent will be placed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-09 level or higher). The assessment questionnaire will take approximately 30 minutes to complete.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide to the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following Competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

  • Accountability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Oral Communication
  • Teamwork
  • Technical Competence


In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of a technical assessment. This assessment will measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.

The application questionnaire can be previewed here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12214617

Your answers will be verified against information provided in your resume. Your resume must clearly support the responses to all the questions by addressing experience, education, and/or training relevant to this position. You must make a fair and accurate assessment of your qualifications. If a determination is made that you have rated yourself higher than what is apparent in the description of your experience, competencies, skills, and/or education/training (or that your resume/application is incomplete), you could be rated ineligible or your score could be lowered.

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 with the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s). Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration. You may choose to opt in of having your information shared with other agencies when applying for this position. If an agency requests a copy of a certificate you are placed on, you will be notified.

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