Supervisory Park Ranger (Protection)

Full Job Description

The Chief Park Ranger of Buffalo National River's Protection division works at the headquarters office in Harrison, Arkansas.

Serving as the primary law enforcement officer for the park, this role oversees visitor protection operations and coordinates division personnel to achieve these goals.

Buffalo National River covers 95,730 acres, featuring 132 miles of free-flowing river bordered by stunning bluffs and pristine wilderness. Requirements Continued.

Must have a Type I Law Enforcement Commission. 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. You will be required to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment.

In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use.

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.

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.

You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.

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 1 night a 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.

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-04/23/2026-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, previously held (within the past three years), or be able to obtain a valid Type I National Park Service (NPS) Law Enforcement Commission, or equivalent, by Entrance on Duty.

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

AND GS-13: Applicants must possess all 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-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, and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of this position.

Examples of specialized experience include: (1) Directing and supervising a law enforcement and resources protection program, interpreting regulations and policy directives related to law enforcement, natural and cultural resource protection.

(2) Evaluating law enforcement program activities based on funding to determine objectives, amount and location of work, as well as the type of resources needed for the program.

(3) Reviewing law enforcement case reports to ensure compliance with policy, mutual aid agreements, cooperative agreements and memoranda of understanding.

(4) Investigating criminal activity, conducting investigations of applicable federal or state laws. You must include hours per week worked.

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:

Management of programs in law enforcement, physical security, anti­terrorism, and financial resource management with a multimillion-dollar annual budget and 50 plus employees.

Approve policy, manage overall planning, and set priorities for the division. Manages law enforcement programs through the combined technical and administrative direction of others.

Manage a law enforcement program to protect visitors, employees, natural resources and park facilities through combined technical and administrative direction of others.

Manage the security and anti-terrorism program in an urban park with multiple and complex security laws.

Prepare the divisions annual program budget and plans, budgeting, programing, obligating and tracking the division's operating funds.