Seasonal Park Guide

Full Job Description

The primary purpose of this position is to provide guide services to visitors.

The work involves giving talks, interpreting natural and historic features, answering questions, guiding tours, and providing miscellaneous services to visitors.

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-01/12/2026-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.

To qualify for this position at the GS-04 grade level, you must possess at least one or all of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: EXPERIENCE: Possess at least six (6) months of General Experience and six (6) months of Specialized Experience equivalent to at least the GS-03 level.

General Experience is (1) Any type of work that demonstrates the ability to perform the work of the position, or (2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation.

Specialized Experience is experience that involved oral presentation of historical, scientific, or program information to groups; or developing and/or revising technical, historical, or scientific information for oral presentation to groups.

Examples of specialized experience could include, but are not limited to Park Guide or tour leader; docent; museum or observatory guide; teaching assistant; or other similar work.

(Excess specialized experience can be substituted for general experience; but excess general experience cannot be substituted for required specialized experience.) You must include hours per week worked.

-OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least two years of education above high school (60 semester hour or 90 quarter hours) which included at least 12 semester hours of directly related courses, such as in American history, science, public speaking, parks & recreation, education, or communications.

You must include transcripts.

-OR- COMBINATION: Have 3 months of general and 3 month of specialized experience or 6 months of specialized experience (50% of the experience requirements for this position and grade level) combined with one year of education as outlined above (50% of the education required to qualify), which included at least 6 semester hours of related courses such as American history, science, public speaking, parks & recreation, education or communications (50% of the directly-related courses required).

You must include transcripts. You must include hours per week worked.

To qualify for this position at the GS-05 grade level, you must possess at least one or all of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: EXPERIENCE: Possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-04 level.

Specialized Experience is experience that involved oral presentation of historical, scientific, or program information to groups; or developing and/or revising technical, historical, or scientific information for oral presentation to groups.

Examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to, Park Guide or tour leader; naturalist; environmental educator or teacher; or other similar work.

You must include hours per week worked.

-OR- EDUCATION: Have completed four years of education above high school (120 semester hour or 180 quarter hours) leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation, such as American history, science, public speaking, parks and recreation, education or communications.

You must include transcripts. -OR- COMBINATION: Have an equivalent combination of education and experience.

NOTE: Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements.

Two full academic years of study, or 60 semester hours, beyond the second year is equivalent to l year of specialized experience.

For example, I have 6 months of the specialized experience (50% of the experience requirement), and 3 years of college study from an accredited institution (50% of the qualifying education) which included at least 12 semester hours of related coursework (50% of the related coursework required).

You must include transcripts. You must include hours per week worked.

IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE: If you are using education to qualify you must document your coursework and/or degree completed in your resume or other application materials you submit.

You must submit a copy of your transcripts or a complete list of college courses taken that identifies for each course the college or university, semester or quarter hours earned, grade received, and date completed.

If you are qualifying based on education and you do not submit specific coursework information as described previously, your application will be rated not qualified for consideration.

(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. Major Duties:

Presents talks/demonstrations and leads tours, providing general information based on the interpretive themes of the site.

Programs are generally brief and given to varied audiences they cover a specific topic relative to park themes and utilize previously prepared research and documentation prepared by park staff.

Develops and prepares occasional programs/tours of a more specific nature that are of interest to the employee and are consistent with site interpretive themes. May present programs off site.

Staffs both indoor and outdoor interpretive areas as well as monument's heritage center.

Greets visitors, provides basic orientation to the site and local area, provides safety messages, responds to questions in person, and by telephone, and works in cooperating association sales area.

Assists with planning, preparation, and execution of NPS sponsored special events and programs such as Rendezvous, Junior Ranger program, and youth programs.

Provides a variety of interpretive support duties including the use and care of audio-visual equipment, care for living history clothing (inventory and tracking, and cleaning items as well as making needed repairs), care and cleaning of interpretive props in all areas, inventory and stocking of brochures, maintaining supplies at interpretive stations, opening and closing the site, and records visitation statistics.

Grand Portage National Monument Grand Portage National Monument (GRPO) is made up of 710 acres, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Monument lands are encompassed by Reservation lands of the Grand Portage Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.

GRPO and the Grand Portage Band are partners in operating the national monument, with the Band responsible for all maintenance operations in the park.

Incumbent will work frequently with Grand Portage Band members and tribal employees.

Cultural resources are largely related to canoe-dependent exploration of North America, fur trade archeological resources, and Native American heritage.

Significant natural resources include Lake Superior shoreline, wetlands, boreal forest, and Pigeon River frontage on the United States and Canadian border.