Range Technician (Seasonal)

U.S. Department of the Interior; Springdale (AR); On-site; USD 23,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Uniform allowance

Housing may be offered

Job summary

U.S. Department of the Interior is seeking a Range Technician (Seasonal) to support restoration, monitoring, and rangeland management activities. Duties include herbicide application, invasive plant removal, data collection, and equipment operation in various field settings.

You will work outdoors in diverse conditions and may be scheduled for evenings, weekends, holidays, or overtime. Entry on duty is anticipated for October 2026, with pay varying by grade level and duty location; first-time

Qualifications

• US citizenship required.
• Background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Selective Service registration for males born after 12-31-59.
• Valid driver's license required.
• Uniform and uniform allowance provided.
• Public service eligibility and security requirements.

Responsibilities

• Apply invasive plant treatments with backpack sprayers and vehicles.
• Remove invasive plants using hand and power tools.
• Keep daily records of treatment data and field notes.
• Assess restoration needs and monitor rangeland health.
• Inventory rangeland resources and perform GPS data collection.
• Operate trucks and trailers safely; adapt to field conditions.
• Carry out assignments in front country and backcountry areas as needed.
• Support vegetation and rangeland research and monitoring.

Skills

Herbicide application

GPS/GIS data

Field safety

Vehicle operation

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Backpack sprayers

UTVs

Trailers

Hand tools

Power tools

Job description

Summary

You will serve as a Range Technician (Seasonal). These positions may be filled for a seasonal period, up to 1039 or 1560 hours, but can vary due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: October 2026. You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work. Pay will vary based on grade level and/or duty location for which you're selected. First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate.

Major Duties

Restoration and monitoring responsibilities will include:

• Invasive plant treatments via herbicide application using backpack sprayers, utility terrain vehicles (UTVs), and trucks with mounted spray equipment
• Invasive plant removal by mechanical means, utilizing hand and power tools
• Daily record keeping of invasive plant treatment data and field notes
• Site assessments for restoration needs
• Inventory and monitoring of rangeland health
• Hazard tree analysis
• Propagation and planting of trees
• GPS & GIS data collection and management
• Safe operation of trucks, trailers, and various other equipment
• Carry out assignments primarily in front country areas but also to include backcountry riparian locations
• Perform work outdoors under sometimes difficult field conditions such as inclement weather, proximity to roadways, steep terrain, plant and insect pest presence

The incumbent may also perform the following duties, as needed:

• Ensure the park's rangeland fences are maintained and will occasionally construct new fence or remove old fence as needed
• Assist with rangeland restoration projects including drill seeding, hydroseeding, invasive plant management, and equipment operation
• Assist with revegetation projects of various sizes and scope
• Contribute to and assist with ongoing vegetation and rangeland research and monitoring
• Assist with irrigation infrastructure repairs and maintenance
• Perform Integrated Pest Management (IPM) assignments

Duties by grade: Employees selected at the GS-04 and 05 levels will follow specific guidelines and instructions and completed work will be checked by crew leaders. Employees selected at the GS-05 employees will at times be assigned more complex responsibilities requiring a higher level of knowledge and experience in the field of rangeland management and invasive plant control.

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 provide proof of U.S. citizenship.
• 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 have and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
• Government housing may be offered.
• You are required to wear a uniform and comply with the uniform standards.
• A uniform allowance will be provided.
• 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.

Evaluations

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g. resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of any additional assessment(s) required for this position. Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed. Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into the following categories: Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position; Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job; Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.

You will be assessed in the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Horticulture Leadership Mechanics Pest Control Rangeland Management Technology Application. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of the USA Hire Assessment, if required.

Current or former displaced Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified, score at least 85 (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry.

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

• Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates in month-year format (include month/day/year format if needed for 52 weeks of experience), and indicate hours worked per week (or full-time). Your resume must clearly show how long you have held each grade/rank. 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. 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.
• All college transcript(s), if qualifying based on education. Please submit both undergraduate and graduate level transcripts, as applicable.
• Veterans Preference Documentation, if applicable.
• Veterans must submit a copy of your latest Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (member 4 copy) or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Parent or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.va.gov/records/ or call 1-800-827-1000. If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active-duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
• Interagency Career Transition (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP): You MUST submit proof of eligibility including 1) copy of the agency notice, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc.; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be well qualified. For more information visit: USAJOBS Help Center - Career Transition Programs (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL).

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

Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement. If otherwise eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive. A continued service agreement may be required if it is determined you are eligible for a permanent change in duty station (PCS), recruitment, or relocation incentive.

Physical Demands: The work ranges from sedentary when completing duties in the office to frequent field work requiring a considerable amount of walking, riding, stooping, bending, and lifting.

Work Environment: Office work is performed in adequately lighted, heated, and air-conditioned offices. Much of the time is spent in the field where exposure to extremes of heat and cold, rough terrain, insects, snakes, and other hazards are common. The incumbent carefully adheres to all safety procedures to mitigate hazards encountered.

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. The duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.