FUL - Park Ranger I

US National Park Service; Washington; On-site; USD 52,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

US National Park Service is seeking a FUL - Park Ranger I to interpret park resources and convey their national significance to visitors. You will connect audiences to personal relevance, facilitate learning, and support safety and resource management while promoting education objectives.

The role emphasizes front-line customer service, fee collection, and responding to visitor inquiries as part of a broader interpretive program within a national park setting.

Qualifications

• Experience interpreting the resources of a park to the public.
• Experience analyzing, evaluating, and coordinating interpretive programming.
• Experience providing front line customer service by collecting fees and answering visitor questions.

Responsibilities

• Interpret park resources to convey national significance.
• Connect visitors to personal relevance and facilitate learning.
• Support compliance and safety and management of resources representing national heritage.

Skills

Public interpretation

Customer service

Fee collection

Education

Graduate education in natural resources

Job description

You will serve as a FUL - Park Ranger I. The primary purpose of this position is to interpret resources to convey national significance; connect visitors to personal relevance; facilitate shared learning; support specific learning objectives to meet educator and community needs; inform the public for compliance and safety; support management of natural and cultural resources representative of national heritage; and enhance mutual understanding for individual and social benefit.

Requirements Cont.:

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.

This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated.

Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications:

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-09/16/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. All candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements.

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.

Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level:

Specialized Experience:

At least one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is experience that demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled. For this position specialized experience is defined as experience interpreting the resources of a park area to the public; analyzing, evaluating, and coordinating interpretive programming; and providing front line customer service by collecting fees and answering visitor questions.

- OR -

Education:

Two full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or master's or equivalent graduate degree related to the work of the position. (Major study -- 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.)

Combination:

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 graduate degree, in excess of 18 semester hours, and divide by 18 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.

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.