Park Ranger Intern Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Summary
This position is located within the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Midwest Region, Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site in Affton, Missouri.
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Duties
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This position serves as the Interpretation, Education, and Volunteer Program Manager (Chief of Interpretation) for Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site in Affton, Missouri. Oversees division activities by guiding and directing the interpretation division and assisting with the coordination, execution, management, and planning of the park's visitor services and interpretive programming.
Major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following:
1. Manages a complex interpretive program, including a visitor center, museum, historic home and buildings, field programs, and special events.
2. Plans and conducts a wide range of public interpretive programs throughout the year. Programs consist of walks, talks, tours, field trips, performances, and special events related to Ulysses S. Grant NHS, its resources, and issues.
3. Provides leadership, supervision, management, and training for intern, volunteer, seasonal, and permanent interpretive staff who present a variety of interpretive programs and front-line visitor services.
4. Creates, manages, and executes a budget for the Interpretation Program.
5. Builds and maintains relationships with various stakeholders, partner groups, and other agencies to advance program goals and objectives.
6. Serves on the park's leadership team and works closely with team members to plan, address, and manage issues, and provides key input from an interpretation, education, volunteer, and visitor service perspective.
The employees of the National Park Service care for special places that are the heritage of all Americans. Since its inception in 1916, the National Park Service has been dedicated to the preservation and management of this country's outstanding natural, historical, and recreational resources. Park ranger - interpreters connect people to parks. They play a key role in ensuring that visitors have a meaningful, satisfying, and safe park experience, help visitors decide how to spend their time in the park, and inform them about the wonders that await their discovery. Park ranger - interpreters are specially trained to engage the public so that each park visitor can find a personal connection with the meanings and values found in the places and stories of that park. They help visitors explore the many dimensions of parks by introducing them to a variety of perspectives. By providing the opportunity for visitors to care about the places they visit, they promote stewardship and the opportunity for those visitors to care for park resources. National parks are among the most remarkable places in America for recreation, learning, and inspiration. The work done by park ranger-interpreters through effective interpretive and educational programs encourages the development of a personal stewardship ethic and broadens public support for preserving and protecting park resources, so that they may be enjoyed by present and future generations.
Requirements
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Conditions of employment

1. You must be a U.S. Citizen.
2. You will be subject to a background/suitability investigation/determination.
3. You will be required to have federal payments made by Direct Deposit.
4. You must submit ALL required documents and a completed questionnaire.
5. Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service system, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See http://www.sss.gov/.
6. Any individual who is currently holding, or has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet time-in-grade requirements (must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent in the Federal service); with few exceptions as outlined in 5 CFR 300.603(b). Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal civilian employees applying for reinstatement who have had a break in service of less than one year, as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointments. Time-in-grade does not apply to new excepted service appointments and must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
7. You may be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required.
8. You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
9. You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
10. You may be required to travel overnight away from home occasionally. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.

*Additional Requirements located under qualifications*
Qualifications
Requirements Continued...
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period (as applicable) during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may 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.
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.
Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary 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 probation your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
This is a supervisory position that may require completion of a supervisory probationary period.
To qualify for this position at the GS-0025-11 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:
EXPERIENCE: Specialized Experience
At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal Service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is managing interpretive and/or education programs to support mission goals and includes: 1) advisor on interpretive and education matters; 2) develops and implements program long and short-range plans; 3) plan and coordinate year-round interpretive, educational, information, and volunteer programs; 4) propose program goals and objectives that reflect a balance of themes, subjects, current issues, and initiatives; 5) serve as subject matter expert on interpretive themes such as resource, cultural, or natural features unique to a park; 6) manage visitor center operations; 7) develop interpretive and media plans and projects; and 8) managing administrative or logistical program.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. (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.) You must include transcripts.
-OR-
COMBINATION: Successful completion of a combination of graduate level education beyond the first two years of progressive graduate study and appropriate experience that together meet the qualification requirements for this position. You must submit transcripts.
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.
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.
Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualification Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions and is available at OPM's website: https://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/indexes/num-ndx.asp
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 08/05/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
Education
Education: If this position requires specific educational course work to qualify, or you are qualifying based in whole or part on education, you are required to provide transcripts as proof of meeting the requirements.
Foreign Education: Education completed in colleges or universities outside the United States may be used to meet the specific educational requirements as stated above. You must provide acceptable documentation that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4
Additional information
The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.
Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.
Related Non-Federal experience or related experience as retired members of the uniformed services may be credited towards computing entitlement to leave accrual, at managerial discretion, providing that experience meets certain criteria. This provision allows new employees to earn annual leave at a higher rate than would otherwise be allowed. (5 Code of Federal Regulations, 630).
All DOI employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, DOI Ethics Prohibitions | U.S. Department of the Interior.
Physical Demands: The position may require periods of strenuous physical activity including periods of standing, walking, climbing, and lifting objects weighing approximately 50 pounds (video equipment, period tents and other interpretive event or exhibit setup). The majority of the work is sedentary.
Work Environment: Most assignments are performed indoors, but some activities require exposure to variances in weather and terrain.
Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position.
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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.
Benefits
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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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
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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.