Summary
This position is located in Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, in the Division of Visitor and Resource Protection.
Career-Seasonal appointments are permanent positions and include the same benefits as permanent appointments, but do not provide work on a year-round basis. You will be guaranteed 6 months of work, the remainder of the year will be subject to availability of non-base funding.
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Duties
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The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period for Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is January - December, but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding.
Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following:
- Analyzes, evaluates, and determines the most effective patrol routes for the park's Preventative Search and Rescue (PSAR) program, accounting for the strategic goals and objectives of the park. Develops patrol guidelines and instructions for use by other staff members in the performance of regularly scheduled and special purpose PSAR patrols of various park resources.
- Conducts regularly scheduled and special purpose PSAR patrols of various park resources such as backcountry and/or wilderness areas, park trails, campgrounds, parking lots, shorelines, rivers, docks, roads, concessions, etc. Independently determines new patrol routes for self and/or others and prepare for patrol(s), accounting for the specific needs, topography, and requirements of each patrol.
- Develops and presents a substantial variety of formal and informal PSAR-related educational programs and/or media using prescribed outlines, guidelines, and established educational practices, techniques, and tools delivered in-person and through educational media and technology.
- Serves as a member of a Search and Rescue (SAR) Team on events that may require trail response, ground/hasty searches, helicopter evacuations, river rescues, body recoveries, and/or litter carries.
- Performs routine grounds and facility maintenance to keep park areas clean, safe, and welcoming.
Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.
Requirements
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Conditions of employment
- Must provide proof of U.S. citizenship.
- 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. To learn more, visit www.dhs.gov/EVerify/.
- Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment
- Pre-employment and random drug testing are required. You will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test is received.
- A physical examination will be required, or a statement regarding physical ability will need to be completed. You must maintain physical fitness standards throughout employment.
- You are required to wear a uniform and comply with the uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided
- You are required to obtain and maintain a Motorboat Operator Certification Course (MOCC). On the job training will be provided.
- You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider:
- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
*Additional Requirements located under Additional Information*
Qualifications
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-08/06/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. All candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements.
To receive credit for experience, 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.
Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:
To qualify for this position at the
GS-05 grade level:
- Specialized Experience Requirement: you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-4 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience 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. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
- Education: Successful completion of at least 4 years college education with at least 24 semester hours of related course work. Related fields of study include natural resource management, natural sciences, earth sciences, history, archaeology, 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. One year of education above high school is equivalent to 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
- Combination of education and experience. To combine education and experience, first take the percentage of education completed, then take the number of months of full-time experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts.
To qualify for this position at the
GS-07 grade level:
- Specialized Experience Requirement: you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: As a Park Ranger, law enforcement; EMT or paramedic; 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, management of park areas or similar operations; or other similar work. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
- Education: Successful completion of at least one year of graduate level study in directly related fields such as 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, emergency management, or other closely related subjects pertinent to the management and protection of natural and cultural resources. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
- Combination of education and experience. A combination of education and experience as described above.
Superior Academic Achievement (SAA): Successfully completed a bachelor's degree in a directly related field AND meet one of the following: (1) Class Standing: rank in the upper 3rd of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, based on the completed courses; OR (2) Grad-Point Average (GPA): earn a GPA of (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) based on 4 years of education, or based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum -or- (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field, or the required courses completed during the final two years. Note: GPA will be rounded to one decimal place, for example, 2.95 = 3.0, 2.94 = 2.9; OR (3) Membership in a National Scholastic Honor Society.
To qualify for this position at the
GS-09 grade level:
- Specialized Experience Requirement: you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is defined as demonstrated experience: Working in Emergency Medical Services, Search and Rescue, or Law Enforcement or investigative work, Park Ranger or providing education and outreach, Forestry and/or fire management work in a park, recreation, or conservation area, and 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 such as volunteer administrative support.. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
- Education: Successful completion of at least a Master's degree or equivalent graduate degree or successfully completed at least two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree such as 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, emergency management, or other closely related subjects pertinent to the management and protection of natural and cultural resources, 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.
-OR-
- Combination of education and experience. A combination of experience as described above.
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
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. Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education. https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualification
Additional information
Requirements Continued...
Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated.
Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
This position will be filled under the
Field Unit Local Hiring Authority. Eligibility is limited to applicants who reside within the defined local commuting area at the time of application. For this announcement, the local commuting area is the area from which individuals can reasonably commute to the duty station under normal conditions. The defined vicinity for this position is: 90 miles of Bayfield, WI.
You must provide proof of residency within the defined vicinity (e.g. mortgage or property deed, lease/rental ag 
