Park Ranger (Interpretation-Language) (Seasonal)

US National Park Service; California; On-site; USD 38,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. National Park Service in California seeks Interpretive Rangers to develop and present educational programs, including guided walks and presentations, for diverse park audiences. This federal role offers entry at GS-05 or progression to GS-07, with qualification options based on specialized experience or relevant education.

Fluency in required languages for each park is noted. Salaries and on-duty expectations reflect federal standards and weather-sensitive schedules.

Qualifications

• One year specialized experience equivalent to GS-04 level. Specialized experience is knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform duties; examples include park guide or tour leader, environmental educator, law enforcement, or park-related work.
• A 4 year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with 24 semester hours of related coursework.
• Equivalent combination of experience and education that, together, equal 100% of the qualification standards listed above when combined.

Responsibilities

• Develop and present educational programs including guided walks and presentations.
• Engage with diverse park audiences to interpret resources and stories.
• Lead or support outreach activities and ensure safe, meaningful visitor experiences.

Education

Bachelor's degree plus related coursework

Graduate education in related occupation (1 academic year)

Job description

Interpretive Rangers develop and present educational programs including guided walks and presentations working with audiences in a variety of park settings.

Anticipated Entry on Duty: March - July 2027. but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-10/26/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience.

Foreign Language Requirement

In addition to standard interpretation qualifications listed below, the applicant must be conversationally fluent in at least one language for each park,

Craters Moon National Monument

• Spanish
• French
• Italian
• Portuguese
• German
• Chinese
• Japanese
• Korean

Yosemite National Park

• Spanish
• French

To qualify for this position at the GS-05 grade level, you must possess one of the following

• A.
  One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-04 level in the federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equips the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the duties of this position. Experience may have been in technical, administrative, or scientific work, fish and wildlife management, recreation management, law enforcement, or other park related work. Examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to: park guide or tour leader; environmental educator or teacher; law enforcement or investigative work; archaeological or historical preservation research work; forestry and/or fire management work in a park, recreation, or conservation area; management, assistant, or program specialist work involving the development and implementation of policy related to protection, conservation, or management of park areas or similar operations; or other similar work.
• -OR- B. A 4 year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with 24 semester hours of related coursework (one year of full-time undergraduate study is defined as 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours).
• -OR- C. Equivalent combination of experience and education that, together, equal 100% of the qualification standards listed above when combined.

To qualify for this position at the GS-07 grade level, you must possess one of the following

• A.
  One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equips the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the duties of this position. Examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to: park guide or tour leader, work in a park, recreation or conservation area, environmental education, history and/or cultural resources education, and natural sciences education. Work must include the independent research and development of presentations.
• -OR-
  B. You must possess one full academic year of graduate education related to the occupation (one year of full-time graduate education is defined as 18 semester hours).
• -OR-
  C. Equivalent combination of experience and education that, together, equal 100% of the qualification standards listed above when combined.

Note: To be considered for this position(s) you must support conversational fluency in the required language(s) within your resume.

Note: This position includes money handling preference for optional consideration. Money handling requires a higher background check.

Qualifying experience may be obtained in the private or public sectors. The OPM Qualification Standards Handbook is available for review at: Individual Occupational Requirements.

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.

The employees of the National Park Service care for special places that are the heritage of all Americans. Since its inception in 1916, the National Park Service has been dedicated to the preservation and management of this country's outstanding natural, historical, and recreational resources. Park ranger - interpreters connect people to parks. They play a key role in ensuring that visitors have a meaningful, satisfying, and safe park experience, help visitors decide how to spend their time in the park, and inform them about the wonders that await their discovery. Park ranger - interpreters are specially trained to engage the public so that each park visitor can find a personal connection with the meanings and values found in the places and stories of that park. They help visitors explore the many dimensions of parks by introducing them to a variety of perspectives. By providing the opportunity for visitors to care about the places they visit, they promote stewardship and the opportunity for those visitors to care for park resources. National parks are among the most remarkable places in America for recreation, learning, and inspiration. The work done by park ranger-interpreters through effective interpretive and educational programs encourages the development of a personal stewardship ethic and broadens public support for preserving and protecting park resources, so that they may be enjoyed by present and future generations.