Permits Specialist

National Park Service • Grand Canyon, AZ

2d • Onsite

About The Position

You will serve as a Permits Specialist with National Park Service. This announcement is open to career transition eligibles (Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) and Reemployment Priority List (RPL)) ONLY. Serve as primary contact for Grand Canyon National Park's large and complex Commercial Use Authorization (CUA) and secondarily for the Special Park Uses (SPU) Programs. Recommend and/or provide CUA program guidance; strategy and annual work plans. Collaborates, supports, and implements regional and service-wide changes to Programs. Responsible for the issuance of over 700 Commercial Use Authorizations, including permits for in-park tours, equipment rental, day hiking, bicycling, and overnight backpacking. Supports issuance of Special Park Uses Permits, including permits for special events, weddings, burials in the park's Pioneer Cemetery, and First Amendment activities in throughout the park. Grand Canyon National Park's commercial services program is one of the most complex programs in the National Park Service (NPS) and one of the largest in terms of concessioners' annual gross receipts. The Division is responsible for the following programs: Concession Contracts (22), Commercial Use Authorizations (700+), Special Park Uses, Rights-of-Way and procurement contracts associated with the park transportation (shuttle) system.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
• Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
• Direct Deposit participation required.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check.
• Must obtain and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
• Required to wear a uniform intermittently and comply with the uniform standards.
• May be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
• May be required to travel overnight away from home up to 5-10 nights per year.
• Must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
• Required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.
• May be required to serve a 1-year probationary period.
• All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 10/09/2026.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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: To qualify, you must possess 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). This experience includes activities such as coordinating, issuing, monitoring, and tracking commercial use authorizations, special park use permits, commercial filming permits, or right of way permits; assisting with implementing policies and procedures relative to a business management program in recreation or very similar industry; issuing/validating commercial use authorizations and/or special use permits for recreation/concessioners or very similar industry. You must include hours per week worked.
• Education: Successful completion of at least a master's or equivalent graduate degree -OR- two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree -OR- LL.B. or J.D., if related. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. You must include transcripts.
• Combination of education and experience as listed above, that when combined equal at least 100% of the minimum qualification requirement for the GS-09 level. You must include hours per week and transcripts.
• You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience.
• 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.

Nice To Haves

• Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary contact for Grand Canyon National Park's large and complex Commercial Use Authorization (CUA) and secondarily for the Special Park Uses (SPU) Programs.
• Recommend and/or provide CUA program guidance; strategy and annual work plans.
• Collaborates, supports, and implements regional and service-wide changes to Programs.
• Responsible for the issuance of over 700 Commercial Use Authorizations, including permits for in-park tours, equipment rental, day hiking, bicycling, and overnight backpacking.
• Supports issuance of Special Park Uses Permits, including permits for special events, weddings, burials in the park's Pioneer Cemetery, and First Amendment activities in throughout the park.

Benefits

• A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package.
• As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.
• Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.
• Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

What This Job Offers

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