FUL- Park Guide

U.S. Department of the Interior; Tennessee; On-site; USD 52,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Uniform allowance

Job summary

U.S. Department of the Interior invites applications for a full-time GS-0090-04 Park Guide at Fort Donelson National Battlefield in Dover, TN. The TERM appointment lasts at least 13 months and may be extended for one year. Local commuting rules apply within a 50-mile radius of the duty station.

The Park Guide provides information, interpretive talks, and educational programs to the public and visiting groups, staff an information desk, and support park events and social media efforts.

Qualifications

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service
• Driver's license required; uniforme standard must be followed; uniform allowance provided
• This is a full-time TERM position with an initial appointment of at least 13 months and may be extended one additional year
• Local commuting area requirement within 50 miles of the duty station

Responsibilities

• Provide information and interpretive talks to visitors on geology, history, and environmental topics
• Lead small groups on interpretive programs focusing on earth history and paleontology
• Disseminate complex information in accessible ways to diverse audiences and encourage resource protection
• Staff information desk and operate a cash register; provide excellent customer service
• Assist visiting school groups and develop interpretive materials and social media
• Participate in park events; assist with hikes and coordination of programs

Job description

Summary

This is a full-time GS-0090-04 Park Guide position located at Fort Donelson National Battlefield in Dover, TN. This is a TERM position with an initial appointment expecting to last at least 13 months but may be extended one (1) additional year. This position will be filled under the Field Unit Local (FUL) Hiring Authority - Limited to applicants who live within the defined local commuting area at the time of application. Please see the "Additional Information" section for more details.

Major Duties

A Park Guide is a uniformed employee of the National Park Service who serves as a front-line park representative. They provide information, give interpretive tours, and educational programming to the public. The primary purpose of this position is to provide guide services to visitors. Major Duties: Give interpretive talks to small groups about geology, history, and other environmental topics. Lead small groups of visitors on interpretive programs that focus on earth history and paleontological topics. Disseminate complex information in accessible ways to diverse audience groups and encourage protection and preservation of park resources. Answer a variety of formal and informal visitor questions and requests for guidance. Staff an information desk and operate a cash register. Provide excellent customer service to all visitors. Assist with visiting school groups, including guiding hikes. Assist with development of new interpretive material and social media for the park. Participate in special events hosted by the park. Physical Demands: The work required standing for long periods of time, walking for long distances, climbing and descending steep inclines, bending, and lifting moderately heavy items. Mental stress and physical fatigue occur due to high volume of personal contacts, occasional emergency responses, and repetitive nature of interpretive programs. Work Environment: Work is performed both indoors and outdoors resulting in exposure to a variety of weather conditions.

Education

You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include your name, school name, grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, and date the degree was conferred, if applicable. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not qualified for the position. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work. 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. Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education. https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualification

Requirements

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service. Direct Deposit participation required. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit www.dhs.gov/EVerify/. Must maintain a permanent and exclusive residence within 50 miles of official park address at the time of application. See "Additional Information" section for more details. DRIVER'S LICENSE: Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment. UNIFORM: You are required to wear a uniform and comply with the uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided. WORK SCHEDULE: You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, and overtime. TRAVEL: You may be required to travel overnight away from home occasionally. You may be required to obtain a government charge card for travel purposes. AGE: You must be at least (1)18 years old or (2) at least 16 years old and: (a) Have graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or (b) Have completed a formal vocational training program; or (c) Have received a statement from school authorities agreeing with their preference for employment rather than continuing their education; or (d) Be currently enrolled in a secondary school and either work only during school vacation periods or work part-time during the school year under a formal student employment program. PROBATIONARY PERIOD: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period. For more information regarding Probationary Periods, please see "Qualifications" section below.

Evaluations

This position is being filled under the Field Unit Local Hiring Authority. Under this authority, competitive rating, ranking, and veterans' preference procedures do not apply. The Servicing Human Resources Office will determine whether applicants meet the qualification and eligibility requirements described in this announcement. Applicants who meet these requirements may be referred to the selecting official on a certificate of eligibles for consideration. You must certify that you will maintain a permanent and exclusive residence within the defined vicinity of the field unit listed in this announcement. Upon receipt of a completed application package, the Servicing Human Resources Office will review your resume and supporting documentation to determine whether you meet the minimum qualification requirements described in this announcement. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages. Resumes longer than two pages will not be reviewed. Applicants may submit only one resume. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine qualifications and eligibility. If more than one resume is submitted, only the most recent submission will be reviewed. If your resume is incomplete or does not demonstrate that you meet the qualification requirements or specialized experience described in this announcement, you may be determined ineligible or not qualified for further consideration. Providing false or misleading information on your resume or supporting documentation may result in removal from consideration or other action consistent with applicable federal hiring regulations. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.

Required Documents

THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS ARE REQUIRED and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 11/09/2026 - unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement: RESUME: Two Page Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, dates specified in month and year format, AND the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount qualified specialized experience. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. Headers may be slightly larger but must remain legible. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. Your 2-page resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the specialized experience requirements. Note: Current and former Federal employees should include pay plan, series, and grade level for relevant federal experience. If experience is for a career ladder position, please ensure to clearly distinguish the job duties for each grade level and how long you were working in each grade level. Resume Builder: https://help.usajobs.gov/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include Proof of residence (e.g. mortgage or property deed, lease/rental agreement, utility bill, insurance policy). SF-50 cannot be accepted as proof of residence. All college transcript(s), if qualifying based on education. Please submit both undergraduate and graduate level transcripts, as applicable. Veteran Documentation, if applicable, such as: DD-214, SF15, letter from Veteran Affairs, etc. Current or prior federal employees who hold or have held a non-temporary appointment in the federal competitive or excepted service within the previous 52 weeks must submit official documentation (i.e. SF50s) proving they meet time-in-grade requirements to be eligible for the grade level of this announcement. Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted. Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from all documents. Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.

Other Information

FIELD UNIT LOCAL (FUL) HIRING AUTHORITY: This position will be filled under the Field Unit Local Hiring Authority. Eligibility is limited to applicants who reside within the defined local commuting area at the time of application. For this announcement, the local commuting area is the area from which individuals can reasonably commute to the duty station under normal conditions. The defined vicinity for this position is: 50-mile radius of the official duty station. You must provide proof of residency within the defined vicinity at the time of application (e.g. mortgage or property deed, lease/rental agreement, utility bill, insurance policy, etc.). See the Required Documents section for information on how to verify current residence. TERM APPOINTMENT: This is a full-time TERM position with an initial appointment expecting to last at least 13 months but may be extended one (1) additional year, for two (2) years total. Term positions do not convey permanent status in the Federal service. The agency retains sole discretion and without further competition, the right to extend the duration of this appointment after selection and/or appointment, based on changes to the term appointment regulation(s). No extension to a term appointment shall be granted to a selectee/employee to an amount of time that exceeds the maximum number of years authorized under any present or current regulation, unless such regulation expressly allows such action. Government / Park housing is not available. 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. The duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster with supervisory approval. EXPLORE Act Veteran Hiring Pilot Program: The Department of the Interior has created a two-year Veteran Hiring Pilot as established by the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act that aims to expand employment opportunities for Veterans (and eligible transitioning Service Members). This position has been identified as EXPLORE Act Veteran Hiring Pilot eligible. The pilot supports DOI's conservation and resource management mission by connecting qualified Veterans with career opportunities across the Department. To learn more, visit https://www.doi.gov/veterans/explore-act. All Department of Interior (DOI) employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, https://www.doi.gov/ethics/ethics-prohibitions.