Park Ranger (Protection)

Full Job Description

These positions are located in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, in the Visitor and Resource Protection Division.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park may pay a recruitment or relocation incentive for the applicant selected.

The incentive may be up to 25% of the annual rate of pay, multiplied by the number of years in the service period (up to 4 years, depending on length of service agreement).

Please visit find a park for additional park information. All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-01/23/2026-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, a valid Type I National Park Service (NPS) Law Enforcement Commission, or equivalent, by 01/23/2026.

More information can be found in the 'Education' section of this job announcement.

Must currently possess or be able to obtain a National Registry Emergency Medical Technician-Basic certification by 01/23/2026.

- AND - Applicants 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/GL-09 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 specialized experience could include: Park Guide or tour leader; 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 three full years of graduate level study leading to a Doctorate, Ph.D., or equivalent degree at an accredited college or university in directly-related fields such as natural resource management, natural sciences, earth sciences, history, archaeology, anthropology, park and recreation management; law enforcement/police science, social sciences, museum sciences, business administration, public administration, behavioral sciences, or sociology.

You must include transcripts. -OR- Successful completion of a COMBINATION of education and experience as described above.

To combine education and experience, first take the number of semester hours or equivalent earned towards a graduate degree, in excess of 36 semester hours, and divide by 18 semester hours or equivalent.

Then, take the number of months of experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify.

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.

Requirements Continued: 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.

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.

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 your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Major Duties:

These positions oversee the park's Emergency Services and Field Operations Programs.

The incumbent serves as a commissioned federal law enforcement officer, enforcing and investigating criminal and conservation laws of the United States, as well as applicable state laws.

Aids work units park-wide with technical expertise in investigative techniques related to lost persons and crime scenes in technical terrain.

Serves as the park's manager for the Emergency Medical Services and Field Operations programs, ensuring adequate manpower, resources, and training requirements for all emergency-services are met.

Serves as incident commander during large-scale emergency operations including rescue operations, searches for lost persons, emergency medical operations and disaster situations.

Is responsible for maintaining the SAR cache and structural fire plan.

Is responsible for conducting and coordinating training sessions in a variety of emergency services activities, including but not limited to Incident Command System (ICS), search management, technical rescue, EMS and Structural Fire planning.

Analyzes and develops budget proposals and capital equipment requests to provide for improvement of emergency services operations. Serves as the park's Health/Fitness Coordinator.

Ensures compliance with RM-57 Health and Fitness Guidelines. Keeps current all necessary certifications at the EMT-B, Park Medic or higher Level. Maintains EMS drug cache.

Prepares all quarterly and annual reports for emergency services.

Assists Chief Ranger's Office in developing agreements with local emergency services agencies and represents the NPS in developing cooperating agreements with county and state emergency service agencies.

AREA INFORMATION: Guadalupe Mountains National Park is located in western Texas, 55 miles from Carlsbad, NM and 110 miles from El Paso, Texas.

This is a remote park with the nearest community of Dell City (pop. 500), which has bus service for school grades K-12.

The area has a semi-arid climate with warm summers, mild winters, abundant sunshine, low relative humidity and approximately 21 inches of rainfall per year.

Grocery and department stores, hospitals, doctors, churches of most denominations, banks, motels, restaurants, and recreational facilities are found in Carlsbad, NM and in El Paso, TX.

Recreation opportunities are plentiful with Carlsbad Caverns National Park, two state parks (Brantley Lake and Living Desert Zoo) and the Lincoln National Forest within an hour's drive.

El Paso provides an abundance of recreation and cultural opportunities. 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.