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Supervisory Park Ranger (I)

$84,439

Bartlett Cove, AlaskaFull-timePosted Oct 30, 2026

Against the United States typical range

Job description

This position is located within the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Alaska Region, Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve, Bartlett Cove, Alaska. You will serve as a Senior Interpretive Specialist for the Division of Interpretation. You will provide guidance and leadership in the decision-making process for programs and perform supervisory duties.

Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following: Serve as the principal advisor to park management on all matters related to the interpretive, visitor services, volunteer, and education programs. Manage projects from start to finish, including writing scopes of work, proposals, and budget tracking.

Serve as a key member of the park management team, participating in decisions that affect all park divisions and operations. Establish long- and short-term goals for the division. Perform deliberative program analysis and prepare and complete a variety of reports. Supervise the division staff, including permanent and seasonal employees, interns, and VIPs.

Represents the park in public meetings with various community and interest groups. This position offers abundant opportunities to develop and manage a variety of education and interpretive programs, including a summer operation at the Bartlett Cove Visitor Center. Supervising and directing the work of 8 seasonal employees (GS-0025-07) and one permanent youth/education ranger including scheduling, coaching, and evaluating performance for each employee.

Provides coaching on current interpretive techniques, such as Audience Centered Experiences (ACE). Oversees a distance learning program that reaches students from around the globe. Leading staff meetings, setting agendas about subjects being discussed and ensuring that notes are taken and distributed to the staff in a timely manner.

Developing and presenting a limited number of formal interpretive programs on cruise ships depending on staffing levels and schedules.

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 11/06/2026-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.

Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications: (1) Basic Educational Requirement AND/OR (2) Basic Experience for the series to which you are applying. Basic Educational Requirements: In addition to the specialized experience requirements for this position, you must meet at least one of the following:

  1. Degree : Undergraduate and Graduate Education
  • Major study -- 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. You must submit transcripts. -OR-
  1. Basic Experience: Experience that demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled. Experience may have been in technical, administrative, or scientific work, fish and wildlife management, recreation management, law enforcement, or other park-related work. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include, but are not limited to, the following: Park guide or tour leader. Law enforcement or investigative work. Archeological or historical preservation research work. Forestry and/or fire management work in a park, recreation, or conservation area. Management, assistant, or program specialist work involving the development and implementation of policy related to protection, conservation, or management of park areas or similar operations. In addition to the minimum qualification requirement, you must also meet the following specialized experience: Specialized Experience : To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level, you must meet at least four of the five below listed items: To qualify, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as: Researching, developing and presenting a wide variety of interpretive programs Providing leadership, guidance, and direction to paid and volunteer staff Researching, writing, designing, and developing interpretive media Planning, implementing, and ensuring follow-through for special events, projects, and programs Applying knowledge of natural and cultural history to support interpretive programs, projects, and visitor engagement You must include hours per week worked. -OR- Education : Successful completion of at least a PhD or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education in a field of study in 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, or course work in other appropriate fields that clearly provided a background of knowledge and skills necessary for successful job performance in the position. You must include transcripts. -OR- Combination of education and experience as listed above. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include hours per week and transcripts. Volunteer Experience: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, Ameri. Corps) 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. Physical Demands: Most of the work is sedentary. The position may require periods of strenuous physical activity including periods of standing, walking, climbing, and lifting of objects weighing approximately 50 pounds (video equipment). Be willing and able (physically and mentally) to safely climb rope ladders fifteen feet in height during transfer from one vessel to another while both boats are in motion in exposed waters. Every employee must pass a practical simulated ladder transfer in Bartlett Cove before being approved for duty. Work Environment: Most assignments are performed indoors, but some activities require exposure to variances in weather and terrain; incumbent must be able to board and disembark cruise ships while underway in a pilot-style transfer.

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

Description copied from National Park Service's careers page. Read the full posting before you apply.

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