Seasonal Park Ranger; Backcountry​/Wilderness

Overview

These temporary positions are located in Shenandoah National Park, in the Natural and Cultural Resources Division. The positions are responsible for backcountry project field work that includes planning, organization, and implementation of the Backcountry and Wilderness Management Plan (BWMP). All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement—02/24/2026—unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your 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.

• 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: technical, administrative, or scientific work, fish and wildlife management, recreation management, law enforcement, or other park‑related work such as park guide, environmental educator or teacher, law enforcement or investigative work, forestry or fire management work in a park, recreation, or conservation area, program specialist work related to the protection, conservation, or management of park areas or similar operations, or other similar work.
  
  You must include hours per week worked.
• Education: Successful completion of at least a full four (4) year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree with major study or 24 semester hours of coursework in a related field of study such as natural resource management, natural sciences, history, park and recreation management, law enforcement/police science, social sciences, or other closely related subjects pertinent to the management and protection of natural and cultural resources.
  
  You must include transcripts.
• Combination of
  
  Education and Experience:
  
  Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above.
  
  Note:
  
  Only education beyond the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. Two full academic years of study, or 60 semester hours beyond the second year, is equivalent to 1 year of specialized experience. For example, 6 months of the specialized experience described above (50% of the experience requirement) and 3 years of college study with at least 12 semester hours of coursework as described above (50% of the education requirement).
  
  Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts.

• Experience: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS‑05 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: technical, administrative, or scientific work, fish and wildlife management, recreation management, law enforcement, or other park‑related work such as park guide, law enforcement work, forestry or fire management work in a park, recreation, or conservation area, etc.,
  
  and that included responsibility for other individuals or groups while in a backcountry or wilderness environment; instructing others in backcountry skills including Leave No Trace principles, water treatment, proper food storage, wilderness first aid, and backcountry trip planning; and using a topographic map to navigate in an undeveloped backcountry environment. You must include hours per week worked.
• Education: Successful completion of at least one full year of graduate education (normally 18 semester hours) in an accredited educational institution directly related to the work of the position such as natural…