Park Ranger (Interpretation)

Full Job Description

This position is located in Stones River National Battlefield, in the Interpretation Division.

Career-Seasonal appointments are permanent positions and include the same benefits as Career appointments, but do not provide work on a year-round basis.

You will work from approximately February - December, and you will be in a non-pay status for the remainder of the year. Requirements Continued...

You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 1-3 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.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.

This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service.

In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized.

In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated.

Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement 03/16/2026 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 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized 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.

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.

To qualify for this position at the GS-07 grade level, you must possess at least one of 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-05 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; environmental educator or teacher; 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; or other similar work.

You must include hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least one year of graduate level study which is directly related to the work of the position.

Examples of related education include but are not limited to; park and recreation management, natural resource management, natural sciences, earth sciences, history, archeology, anthropology, law enforcement/police science, social sciences, museum sciences, business administration, public administration, behavioral sciences, sociology, or other closely related subjects pertinent to the management and protection of natural and cultural resources.

One year of graduate study is considered to be 18 semester hours. You must include transcripts. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above.

To combine education and experience, first determine the percentage of experience held by dividing the number of months of qualifying full-time experience possessed by 12 and then multiplying by 100.

Then determine the percentage of qualifying graduate level education completed by dividing the number of credits completed by 18, then multiply by 100. Add the percentages together.

The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts.

-OR- Meet the criteria for Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.) as evidenced by one of the three following methods: I am in the upper third of my graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; OR I have a GPA 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum, or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in my major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; OR I am a member in one of the national scholastic honor societies.

MUST submit a copy of transcripts. A copy of your official transcripts will be required before entrance on duty, if selected.

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.

A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected.

The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and recommendation by the position's supervisor.

Major Duties:

Major duties involve, but are not limited to: Coordinate curriculum-based education program including field trips, outreach services and professional educator development.

Lead other employees, interns and volunteers supporting the education program.

Prepare and present interpretive programs that relate to park's interpretive themes and facilitate program development by employees, interns and/or volunteers.

Facilitate and provide a wide range of visitor services including orientation, information, and emergency services in the park visitor center and through roving assignments.

Communicate orally and in writing with visitors, team members, other park staff, and partners. Maintain safety standards as it pertains to programs for visitors, volunteers, and partners.

Answers visitor questions and research requests in a manner that reflects current and accurate information.

Stones River National Battlefield area description: Stones River National Battlefield was established to protect and interpret the history of the Stones River Campaign that culminated in one of the largest and significant battles of the American Civil War.

The fighting raged from December 31, 1862, through January 2, 1863 resulting in a U.S. victory at the cost of nearly 24,000 casualties.

The Union victory supported the Emancipation Proclamation as it took effect and set the stage for future campaigns deeper into the Confederacy.

Following the war, the battlefield became the site of a Freedman's community where formerly enslaved people built new lives with the freedoms and rights gained through that conflict.

The national park boundary covers approximately 680 acres and includes Stones River National Cemetery and the remaining earthworks of Fortress Rosecrans.

With a population of more than 173,000, Murfreesboro, and Rutherford County (Population, 377,000) Stewart County has a wide range of services and an array residential options.

Murfreesboro is located approximately 30 miles southeast of Nashville, Tennessee.