Park Guide (Seasonal)

National Park Service•Fort Payne, AL

17h•Onsite

About The Position

Park Guides greet visitors and educate and inform them about natural, cultural, and historical resources in National Parks. Duties may include staffing visitor-center information counters, answering questions, presenting limited and repetitive pre-established talks, orienting hikers, and guiding small parties on short walks. Some park locations also issue backcountry camping permits and provide backcountry camping information. At the GS-5 level, duties may include applying broad subject-matter knowledge of the park, guiding larger groups on longer walks or programs, providing a wider range of visitor services, explaining current park events, and warning visitors about safety hazards. This is a seasonal position. The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period for the Seasonal Staffing Office is April 2027, though timing may vary with weather, project needs, or funding. Anticipated entry on duty is March through July 2027. The appointment may be temporary seasonal, not to exceed 1,560 hours rather than 1,039 hours depending on the park and program. Employment may end at any time due to funding, project needs, performance, or other considerations. Applicants must meet the stated GS-04 or GS-05 qualification requirements through qualifying experience, education, or a combination of both. The position may require government quarters, a uniform, on-call work, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime, or shift work. Training may be required for four-wheel-drive vehicle operation, official motor vehicle operation, or government credit-card use. A valid driver's license is required when operating a motor vehicle as part of official duties.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship is required.
Appointment is subject to a background investigation and favorable adjudication.
Males must meet the Selective Service Registration Act requirement.
Must participate in the Direct Deposit Electronic Funds Transfer Program.
Must be at least 18 years old to operate government vehicles.
A valid driver's license is required when operating a government or private motor vehicle as part of official duties.
Must be at least 18 years old, or at least 16 and meet one of the listed education or student-employment conditions.
For GS-04, qualify through six months of general experience plus six months of specialized experience; two years of post-high-school study including at least 12 semester hours in relevant subjects; or an equivalent combination.
For GS-05, qualify through one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-04; four years of post-high-school study leading to a bachelor's degree with related courses; or an equivalent combination.
Specialized experience includes presenting historical, scientific, or program information orally to groups, or developing or revising technical, historical, or scientific information for oral presentation.
Submit a resume no longer than two single-sided pages that documents duties, employment dates, and hours worked; only one resume may be submitted.
When qualifying based on education, submit legible transcripts; official transcripts are required before starting if selected and education was used to qualify.
Foreign education used to meet qualifications must be evaluated by a qualified private organization for U.S. equivalency or course credit.
May be required to wear a uniform and comply with National Park Service uniform standards.
May be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime, and/or shift work.
May be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel-drive vehicle.
May be required to complete training and obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.
May be required to occupy government quarters.
Must meet all qualifications by the announcement closing date of October 23, 2026.

Responsibilities

Staff an information counter in a visitor center.
Answer visitor questions on a variety of subjects.
Present limited, repetitive, pre-established talks, including film introductions, map talks, and static exhibit interpretation.
Orient hikers to conditions and equipment needs.
Guide small parties of up to 20 people on short walks.
At some park locations, issue backcountry camping permits and provide backcountry camping information.
At the GS-5 level, conduct programs requiring broad subject-matter knowledge of the park.
At the GS-5 level, guide groups of up to 50 people on longer walks or programs.
At the GS-5 level, provide a wide range of services to park visitors.
At the GS-5 level, explain current park events and warn visitors about safety hazards.