Supervisory Park Ranger (Protection)

Full Job Description

This position is located in Ozark National Scenic Riverways, in the Protection Division. Requirements Continued... You may be required to travel overnight away from home 5 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.

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.

Applicants must be at least 21 years old.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will 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-04/21/2026-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. 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/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 include, but are not limited to performing law enforcement or investigative duties for the protection, conservation, use, and management of natural and/or cultural resources in park areas; applying law enforcement authorities and procedures to protect visitors and resources; serving as a first-line supervisor of designated primary law enforcement positions; directing complex field patrol operations; and leading a multi-faceted program involving resource protection and visitor management activities which include search and rescue, law enforcement, emergency medical services, wildland fire and physical security.

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. Major Duties:

As a Supervisory Park Ranger you will lead daily operations and direct the completion of collateral duties related to training and leadership.

You will supervise GL-9 permanent and seasonal law enforcement rangers as well as non-commissioned staff and park volunteers.

You will conduct and supervise the detection of criminal activity, investigation of criminal violations, and custodial arrests.

You may prepare and execute warrants, interview witnesses, and detain suspects. You will ensure the completion of comprehensive written reports.

You will conduct and/or supervise gathering of law enforcement, security, and intelligence information relating to the park, its facilities, events, mission, or visitors.

You will set work goals and ensure all employees receive required training in a timely manner; identify operational requirements and make recommendations to your supervisor regarding programming, budgeting, training, administration, and evaluation of operations; and schedule patrols to maximize visitor contact with special consideration to problem areas.

You will supervise and lead complex law enforcement, all hazard, emergency medical, and search and rescue operations as well as provide emergency medical services to park visitors and residents.

In addition, you will participate in all aspects of employee supervision including performance planning and appraisals, employee recognition, and employee counseling.

Physical Demands: 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.

Working Conditions: 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 emergency situations.

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.

Incumbent is required to operate motor vehicles of various types, may be required to fly in small fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft, and may be required to operate and/or ride in small watercraft.

Emergency law enforcement operations will require entry into hazardous environments; exposure to dangerous persons, animals, and substances; and potential exposure to infectious diseases.