Park Ranger (Protection) (Seasonal)

National Park Service • Dinosaur, CO

7d • Onsite

About The Position

Park Rangers (Protection) enforce laws and regulations to protect visitors and public-land resources and provide a safe visitor experience through patrols, emergency response, and investigations. These are temporary seasonal appointments not-to-exceed 1,039 hours in a service year and do not convey permanent status. Pay varies by location, and some locations may require or offer government housing. The announcement includes positions at national parks and other public lands in Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, with projected entry-on-duty dates in April or May 2027.

Standard duties include enforcing federal laws, regulations, and policies; patrolling front-country and backcountry sites; responding to emergencies, including medical incidents, search and rescue, and wildland or structural fires; orienting visitors and supporting visitor stewardship and wilderness management; enforcing boundaries; protecting natural and cultural resources; assisting with preliminary investigations; and conducting crowd control. At the GS-7 level, the ranger independently investigates misdemeanor violations and investigates felony violations and fatalities under the supervision of Type I commissioned personnel.

Some positions may have EMT or Emergency Medical Responder/First Responder specialties. The Backcountry Ranger position in the Jenny Lake District of Grand Teton National Park involves rugged mountain wilderness patrols and requires advanced mountaineering skills. Rangers in this assignment conduct multi-day patrols at high elevations, carry packs over rough terrain, and assist visitors using extensive knowledge of the Teton backcountry and current conditions.

The work involves strenuous field activity, extended outdoor exposure, hazardous and remote settings, and potentially high-stress law-enforcement and emergency-response situations. Employees must wear a uniform and may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime, or shifts. Federal employees may have access to a benefits package; specific benefits depend on appointment type and eligibility.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen or national.
• Must be at least 21 years old.
• Must meet one of the stated law-enforcement commission or training criteria by the entrance-on-duty date: hold or have held an NPS Seasonal Level II or full Level I commission, or equivalent, within the past three years; have completed a Seasonal Law Enforcement Training Program within the past three years but not yet received an NPS Seasonal Level II commission; or complete an approved Seasonal Law Enforcement Training Program by the entrance-on-duty date.
• Must pass the Physical Efficiency Battery before appointment; passing scores are required in the agility run, bench press, and 1.5-mile run.
• Must be free of domestic violence convictions.
• Must undergo a background investigation and receive favorable adjudication.
• Must complete required pre-employment medical examination and drug testing.
• Must meet Selective Service registration requirements if male.
• Must participate in the Direct Deposit Electronic Funds Transfer Program.
• Must possess or be able to obtain an NPS Type II Law Enforcement Commission.
• For EMT consideration, must hold National Registry or state-issued EMT certification; some locations require EMT or FR/EMR certification.
• For Emergency Medical Responder/First Responder consideration, must hold National Registry or state EMS organization certification.
• Must meet the GS-5 or GS-7 qualification standard through specialized experience, education, or an equivalent combination. GS-5 specialized experience must be equivalent to GS-4 and relate to resource protection, resource education, and public-use management; qualifying education is a four-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with 24 semester hours of related coursework. GS-7 specialized experience must be equivalent to GS-5 and include law-enforcement duties involving application of law-enforcement authorities and procedures to protect visitors and resources, including apprehending, detaining, and firearm experience; qualifying education is one full academic year of related graduate education.
• If using education to qualify, must submit transcripts; foreign education must be evaluated as equivalent to U.S. education.
• Must wear a uniform and comply with uniform standards.
• May be required to occupy government quarters at some locations.
• May be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime, and/or shifts.
• Must possess a valid state-issued driver's license before operating a motor vehicle for official duties and provide requested license and driving-record documentation.
• Must state the number of hours worked per week for prior experience claimed in the resume.
• For the Jenny Lake backcountry assignment, advanced mountaineering skills are required, including travel on steep snow and ice using an ice axe and crampons.

Responsibilities

• Enforce federal laws, regulations, and policies.
• Patrol front-country and backcountry sites.
• Respond to emergencies, including medical incidents, search and rescue, and wildland or structural fire suppression, using the Incident Command System.
• Facilitate visitor stewardship and orientation and support wilderness management.
• Enforce boundaries and protect natural and cultural resources, including wildlife, plants, archaeological sites, and historic buildings.
• Proactively protect park resources from degradation.
• Assist with preliminary investigations of felonies, crimes, park-rule violations, public-use and safety violations, and motor vehicle accidents.
• Conduct crowd-control activities.
• At the GS-7 level, independently conduct law-enforcement investigations into misdemeanor violations.
• At the GS-7 level, investigate felony violations and fatalities under the supervision of Type I commissioned personnel.
• For the Jenny Lake backcountry assignment, conduct multi-day wilderness patrols and assist visitors using knowledge of the Teton backcountry and current conditions.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families may have access to a comprehensive range of benefits; specific eligibility and benefits depend on position type and appointment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level