National Park Service
Park Ranger (Preventative Search and Rescue) (Wilderness) (Seasonal)
Department of the Interior · Multiple Locations
- Salary
- $24.18 - $31.43 per hour
- Pay grade
- GS-7
- Schedule
- Full-time
- Appointment
- Temporary
- Opened
- Nov 2, 2026
- Closes
- Nov 9, 2026
- Remote
- No
- Telework eligible
- No
- Openings
- Few
- Security clearance
- Not Required
- Promotion potential
- None
- Announcement
- CAHQ-27-13106855-DE-BBC
Who may apply: Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL) · Open to the public
Applications are submitted on USAJOBS.gov, not on Careers.org. Always confirm details in the official announcement.
Summary
Interpretive Rangers develop and present educational programs including guided walks and presentations, and working with audiences in a variety of park settings. The typical seasonal entry-on-duty for Seasonal Staffing Office-Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks is April but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding.
Duties
- The Pacific West Region is recruiting for TEMPORARY seasonal positions not to exceed 1039 hours work in a service year. Dates of employment will vary between sites depending on funding, weather conditions and visitation. Within regulatory limitations, the length of initial appointment may be shortened or extended depending on work availability and funding.Multiple positions in multiple duty locations will be filled through this announcement: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks: GS-07 positions only. Travel required up to 10 nights per month. Major Duties include: Conduct regularly scheduled and special purpose PSAR patrols of various park resources such as backcountry and/or wilderness areas, park trails, campgrounds, parking lots, shorelines, rivers, docks, roads, concessions, etc. Independently determine new patrol routes for self and/or others and prepare for patrol(s), accounting for the specific needs, topography, and requirements of each patrol. While on patrol, provide visitors with information and education to ensure their safety, obtain their cooperation, and facilitate safe visitor use of park resources. Identify and report visitor/resource problems and/or violations of regulations concerning the use of protected or public land areas. Serve as a member of a Search and Rescue (SAR) Team on events that may require trail response, ground/hasty searches, helicopter evacuations, river rescues, body recoveries, and/or litter carries. Pre-employment physical examination prior to entry on duty is required. You will be required to successfully complete a Physical Efficiency Battery (PEB) and/or pack test per RM 57B once on board. This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.Air Quality: Poor air quality afflicts Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, especially during summer months - generally May to October. High ozone levels may be the most harmful pollutant here. In summer months, concentrations often exceed the federal ozone health standards. For more information: http://www.nps.gov/seki/learn/nature/airqualityinfo.htm.
Qualifications
All qualifications must be met by 11:59 EST or when the 'applicant cut-off' is reached (which may be sooner than 11/09/2026).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. SELECTIVE FACTOR: You must possess, or be able to obtain by entry on duty, an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or higher-level certification through the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, or state equivalent with the ability to obtain a National Registry Certification. YOU MUST PROVIDE A COPY OF YOUR EMT CERTIFICATION OR REGISTRATION FOR AN APPROPRIATE COURSE. - AND - To qualify for this position at the GS-07 grade level, you 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-05 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: park ranger or tour leader; environmental educator or teacher; 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. (Note: One grade interval work such as guide, clerk, assistant or technician work (Park Guide or Visitor Services Assistant) in a single grade occupational series at the GS-05 level does NOT qualify for this position, however GS-06 level experience may). You must include hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least one full year of graduate study in one of the following fields: natural resource management, natural sciences, marine biology/sciences, earth sciences, history, archeology, anthropology, park and recreation management, law enforcement/police science, social sciences, wetlands ecology, or other closely related subjects pertinent to the management and protection of natural and cultural resources. One year of graduate education is 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours. You must include a copy of your transcripts at the time of application. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. To combine education and experience, first take the amount of qualifying graduate education and convert it to a percentage of the total educational requirement. Then take the number of months of full-time experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include a copy of your transcripts at the time of application. 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. The employees of the National Park Service care for special places that are the heritage of all Americans. Since its inception in 1916, the National Park Service has been dedicated to the preservation and manag…
Education
To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work. If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign education programs and that (1) deemed your education equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program, or (2) given full credit for courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.
Job data from USAJOBS.gov. Careers.org is not affiliated with or endorsed by OPM. Retrieved Nov 4, 2026, 1:56 AM EST.