Park Ranger (Interpretation)

National Park Service; Watrous (NM); On-site; USD 52,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

Fort Union National Monument, operated by the National Park Service, seeks a Park Ranger (Interpretation) to develop and deliver interpretive programming for diverse visitors. You will research, design, and present talks, tours, demonstrations, and living history experiences on site and in outreach settings.

You will mentor staff and volunteers, coordinate interpretive activities, and leverage social media to orient and inform the public about park resources and programs.

Responsibilities

• Research, develop, and present interpretive programs (talks, guided walks, demonstrations, costumed living history, Junior Ranger programs).
• Use audience-centered interpretive techniques; use social media and web to provide orientation and interpretation to the public.
• Serve as the park Volunteer Coordinator.
• Train, mentor, coach, and evaluate interpreters; critique activities and recommend improvements.
• Provide historical context on Fort Union and the Santa Fe Trail's influence.

Job description

Open: October 23, 2026 — Closes: November 6, 2026

Summary

You will serve as a Park Ranger (Interpretation) with the National Park Service at Fort Union National Monument.

Major Duties

Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following: Research, develop, and present interpretive programs, including talks, guided walks, demonstrations, costumed living history, illustrated and/or non-illustrated programs, Junior Ranger programs, and on- and off-site curriculum-based programs. Use audience-centered interpretive techniques as appropriate. Use social media and web to provide orientation, information, and interpretation to the public. Serve as the park Volunteer Coordinator. Train, mentor, coach, and evaluate a broad range of interpretive programs and products conducted by fellow interpreters, critique these activities, and recommend individual or program improvements. During its forty-year history, from 1851 to 1891, the U.S. Army's Fort Union greatly affected the American Southwest and the lives of the multitude of peoples that call this area home. Located on the prairie along a historic major trade route between the United States and Mexico, the Santa Fe Trail, the fort existed in three distinct construction phases; a wooden fort, a defensive fieldwork, and an adobe fort of which today represents the largest concentration of adobe ruins in the Southwest.