Supervisory Park Ranger (Protection)

Full Job Description

This position is located in Glacier National Park, Visitor and Resources Protection Division. Duty station for this position can be either West Glacier or St. Mary, Montana.

Government housing may be available. All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-02/09/2026-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 the 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: National Park Service Type I Law Enforcement Commission: 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.

Previous Law Enforcement Experience: In addition, for positions covered under 6(c) as secondary-administrative, management has certified that a MANDATORY PREREQUISITE exists -- prior experience in a primary law enforcement position or equivalent experience outside the Federal Government, is a mandatory prerequisite.

Must have a current, valid State Driver's License by entrance on duty.

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-13 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.

This experience includes activities such as: Providing advice to senior management on and directing a visitor and resource protection program including law enforcement, emergency response, wildfire, and fee revenue management.

Providing technical guidance and legal advice to law enforcement staff; developing operating plans including identifying budgetary and personnel needs; developing or revising visitor and resource protection policies, standards, or procedures.

Leading/managing a division or park with a large, complex staff; or managing a portfolio of program responsibilities which include providing fire, aviation, and law enforcement services.

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.

Additional Requirements: 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 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.

Law Enforcement Commission: This position requires applicants to 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), in a reasonable period of time.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions: This work regularly includes long periods of standing, hiking and/or climbing, in many cases on uneven, steep, rough, slippery, and/or rugged terrain.

Strenuous exertion is frequently required in law enforcement, firefighting, search and rescue, medical and related emergency activities.

Lifting or carrying equipment weighing over 50 pounds such as firefighting or search and rescue equipment, is required.

In some assignments, heavy packs may have to be carried long distances over mountainous, desert, or snow-covered terrain.

Duties involve performing physically rigorous assignments, oftentimes in isolated outdoor environments, frequently while exposed to severe weather conditions.

Dangerous persons must be physically confronted, subdued, and apprehended, many of whom are known to carry weapons. Prisoners must be kept under physical restraint during transport and processing.

Criminal investigations often must be carried out without regard to fixed work schedules, days off, or opportunities for proper rest or nutrition.

Duties require manual dexterity with comparatively free motion of finger, wrist, elbow, shoulder, hip, and knee joints.

Arms, hands, legs, and feet must be sufficiently intact and functioning in order for incumbent to perform the duties satisfactorily.

Sufficiently good vision in both eyes, with or without glasses, is required to perform the duties satisfactorily.

Near vision, corrected with glasses, must be sufficient to read printed material the size of typewritten characters.

Hearing without aid, as measured by an audiometer, must not exceed 35 decibels at 1000, 2000 and 3000 Hz levels.

Physical fitness requirements must be met prior to and on a continuing basis during employment. There is a high-stress component to much of the incumbent's work assignments.

While some work may be performed in an office setting, most of the work is performed outdoors in all kinds of weather and climatic conditions.

The work is performed at various hours of the day and night and for prolonged periods during emergencies.

Park Rangers are frequently exposed to high risk and potentially dangerous situations in law enforcement and emergency types of situations requiring use of a wide range of personal protective gear (some of which may be uncomfortable, hot, or inconvenient to wear), adherence to specific safety procedures, and other precautions.

Long periods of surveillance work may be required in cramped or unpleasant locations and under unpleasant conditions. Shift work is often required. Major Duties:

Serves as the senior law enforcement official of the park to ensure the accomplishment of the law enforcement mission of Glacier National Park.

Responsible for the planning, development, coordination, and administration of law enforcement, wildland fire, resource protection, visitor safety, emergency medical services, search and rescue, structural fire protection, dispatch, fee revenue, and wilderness operations.

Formulates and administers the annual budgetary plans and overall operating programs for park Visitor and Resource Protection (VRP) Represents the VRP Division and the Superintendent on a variety of complex, often controversial, park management issues while serving as a key member of the park's senior leadership team.

Responsible for establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with neighboring communities and federal, state, Tribal, local, and Canadian agencies on issues related to law enforcement, emergency services, wildland fire management, and park operations.

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.

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.