These positions are located within the Division of Visitor and Resource Protection at both Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. The Grand Teton position serves the Jenny Lake District. The Yellowstone National Park positions serve the Lake District and the Old Faithful District.
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-05/12/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 for each federal position listed as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of qualifying experience that you will be granted. An award SF-50 will not be acceptable documentation for which to consider your amount of qualifying experience. For all other applicants who are not current federal employees, your resume must state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. Time-in-Grade Requirements: Any individual who is currently holding, or has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet time-in-grade requirements (must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent in the Federal service). Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Selective Factors: Applicants must meet ALL of the following to qualify: National Park Service Type I Law Enforcement Commission: Must currently possess or previously held (within the past three years), a National Park Service (NPS) Type I Law Enforcement Commission. This is required by the closing date of the announcement. National Registry Emergency Medical Technician: Must currently possess or be able to obtain a National Registry Emergency Medical Technician certification by entrance on duty date. Previous Law Enforcement Experience: In addition, for positions covered under 6(c) as secondary-administrative, management has certified that a MANDATORY PREREQUISITE exists -- prior experience in a primary law enforcement position or equivalent experience outside the Federal Government, is a mandatory prerequisite. - AND - Applicants must possess the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of this position. Examples of qualifying specialized experience includes but is not limited to law enforcement, investigative work, emergency medical services or other similar duties involving the protection, conservation, or management of park areas; management 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. Equivalency to the GS-11 level may be demonstrated by performing tasks such as analyzing law enforcement program activities to make improvements of operations; ensuring compliance of a law enforcement program with policy; making recommendations to higher level management regarding law enforcement program; and/or leading or supervising a law enforcement program; or similar work with a similar level of responsibility and analytical skills. Include months/years and hours per week worked on your resume. 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. Prior to appointment, you must be determined physically fit by an authorized government physician to perform strenuous and physically demanding duties; and also pass a medical examination (which includes vision, hearing, cardiovascular, and mobility of extremities) given by an authorized government physician. You will also be required to undergo periodic medical examinations throughout employment. Prior to appointment, the people selected for these positions must be determined physically fit by an authorized physician to perform strenuous and physically demanding duties, pass a medical examination, and pass the Physical Efficiency Battery (PEB). The PEB is a fitness test consisting of five different components: 1) agility run - measures the ability to get up from the ground and sprint while changing directions; 2) bench press - measures upper body strength for one repetition; 3) 1.5 mile run - measures cardio/respiratory fitness; 4) sit and reach - measures flexibility in the lower back, legs and shoulders; and 5) body composition - measures body fat. Prior to appointment, selectees will be tested in all five components, and must pass the agility run, bench press and 1.5 mile run in the 25th percentile. In addition to law enforcement duties, positions may perform wildland or structural firefighting. Wildland firefighting and other forms of field work demand a high level of fitness to safely perform arduous, day-long work in difficult environmental conditions, including steep terrain, extreme temperatures, altitude, and smoke, and to meet unforeseen emergencies. This requires that you pass a Pack Test, a job-related test of the capacity for arduous work. It consists of a 3-mile hike with a 45-pound pack over level terrain. A time of 45 minutes, the passing score for the test, approximates an aerobic fitness score of 45, the established standard for firefighters. Applicants shall be disqualified for appointment if they fail to meet any physical requirement. Probationary or seasonal employment is subject to termination for failure to meet the 25th percentile in each of the identified component being measured. Incumbent is required to operate motor vehicles of various types, may be required to fly in small fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft, and may be required to operate and/or ride in small watercraft. Emergency law enforcement operations will require entry into hazardous environments; exposure to dangerous persons, animals, and substances; and potential exposure to infectious diseases.
As a Supervisory Park Ranger (Protection), you will perform the following duties: Provides leadership, management, oversight, and supervision to highly visible and diverse visitor and resource protection programs. Participates in all aspects of employee supervision including performance planning and appraisals, employee recognition, and employee counseling. Responsible for on-the-job safety, health, and wellness of subordinate workforce. Sets work goals and ensures all employees receive required training in a timely manner. Identifies operational requirements and makes recommendations to the Chief Ranger regarding programming, budgeting, training, administration, and evaluation of operations; and schedules patrols to maximize visitor contact with special consideration to problem areas. Responsible for the full spectrum of visitor and resource protection programs; ensuring appropriate enforcement of all applicable federal and state laws; coordinates and conducts detection, investigation, apprehension, and prosecution of violations. Ensures a high level of emergency preparedness and response capability, and coordinates initial responses to emergency medical, search and rescue, and other all-risk incidents. May serve as an Incident Commander or Operations Chief on high level incidents. May participate in wildland and/or structural firefighting. Promotes interagency cooperation and coordination with local and national agencies which may include other divisions within the park, concession operations, local state and county law enforcement, other federal agencies, park neighbors and private landowners, and other park partners or non-government cooperators. Physical Demands: Duties involve performing physically rigorous assignments, often in isolated outdoor environments, frequently while exposed to severe weather. Dangerous persons must be physically confronted, subdued, and apprehended many of whom are known to carry weapons. Prisoners must be kept under physical restraint during transport and processing. Criminal investigations often must be carried out without regard to fixed work schedules, days off, or opportunities for proper rest or nutrition. Duties require manual dexterity with free motion of finger, wrist, elbow, shoulder, hip, and knee joints. Arms, hands, legs, and feet must be sufficiently intact and functioning in order for incumbent to perform the duties satisfactorily. Sufficiently good vision in both eyes, with or without glasses, is required. Near vision, corrected with glasses, must be sufficient to read printed material the size of typewritten characters. Hearing without aid, as measured by an audiometer, must not exceed 35 decibels at 1000, 2000 and 3000 Hz levels. Physical fitness requirements must be met prior to and on a continuing basis during employment. There is a high-stress component to much of the incumbent's work. Working Conditions: some work is performed in an office setting; most of the work is performed outdoors. Work is performed at various hours of the day and night and for prolonged periods during emergencies. Frequently exposed to high risk and potential danger in law enforcement and emergency types of situations requiring use of a wide range of personal protective gear (some of which may be uncomfortable, hot, or inconvenient to wear), adherence to safety procedures, and other precautions. Long periods of surveillance work may be required in cramped, or unpleasant locations and under unpleasant conditions. Emergency law enforcement operations require entry into hazardous environments; exposure to dangerous persons, animals, and substances; and potential exposure to infectious diseases.