Forestry Technician (IPM) (Seasonal)

US National Park Service; Gatlinburg (TN); On-site; USD 22,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

The US National Park Service in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, seeks a vegetation assistant to support forest health, exotic plant management, and ecological restoration across the park.

This seasonal position runs roughly November through April, subject to weather and funding, with an anticipated start in late 2026. Applicants should be prepared for outdoor work and must document hours per week, provide transcripts if education is claimed.

Qualifications

• Specialized Experience: 1 year at GS-4 level or equivalent in forestry/land management or related fields.
• Hours per week must be stated for each position.
• Education: bachelor's degree with relevant coursework; transcripts required.
• Combination of education and experience may qualify if percentages sum to 100%.
• Volunteer experience credit is considered in evaluation.

Responsibilities

• Assist in vegetation management tasks including forest health, exotic plant management, and ecological restoration.
• Support park-wide vegetation projects and field surveys as needed.

Skills

Botany

Forest Management

Pest Control

Physical Strength and Agility

Teamwork

Technology Application

Education

Bachelor's degree in forestry, range management, agriculture, or related field

Job description

The purpose of the position is to assist in various vegetation management tasks including forest health, exotic plant management and ecological restoration projects throughout the 810 square mile park.

The typical seasonal entry-on-duty is November - April but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: Nov-Dec 2026.

Open to the first 100 applicants.

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-10/28/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.

• Specialized Experience Requirement: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-4 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: Forestry aid or technician work; Engineering, range, or soil conservation technician work that involved the application of cultural, resource conservation, or land management practices on non-forest or ranch lands when combined with knowledge of forestry operations and equipment; Farming or ranching work that involved application of cultural and soil and water conservation practices, including safety and use of equipment, and that provided a basic understanding of land use. Research activity or control program work. Forest or range firecontrol, prevention, or suppression work. You must include hours per week worked. -OR-
• Education: Successful completion of at least a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree (a) with major study in forestry, range management, agriculture, or a subject-matter field directly related to the position, or (b) that included at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as range management or conservation, agriculture, forestry, wildlife management, engineering, biology, mathematics, or other natural or physical sciences. No more than 6 semester hours in mathematics creditable. You must include transcripts. -OR-
• Combination of education and experience. Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. To combine education and experience, first take the number of semester hours (or equivalent) earned towards a bachelor's degree, in excess of 60 semester hours, and divide by 60 semester hours (or equivalent). Then take the number of months of full time experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts.

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.

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

• Botany
• Forest Management
• Pest Control
• Physical Strength and Agility
• Teamwork
• Technology Application