This position may be filled for a six-month seasonal period, but can vary due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: April 2026 Open to the first 30 applicants or the closing date of the announcement, whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration. For more park(s) information, please visit find a park.
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-12/16/2025-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. In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's Federal General Schedule Qualification Standards. To qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-08 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: led field crews in habitat restoration tasks (i.e., plant salvage, native seed collection, site preparation, seeding, planting, mulching, irrigating, invasive plant control); identified native and non-native plant species; collected and managed field data according to standard protocols; surveyed, mapped and documented plant populations using GPS handheld devices; handled and applied herbicides. (You must include hours per week worked) OR EDUCATION: Successful completion of two full years (36 semester/54 quarter hours) of successfully completed graduate level education or master's degree and the coursework is directly related to the work of the position (such as: biology, botany, range science, forestry, ecology, environmental science, zoology, fisheries, animal husbandry, natural resource management or other directly related fields). You must include transcripts. OR COMBINATION: Successful completion of a combination of graduate level education that is directly related to the position (in excess of 18 semester/27 quarter hours) and specialized experience as described above. For example: 6 months of specialized experience such as above, (50% of the required specialized experience) and 27 semester credits of appropriate graduate study (50% of graduate credits towards 2nd year of graduate school) equal 100 percent. The education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. You must include transcripts. 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. ICTAP/CTAP Statement: Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special prior­ity selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. Well qualified means that the applicant meets the following: OPM qualification standards for the position; all selective placement factors, where applicable; special qualifying conditions that OPM has approved for the position, where applicable; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at least at the well qualified level on all competencies.
Ability to safely lead field crews conducting invasive plant control, habitat restoration, and plant propagation projects using a variety of methods in accessible and remote natural settings. Knowledge of safe handling and application of herbicides to target invasive plants. Collect, review, and utilize Global Positioning System (GPS) and geographic information system (GIS) data. Collect, analyze, and summarize data from vegetation surveys. Physical Demands: The work requires regular physical exertion such as walking or climbing over wet, rough, uneven and/or rocky surfaces; bending, crouching, stooping, or reaching to observe, collect and/or record field data; or in some situations the work may require physical exertion to handle wild animals, prepare soil for planting, to scuba dive or operate a boat. Moderately heavy items, such as equipment packs weighing up to 50 pounds, must be lifted and carried on a regular basis. May be required to hike several miles in a day. In other situations, there may be special requirements for agility or dexterity such as exceptional hand/eye coordination. Work Environment: The work environment varies from office/laboratory settings to field sites. The work performed in the field involves regular and recurring exposure to extreme weather conditions and terrain, poisonous plants, biting insects and wild animals. The employee is required to use protective clothing such as gowns, coats, boots, goggles, gloves. Park Information: Located in Southwest Colorado, Mesa Verde National Park was established in 1906 to preserve and interpret the archaeological heritage of the Ancestral Pueblo people. For over 700 years, the Ancestral Pueblo people built thriving communities on the mesas and in the cliffs of Mesa Verde. Today, the park protects the rich cultural heritage of 26 Pueblos and Tribes and offers visitors a spectacular window into the past while also highlighting contemporary connections. This World Heritage Site and International Dark Sky Park is on the edge of the Rocky Mountains and is home to over a thousand species, including several that live nowhere else on earth, including black bears, elk and deer, mountain lions and over 100 bird species. Nearby Yucca House National Monument is managed under Mesa Verde. It is an undeveloped NPS unit and protects a large unexcavated valley pueblo. On average Mesa Verde hosts 500,000+ visitors per year. Area residents and visitors enjoy world-class outdoor recreational opportunities including skiing, mountain biking, hiking, rafting, camping, hunting, and fishing in the region. The weather in the area ranges from cold and snowy during the winter months with temperatures down to zero degrees, to hot and dry in the summer with temperatures up to 100 degrees, with intermittent monsoon rains in July and August. Nearby public lands include the San Juan National Forest, Canyon of the Ancients National Monument and other areas in the Tres Rios District of the Bureau of Land Management. The local towns of Cortez, Mancos, Dolores, and Durango provide a range of housing, dining, and shopping opportunities, and both Durango and Cortez have regional airports. The park is less than a two-hour drive to the recreation playgrounds of Moab, Utah, and Telluride and Durango, Colorado. Mesa Verde and the nearby communities are great places to work and live.