Chief Ranger

Full Job Description

This position is located in Olympic National Park, in the Division of Visitor and Resource Protection. Government housing is NOT available.

Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will be paid if the selectee lives outside of the local commuting area and is otherwise eligible for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation.

Requirements Continued...

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.

Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal civilian employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

Selectee(s) will be required to carry a firearm while performing duties and maintain firearm proficiency. Selectee(s) must be free of any domestic violence convictions.

Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication.

Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.

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.

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 must also 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.

Selectees will be expected to travel in (not pilot) a small single-engine aircraft. You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.

You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 3 nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.

You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority. Applicants must be at least 21 years old.

The position to which you will be appointed is subject to a financial disclosure reporting requirement and you will be required to complete a new entrant Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days of your appointment.

Qualifications All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-04/18/2026-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.

For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.

Selective Factors: Applicants must meet ALL of the following to qualify: Must currently possess, previously held (within the past three years), or be able to obtain a valid Type I or higher National Park Service (NPS) Law Enforcement Commission, or equivalent, by 04/18/2026.

More information can be found in the 'Education' section of this job announcement. This is a secondary-administrative law enforcement position under the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S.

C. 8336 (c) (CSRS) and 5 U. S. C. 8412 (d) (FERS). PLEASE NOTE: Applicants may meet qualification requirements, but may not be eligible for special retirement coverage.

If such an applicant is selected, they will be placed in the regular retirement system.

To be eligible for Secondary retirement coverage under CSRS, an employee must transfer directly (without a break in service exceeding 3 days) from a primary position to a secondary position.

To be eligible for Secondary retirement coverage under FERS, an employee must: 1) transfer directly (without a break in service exceeding 3 days) from a primary position to a secondary position, AND 2) complete 3 years of service in a primary rigorous position including any such service during which no FERS deductions were withheld, AND 3) must be continuously employed in a secondary position(s) since moving from a primary rigorous position, except for any break in employment from a secondary position that began with involuntary separation (not for cause).

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure this office has enough information to determine your special retirement status to ensure you do not lose benefits (normally through submission of your work history or other documentation that demonstrates work history of approved covered positions).

You must let this office know if you are in a Primary position.

- AND - Applicants must possess the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: EXPERIENCE: Must have at least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-12 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, abilities, and competencies needed to successfully perform the duties of this position.

This experience includes activities such as: (1) investigating alleged violations of laws or regulations; (2) collecting evidence according to established procedures and professional standards; (3) collaborating with other law enforcement or emergency response agencies on investigations or emergency incidents; (4) writing a variety of investigative and/or legal documents.

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. Major Duties:

The Chief Ranger of Olympic National Park oversees law enforcement, emergency services, fee collection, and wilderness permitting throughout the park and is a member of the park leadership team.

Key responsibilities include serving as the park's Senior Law Enforcement Officer (SLEO), managing a diverse all hazard program of visitor and resource protection, and supervising division staff.

Additionally, the Chief Ranger collaborates with other park divisions and external agencies to promote visitor safety and preserve the park's natural and cultural resources.

Major Duties Include: Responsible for oversight of law enforcement program involving technical understanding of laws, regulations and procedures in regards to a variety of criminal violations as they relate to the protection of park staff, visitors and resources.

Serves as primary liaison with all law enforcement, emergency medical and fire agencies by developing and maintaining external partnerships.

Effectively communicate NPS and Park policies and regulations oral and written.

Responsible for ensuring equal opportunity for all employees supervised, in the selection of employees for training, promotions, awards, and recognition, and other career development opportunities.

Responsible for managing the workforce in a manner that provides for the proactive protection of natural and cultural resources.

Often referred to as "three parks in one", Olympic National Park protects 922,651 acres of three distinctly different ecosystems - rugged glacier capped mountains, over 73 miles of wild Pacific coast and magnificent stands of old-growth and temperate rain forest.

The duty station for this position is Olympic National Park Headquarters located in Port Angeles, Washington. Port Angeles is a city with a population of approximately 20,000 people.

Amenities include a hospital, full school district, a community college, housing for both rent and purchase, all varieties of shopping, and ferry service to Victoria B.C.

Port Angeles enjoys a coastal climate and is mild throughout the year. On average, temperatures range from the low 30s in the winter months into the 70s in the summer.

Average rainfall is just over 24 inches per year.