Park Ranger (PSAR) (Seasonal) @ National Park Service

Job Summary

Park Ranger in Preventive Search and Rescue (PSAR) perform a variety of park ranger duties associated with preventing search and rescue incidents from occurring in park units and providing Emergency Medical Services (EMT) as needed. Anticipated Entry on Duty: April - October 2027. Open to the first 100 applicants. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the 10/26/2026 to be considered.

Qualifications

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. To receive credit for experience, your 2 page resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time).

If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. You may only submit one resume. 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.

SELECTIVE FACTOR

This position performs Patrol and Search and Rescue. Selectees are required to pass Physical Fitness Testing and must possess Emergency Medical Technician certification by entrance on duty (EOD). Candidates who do not meet this requirement by close of this announcement will receive no further consideration for this position. To qualify for this position at the GS-05 grade level, you must possess one of the following: EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-04 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors).

This experience includes activities such as: park guide or tour leader; law enforcement or investigative work; archeological 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.

Additionally, experience includes: Education of park visitors, response to EMS/SAR events, operating government vehicles in a safe and lawful manner, participating in hiking/rescues in adverse weather and conditions, Recognizing and upholding safety objectives outlined by the park to reduce preventable accidents among staff and visitors, carrying out the above duties in a safe, professional, and respectful manner, completing special projects as assigned and agreed upon, managing inventory of supplies and equipment, participation in SAR/EMS training, cleaning and maintenance of vehicles and equipment, other job duties as assigned. You must include hours per week worked on your resume.

-OR- EDUCATION

Successful completion of at least a four 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). You must include transcripts..

-OR- 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 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. You must include transcripts and hours worked per week on resume. Qualifying experience may be obtained in the private or public sectors. The OPM Qualification Standards Handbook is available for review at: OPM Qualification Standards.

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.

Major Duties

• Duties of these PSAR positions may include: Conduct regularly scheduled and special purpose PSAR patrols of various park resources such as backcountry and/or wilderness areas, park trails, campgrounds, parking lots, shorelines, rivers, docks, roads, concessions, etc.
• Independently determine new patrol routes and prepare for patrol(s), accounting for the specific needs, topography, and requirements of each patrol.
• Serve as a trip leader when accompanied by other staff, cooperators, groups, and/or stakeholders.
• While on patrol, provide visitors with information and education to ensure their safety, obtain their cooperation, and facilitate safe visitor use of park resources.
• Identify and report visitor/resource problems and/or violations of regulations concerning the use of protected or public land areas.
• Provide administrative, operational, and logistic support to PSAR-related educational activities conducted by the organization.
• Develop and present a substantial variety of formal and informal PSAR-related educational programs and/or media using prescribed outlines, guidelines, and established educational practices, techniques, and tools delivered in-person and through educational media and technology.
• Conduct straightforward research on a variety of PSAR-related topics (e.g., frostbite, swift-water rescue, hiking safety, heat illness, accident prevention, sanitation) and synthesize the knowledge gained from research to develop and deliver educational PSAR experiences that are clearly consistent with the strategic goals and objectives of PSAR.
• Serve as a member of a Search and Rescue (SAR) Team on events that may require trail response, ground/hasty searches, helicopter evacuations, river rescues, body recoveries, and/or litter carries.
• Participate in operational assessments and help prepare contingencies for future search and rescue incidents.
• Participate in post operational analysis and After-Action Reviews to improve park operations and prevent SAR events from occurring.

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males must meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement.
• Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
• Subject to pre-employment physical.
• You will be required to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment.
• In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use.
• You will be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required.
• You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record.
• You may also be required to submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that disclose all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you.
• You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards.
• A uniform allowance will be provided.
• You are required to possess a current Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or higher certification.
• You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and/or shift work.
• You may be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel drive vehicle.

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.