Seasonal Park Ranger (Interpretation)

Seasonal Park Ranger (Interpretation)

Department: Department of the Interior

Location(s): Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Salary Range: $61111 - $79443 Per Year

Job Summary: The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period for Stones River National Battlefield is April - October but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: mid-April. Open to the first 100 applicants or until 12/17/2025 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.

Major Duties:

• In this position, you will promote a team atmosphere by positively exchanging ideas, offering encouragement, and supporting co-workers and supervisors to aid in organizational effectiveness while serving as the work leader for as many as six employees and interns providing an array of visitor services and programs. Duties may include: Coaching and helping provide leadership of staff for the Division of Interpretation. Assisting with the planning and coordination of seasonal/intern training and projects. Maintaining and developing standard procedures, interpretive training materials, and other administrative items Researching, preparing and presenting high quality thematic interpretive programs like walking tours, hikes, talks, and special programs requiring in-depth knowledge of history, geology, and the cultural history of the region. Developing interpretive media such as interpretive articles, site bulletins, web pages, social media posts, and other electronic applications and publications using desktop publishing and web publishing software. Assisting in management of up to 20 volunteers providing visitor services and informal interpretation. Assisting in planning and managing special events and volunteer projects. Fostering effective communication with other park divisions and partners. Assignments include extended periods of standing at information desk, hiking in variable weather over uneven terrain, speaking for long periods, lifting, bending, sitting, and working at a computer workstation. Area Information The 600-acre National Battlefield includes Stones River National Cemetery, established in 1865, with more than 6,000 Union graves; and the Hazen Brigade Monument, believed to be the oldest, intact Civil War monument still standing in its original location. Portions of Fortress Rosecrans, a large earthen fort constructed after the battle, still stand and are preserved and interpreted by the National Park Service. Much of the nearly 4,000-acre battlefield is in private hands. Murfreesboro has plenty of shopping opportunities, great medical facilities, and schools to include Middle Tennessee University. Summers are generally hot with high humidity, but there is an extensive green belt for walking, hiking & bicycling. There is plenty of housing to be had in the area however the market is moving quickly. Government housing may be available. 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.

Qualifications: All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement, 12/17/2025, unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience. EXPERIENCE: 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: serving as a Park Ranger, tour leader, working in a park, recreation or conservation area, environmental education, history and/or cultural education, and natural sciences education. Work will include independent research and presentations. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: Possess two full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or a master's or equivalent graduate degree related to the occupation. Directly related fields include a 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. Two years of graduate study is considered to be 36 semester hours. You MUST submit a copy of transcripts. A copy of your official transcripts will be required before entrance on duty, if selected. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. To combine education and experience, first determine the percentage of experience held by dividing the number of months of qualifying full time experience possessed by 12 and then multiplying by 100. Then determine the percentage of qualifying graduate level education completed by dividing the number of credits completed by 36, then multiply by 100. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts. 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. Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. Well qualified means that the applicant meets the following: OPM qualification standards for the position; all selective placement factors, where applicable; special qualifying conditions that OPM has approved for the position, where applicable; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at least at the well qualified level on all competencies. Federal employees seeking CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit proof that they meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(2) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of their most recent Performance Rating, and a copy of their most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP/ICTAP eligible. If you are selected for Federal employment, you will be required to fill out a Declaration of Federal Employment, OF-306, prior to being appointed to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. Failing to answer all questions truthfully and completely or providing false statements on your application may be grounds for not hiring you, or for firing you after you begin work. Also, you may be punished by fine or imprisonment (U.S. Code, Title 18, section 1001).

How to Apply: To apply for this position: You must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 12/17/2025. You must provide documentation to support your claim for each eligibility selected. Please review the required documentation listed in the eligibilities language to ensure you submit the appropriate information. Note: You will only be marked eligible for those eligibilities that you selected and provided the appropriate supporting documentation. WE DO NOT ACCEPT HARD-COPY OR E-MAIL APPLICATION PACKAGES. Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account. Prompted to Start the Application Process by selecting "Start Application." Click here for USAJobs Help with "How to create an application" To PREVIEW the application questionnaire, select the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12841240 Select or add the resume you want to use for this application. Click here on how to build a resume in USAJOBS. Select documents you want included in this application. Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed. Select if you want to include your demographic information. After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site." Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application. Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown. Upload any missing required documents or optional documents. Review and Submit Application. While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position. You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement. To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select "+" next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job. Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. So it is important that you select all documents you want to use in the re-application.

Application Deadline: 2025-12-17