Park Ranger Jobs in Laurel, MD (NOW HIRING)

Summary
You will serve as a Supervisory Park Ranger (Protection), Regional Chief Ranger for the National Capital Area - Region 1.
Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will be paid if the selectee lives outside of the local commuting area and is otherwise eligible for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation.
Announcement extended to August 17, 2026.
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Duties
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The incumbent in this position serves as the senior program manager for law enforcement, physical security, structural fire, aviation, emergency management and preparedness, life-safety, telecommunications (dispatch and radio), occupational health and safety and inter-regional and local SETT and IMT teams, and compendium management under the direction of the Deputy Regional Director, National Capital Area - Region 1. The incumbent is the principal advisor to the Regional Director, Deputy Regional Director and the Associate Regional Directors concerning visitor and resource protection and law enforcement in all park areas in the region, including those served by the United States Park Police.
Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following:

• Ensures that law enforcement operational activities are uniformly implemented in compliance with directives, policies, and law.
• Investigate, apprehend, and detain individuals suspected or convicted of offenses against the criminal laws.
• Provides expertise, support, review, and information as needed, to parks, WASO and solicitors on the matters related to regulations in parks.
• Principal advisor to the Regional Director concerning visitor and resource protection and law enforcement in all park areas in the region.
• Directs fiscal management for regional visitor and resource protection programs, including implementation of financial plans, operating program, and special accounts.
• Participates in meetings and conferences with Regional Directorate, park superintendents, regional staff, union officials, and representatives of other Federal agencies, etc., regarding ranger service matters.
• Coordinates with managers, including natural and cultural resources, maintenance, and interpretation to ensure needs are adequately met.
• Actively participates in staff meetings and briefing sessions with managers, Regional Director, Directorate and other teams and office.
• Directly responsible for the development and supervision ranging in grade from GS-7 to GS-13, including program managers.

For more information about this position, please contact:
Lisa Mendelson-Ielmini, Deputy Regional Director
Lisa_Mendelson-Ielmini@nps.gov
(202) 619-7020
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 https://www.e-verify.gov/.
• You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
• You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 5 nights per month.
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
• Pre-employment and random drug testing is required. You will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test is received.
• Prior to appointment, you must be determined physically fit by an authorized government physician to perform strenuous and physically demanding duties; and also pass a medical examination (which includes vision, hearing, cardiovascular, and mobility of extremities) given by an authorized government physician. You will also be required to undergo periodic medical examinations throughout employment.
• You are required to wear a uniform and comply with uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
• You are required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.
• A financial disclosure report will be required within 30 days of appointment.
• 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). Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
• Selectee(s) must be free of any domestic violence convictions. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements will be grounds for termination.
• Firearm qualification and certification are required for the role, and ongoing proficiency must be maintained.

*Additional Requirements located under Qualifications*
Qualifications
Requirements Continued...

• You must be at least 21 years old. You must be free of any domestic violence convictions.
• Prior to appointment, you must be determined physically fit by an authorized physician to perform strenuous and physically demanding duties, pass a medical examination, and pass the Physical Efficiency Battery (PEB). The PEB is a fitness test consisting of five different components: 1) agility run - measures the ability to get up from the ground and sprint while changing directions; 2) bench press - measures upper body strength for one repetition; 3) 1.5 mile run - measures cardio/respiratory fitness; 4) sit and reach - measures flexibility in the lower back, legs and shoulders; and 5) body composition - measures body fat. Prior to appointment, selectees will be tested in all five components, and must pass the agility run, bench press and 1.5 mile run in the 25th percentile.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may be required to serve a 1-year probationary period to evaluate your fitness and whether your continuation of employment advances the public interest.
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 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 is a supervisory position that may require completion of a supervisory probationary period.
Qualifications:
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 08/17/2026-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.
Selective Placement Factors: This position requires special qualifications that have been determined to be essential to perform the duties and will be used as a screen out element. If you do not provide evidence that you possess the following selective factor(s), you will be rated not qualified. Applicants must meet ALL of the following to qualify:

• Applicants must be at least 21 years of age.
• Must currently possess or previously held (within the past three years) a valid Type I NPS Law Enforcement Commission, or equivalent, by 08/17/2026. More information can be found in the 'Education' section of this job announcement.
• This is a covered secondary law enforcement position under the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S. C. 8336(c) (CSRS) and 8412(d) (FERS). In addition to the qualifying experience and/or education described above, applicants for this position must possess experience gained by substantial service in a primary law enforcement position or equivalent.

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Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:
Experience: To qualify at the GS-14 grade level, you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of this position.
Examples of specialized experience may include:

• Managing resource and visitor protection programs including law enforcement, search and rescue, emergency medical services, and backcountry management.
• Serving as a senior advisor to management.
• Supervising a workforce engaged in resource and visitor protection.
• Representing parks at interagency meetings and with special interest groups.
• Performing program management duties including developing and executing single and multi-year financial plans.
• Position management, and long and short range planning.

You must include hours per week worked.
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
Type I Law Enforcement Commission: Must currently possess or previously held (within the past three years), a FLETC issued Land Management Police Training, full Type I Law Enforcement Commission or equivalent; or be qualified to receive a Type I Commission upon appointment.
This position does not allow substituting education for experience.
Additional information
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 Department of the Interior (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/Work Environment: Work is primarily office-based, sedentary, and can be stressful in that the incumbent is often
faced with short deadlines, conflicting priorities, and must occasionally resolve conflicting viewpoints. The work also entails frequent travel, and some site work may involve occasional strenuous activity, exposure to adverse weather or rugged terrain, and can require travel by small aircraft, watercraft, or other specialized vehicles.
The incumbent must be able to meet the medical standards for 0025 protection rangers as outlined in Departmental policy and RM-57.
The duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.
First time hires to the Federal government normally start at the step 1 rate.
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