Animal Packer

Forest Service (DOA); Bishop (CA); On-site; USD 29,000 - 37,000; Part time

Job summary

USDA Forest Service is seeking a full-time temporary Pack Animal Handler stationed in Bishop, CA, with duties that include packing supplies to backcountry locations, loading animals, and maintaining stock and equipment.

The role requires operating in remote environments, occasional travel, and adherence to federal hiring requirements. Salary ranges apply per hour under WG 5.

Qualifications

• Ability to do the work of the position without more than normal supervision.
• Technical practices (theoretical, precise, artistic).
• Use of measuring instruments.
• Ability to interpret instructions, specifications, etc.
• Ability to use and maintain tools and equipment.
• Knowledge of materials.
• Dexterity and safety.

Responsibilities

• Provides packing services to remote backcountry locations; balances loads and rigs loads on pack saddles.
• Loads animals into/out of trailers and secures them for transport.
• Provides care for stock including grooming, feeding, watering, and medical needs.
• Maintains pack equipment, tack, and other supplies as needed.
• Assists with maintenance of stock facilities (fences, corrals, water systems).
• Rides and leads pack animals over rugged terrain to destinations without injury.
• Performs trail maintenance and reconstruction tasks as assigned.
• Monitors stock and equipment; reports issues to stock manager/supervisor.

Skills

Work independently

Technical practices

Using measuring instruments

Interpret instructions

Tool use and maintenance

Materials knowledge

Dexterity and safety

Job description

Summary

This position is located within a National Forest. The incumbent is responsible for packing supplies and equipment into backcountry locations by horse or mule.

Overview

• Bishop, CA
• Fort Jones, CA
• Prather, CA
• Sonora, CA

Location Negotiable After Selection

No matching locations found.

Telework eligible: No

Remote job: No

Relocation expenses reimbursed: No

Salary: $21.18 – $26.68 per hour

Pay scale & grade: WG 5

Promotion potential: None

Work schedule: Full-time

Travel Required: Occasional travel – You may be expected to travel for this position.

Appointment type: Temporary

Occupations and job series: 5001 Miscellaneous Plant And Animal Work

Supervisory status: No

Federal service type: This job is in the Competitive Service

Represented by a union: No

Drug test: No

Security clearance: Other

Financial disclosure required: No

Announcement number: 27-TEMP3-R5-FS3095-5DT-SM

Control number: 890776700

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Duties

• Provides packing services to remote backcountry locations. Packs and balances loads of supplies, tools and equipment, rigs loads on pack saddles and monitors and adjusts as necessary.
• Loads animals into and out of trailers, secures animals within trailers, and tows trailers with heavy-duty trucks.
• Provides a full variety of needs in the handling and caring of stock, including grooming, feeding and watering, and also cares for medical needs of stock including tending to bruises, cuts, sores, and other medical needs.
• Maintains pack equipment, tack and other supplies and equipment as needed.
• Assists with maintenance of stock facilities, including fences, corrals, water systems, etc.
• Rides and leads pack animals over rugged mountainous terrain to reach the desired destination without injury to pack stock, self or cargo.
• Provides a wide variety of manual labor tasks involving trail maintenance and reconstruction work as assigned.
• Monitors stock and all related equipment and reports any issues or concerns to stock manager and supervisor.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
• Direct Deposit – Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of your choosing.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify.
• Must be 18 years of age.
• Willing to live/work in remote locations (volatile/unpredictable).

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management’s Federal Wage System Qualifications Standards.

Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary.

Applicants will be evaluated on their ability to perform the duties of the position rather than length of experience. Eligibility will be determined by the relevance, scope and quality of all experience and training, regardless of where or how acquired.

Applicants will be ranked and rated based on their knowledge of the job elements identified in this announcement.

• Ability to do the work of the position without more than normal supervision
• Technical Practices (theoretical, precise, artistic)
• Use of Measuring Instruments
• Ability to Interpret Instructions, Specification, etc. (other than blueprints)
• Ability to Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment
• Knowledge of Materials
• Dexterity and Safety

There is no substitution of education for this position.

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.

To receive consideration for this position, you must provide updated required documents and meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Additional information

PLEASE NOTE: This vacancy is being used to fill positions for FY2027 Temporary Employment Hiring season. The expected start date for this position will be between April 18, 2027 to June 13, 2027.

By selecting the “Location Negotiable” option during the application process, implies your willingness to be considered for any official duty location listed on this announcement and/or those duty locations not listed for this Regional announcement. Pay rates vary depending on location. The salary shown is for the Rest of the U.S. See OPM.gov for additional information on pay rates.

This position is temporary, has a Not-to-Exceed date and will be filled for up to 6 months or as a not to exceed (NTE) 1 year, however an extension of the appointment may be possible without further competition. The appointment may also end early due to lack of work or lack of funds.

Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other groups within the Region who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in any of the geographic location(s) listed on the announcement. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration.

The duty station for this position will be at one of the duty locations listed in this announcement. Please visit the Office of Personnel Management’s website for additional information on pay rates in your duty location State.

The USDA Forest Service has legislative authority to recruit and fill Permanent (Career/Career-Conditional), Temporary, and Term Appointments under the USDA Demonstration Project. Under this authority, any U.S. citizen may apply.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP eligible must meet the agency’s definition for a quality candidate as provided in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of this announcement to be considered.

If you are retired from the Federal Government and are selected for this vacancy, your retirement annuity may be offset from your pay.

This position is not eligible for telework. Availability of government housing and federal day care facilities will vary by location.

Positions filled from this announcement may be a bargaining or a non-bargaining unit position represented by either NFFE, AFGE or NAGE.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

Required documents

• Resume that includes: Personal Information: name, address, contact information; Education ; Work Experience related to this position as described in the major duties including work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment; title, series, grade (if applicable); other qualifications . Resume cannot exceed 2 pages.
• If education is required or you are using education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your college transcripts. An unofficial copy is sufficient with the application if it includes your name and the necessary course information; however, if you are selected, you will be required to submit official transcripts prior to entering on duty. Education must have been successfully obtained from an accredited school, college or university. If any education was completed at a foreign institute, you must submit with your application evidence that the institute was appropriately accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as equivalent to U.S. education standards. There are private organizations that specialize in this evaluation and a fee is normally associated with this service. For a list of private organizations that evaluate education, visit the NACES website. All transcripts must be in English or include an English translation.
• Surplus or displaced employees eligible for CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP priority must provide: proof of eligibility (RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a transfer of function or directed reassignment to another commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination), SF-50 documenting separation (as applicable), current performance appraisal with rating of at least “Fully Successful” or equivalent, and your most recent SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with your application per 5 CFR 330.

Agency contact information

HRM Contact Center

1-877-372-7248 X2

[e-mail]

USDA Forest Service HRM Contact Center

DO NOT MAIL IN APPLICATIONS, SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT

Albuquerque, NM 87109

US

Fair and transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Criminal history inquiries Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Financial suitability New employee probationary period Privacy Act Reasonable accommodation policy Selective Service Signature and false statements Social security number request