Summary This position is located at Flagstaff Area National Monuments in Flagstaff, AZ., in the Interpretation, Education and Fees Division. Open to the first 50 applicants or until 01/28/2025 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration. Responsibilities Major Duties: Develop and present formal and informal audience and learner-centered interpretive experiences using interpretive skills, techniques, and tools delivered in-person and through interpretive media and technology. Conduct straightforward research, develop, and present interpretive programs on a variety of interpretive and educational themes. Enhance in-park experiences by developing and offering a wide variety of fully accessible nonpersonal services and interpretive media. Contribute engaging and quality content that harnesses the power of digital platforms and creates valuable, audience-centered interpretive experiences that are relevant to the message and audience and rooted in existing digital strategies. Review existing park policies, standards, methods, controls, and procedures. Plan, schedule, prepare and effectively conduct education programs; workshops, seminars, and conferences to promote the parks education program, to include distance learning. Plan, distribute, and monitor work assignments; evaluates work performance and provide feedback to others on their performance. Communicate effectively and apply interpersonal skills. Develop and maintain effective relationships with others; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences. Additional major duties: Fee Collection Requirements Conditions of Employment U.S. Citizenship required. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program. Any individual who is currently holding, or has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet time-in-grade requirements (must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent in the Federal service); with few exceptions as outlined in 5 CFR 300.603(b). Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal civilian employees applying for reinstatement who have had a break in service of less than one year, as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointments. Time-in-grade does not apply to new excepted service appointments and must be met by the closing date of this announcement. 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. If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period. Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Background Clearance will be Moderate Risk for Fee Collection Qualifications All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-01/28/2025-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. Candidates who do not meet this requirement by close of this announcement will receive no further consideration for this position. - AND - To qualify for this position at the GS-09 grade level, you must possess 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-07 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). 1) Performing work that demonstrates specific knowledge of interpretive principles; or 2) Create, develop, and design formal and informal interpretive curriculum using a variety of fully developed skills, techniques, and tools; or 3) Develop interpretive curriculum, structured programs, tours, presentations, demonstrations, events, and virtual interactions. Conduct research on different scientific and /or historical subjects; or 4) Develop or design interpretive material, provide non-personal services and interpretive media (e.g., signs, waysides, publications, exhibits, audio, video and other digital content); or 5) Engage public with formal structured interpretive programs (e.g., walks, talks, tours, presentations, demonstrations, events, and virtual interactions); or 6) Lead others, provide oversight, resource education, mentorship, training, and coaching. This experience could have been gained serving as a Park Ranger directly conducting interpretive work, Park Interpretive Specialist, Outdoor activities Director, Park Activities Coordinator, or similar position title providing formal educational resource training, developing curriculum, or other similar work. Creditable experience must be comparable in scope and responsibility to the normal line of progression. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least Successful completion of at least 2 full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education or master's, or equivalent graduate degree related to the occupation. Fields include natural resource management, natural sciences, earth sciences, history, archeology, anthropology, park and recreation management, law enforcement/police science, social sciences, museum sciences, business administration, public administration, behavioral sciences, sociology, or other closely related subjects pertinent to the management and protection of natural and cultural resources. Course work in fields other than those specified may be accepted if it clearly provides applicants with the background of knowledge and skills necessary for successful job performance in the position to be filled. (One year of graduate education is 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours). You must include transcripts. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of education and specialized experience as described above. To combine education and experience, first determine the education as a percentage of the education required ( 2 full academic years of progressive higher-level education or 36 credits); Only graduate education in excess of the first year may be combined with specialized experience to qualify applicants for positions at the GS-9 grade. Then take the number of months of full time experience and divide by 12 months. Add the two percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts. 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. 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 interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. Additional Information Selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected. The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay. This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate. Physical Demands: Work requires some physical exertion and can involve extensive periods of standing and walking, in some cases over rough surfaces or inclines outdoors or in caves, and carrying backpacks, tools, rescue equipment, or other loads. Some employees may engage in firefighting, search and rescue, and other strenuous activities; these employees may be required to lift or carry equipment weighing more than 50 pounds over long distances. Employees who participate in all-risk operations will be required to meet fitness requirements on a continuing basis. Working Conditions: Work can include moderate risks or discomforts that require safety precautions (e.g., exposure to extreme temperatures, climates, rough terrain, wild animals, pests, and/or insects). The incumbent may be required to use protective clothing or gear, such as masks, boots, gloves, etc. Some employees may be engaged in all risk operations and be exposed to high risk and potentially dangerous situations which require a range of safety and other precautions. 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 management of this country's outstanding natural, historical, and recreational resources. Park ranger - interpreters connect people to parks. They play a key role in ensuring that visitors have a meaningful, satisfying, and safe park experience, help visitors decide how to spend their time in the park, and inform them about the wonders that await their discovery. Park ranger - interpreters are specially trained to engage the public so that each park visitor can find a personal connection with the meanings and values found in the places and stories of that park. They help visitors explore the many dimensions of parks by introducing them to a variety of perspectives. By providing the opportunity for visitors to care about the places they visit, they promote stewardship and the opportunity for those visitors to care for park resources. National parks are among the most remarkable places in America for recreation, learning, and inspiration. The work done by park ranger-interpreters through effective interpretive and educational programs encourages the development of a personal stewardship ethic and broadens public support for preserving and protecting park resources, so that they may be enjoyed by present and future generations. Documentation for the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) eligibility, You must submit ALL SF-50s and performance information for each period of temporary/term employment that qualifies for LMWFA. Performance documentation can be obtained by contacting the supervisors for the positions you served in during your 24 months. If they did not complete performance appraisals ask them to provide a statement of performance for each period of service. The statement must specify the dates for each employment period and your level of performance consistent with your SF_50s.