Park Guide

Summary

You will serve as a Park Guide with National Park Service. 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.

Duties

• These permanent full-time interpretive Park Guide positions are located at sites across the beautiful and historic Golden Gate National Recreation Area including: Alcatraz, Muir Woods, Fort Point/Presidio, and Marin Headlands. Generally staff are stationed at one site, though there may be flexibility to move between sites during your time at Golden Gate. They will be expected to learn opening and closing procedures, offer public talks and tours, and respond to visitor questions, among other duties. Each position will have a selection of collateral duties depending on the skills of the person and the needs of the site. These can include focus areas such as: volunteer program support, seasonal staff training, digital media support, night tour programming (Alcatraz), or special event support. We have a strong division that focuses on excellent interpretation, employee wellness, professional development opportunities for staff and creating transformative experiences in our national parks. These positions are located in the San Francisco Bay Area. Limited park housing may be available for permanent employees through a bid system. Transitional housing is typically available for 3 months. Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following: Presents interpretive and education programs. Greet visitors, provide information, give formal and informal presentations, and direction. Independently operates a vistor center and advise visitors of the regulations governing visitation to the sites and the need to protect resources. Responsible for monitioring and reporting the condition of the park resources, working closely with interpretive closely with interpretive colleagues, other divisions, and ensuring the safety of visitors, employees and the public.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 11/13/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized 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 periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the work schedule requirement as the service dates will be reflected. 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. Selective Placement Factors: This position requires a special qualification that has been determined to be essential to perform the duties and will be used as a screen out element. If you do not provide evidence that you possess the following selective factor(s), you will be rated not qualified. This position requires the operation of a government vehicle as part of the official and essential duties of the role. As such, applicants are required to have a valid driver's license at the time of appointment and must be able to maintain this qualification while serving in the position. -AND- Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications: Specialized Experience: To qualify for this position at the GS-05 grade level: To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-04 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: working at a visitor center, museum, school or other similar setting that involves the sharing of information and education with others; independently leading children or adults in interactive activities that teach them science or history in a classroom, museum, park or other outdoor or learning institutional setting; working with groups and individuals administrative tasks such as tracking visitor interactions; registering program participants; implementing building or site opening and closing procedures, creating social media posts or content for temporary signage. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- Education: Successful completion of 4 years of education above high school (120 semester hours or 180 quarter hours) leading to a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with courses related to the occupation such as American history, science, public speaking, parks and recreation, education or communications. One full year of academic study is 30 semester hours. (NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcript or a complete list of college courses taken that identifies for each course the college or university, semester or quarter hours earned, graded received, and date completed. If you are qualifying based on education and you do not submit specific coursework information as described, your application will be rated as not qualified. A copy of your official transcripts will be required before entrance on duty, if selected). -OR- Combination of education and experience as listed above. NOTE: only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. One full academic year of study (30 semester hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience. For example, 6 months of the specialized experience described in A above (50% of the experience…

Education

You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include your name, school name, grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, and date the degree was conferred, if applicable. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not qualified for the position. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work. Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications