Park Ranger (P) - National K9 Program Manager
U.S. National Park Service
Summary
This position has dual responsibilities serving as the National Canine Program (NPS-LE K9 Program) Manager and serves as a commissioned law enforcement K9 handler. The duty station is negotiable to any unit of the NPS supporting an active law enforcement K9 program willing to partner with LESES. To see current available parks and duty locations, please see the Duties section of this announcement.
Overview
- Accepting applications
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Open & closing dates
07/08/2025 to 07/21/2025
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Salary
$73,939 - $108,859 per year
Salary does not include locality pay. For specific wage information, reference the OPM Salaries and Wages link in the Additional Information section.
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Pay scale & grade
GS 11
- Help
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
- Location Negotiable After Selection
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Remote job
No
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Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
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Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
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Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
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Appointment type
Permanent
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Work schedule
Full-time
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Service
Competitive
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Promotion potential
None
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Job family (Series)
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Supervisory status
No
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Security clearance
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Drug test
Yes
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Position sensitivity and risk
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Trust determination process
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Financial disclosure
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Bargaining unit status
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Announcement number
WO-1614-VRP-25-12755102-IMP
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Control number
840192300
This job is open to
- Internal to an agency
Current federal employees of the hiring agency that posted the job announcement.
- Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.
- Land and base management
Current or former employees of a base management agency.
Clarification from the agency
Internal to an agency clarification: open to current career/career conditional employees of the Department of the Interior.
Videos
Duties
The major duties of the Park Ranger (P) - National K9 Program Manager position include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Detection, investigation, apprehension, and prosecution under applicable laws, rules, and regulations enacted to insure the protection and safe use of National park resources.
- Educate, interpret, and inform visitors about resources, conservation, laws, and regulations.
- Emergency medical services, structural firefighting, special response, technical rescue, swift water rescue, and helicopter rescue.
- Educate, inform and perform K9 handling duties within the National Park Service.
Location Negotiable after Selection - The Park Ranger (P) - National K9 Program Manger position will only be located in the following locations:
- Chickasaw NRA, Sulphur, OK
- Boston NHS, Boston, MA
- Lake Mead NRA, Boulder City, NV
- Organ Pipe NM, Ajo, AZ
- Yosemite NP, Yosemite, CA
- Independence NHP, Philadelphia, PA
- Hot Springs NP, Hot Springs, AR
- Padre Island NS, Corpus Christi, TX
Please use the following link for further information on NPS law enforcement and to search for these specific parks/locations, see "Find Positions and Locations": Become A Law Enforcement Ranger.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- U.S. Citizenship required.
- Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
- Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males
- Direct Deposit: Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
- Drug Testing: You will be required to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use.
- Medical Certification: This position requires the incumbent meet the medical standards qualifications per DO/RM57, pre-employment and periodic physical examinations, and must participate in the Physical Efficiency Battery (PEB) annually.
- Incidental Driving: You may be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties. Prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year thereafter (or more frequently if management determines such need exists), you will be required to sign an affidavit certifying to your possession of a valid State issued driver's license that is current and has not been revoked, suspended, canceled, or otherwise disqualified in any way to prohibit your operation of a motor vehicle. You will also submit a photocopy of your valid State issued driver's license prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year, or more frequently if management determines such need exists. Lastly, you may be required to submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that discloses all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. Please indicate in your application whether you possess a valid State driver's license.
- Minimum Age Requirement: This position is covered by enhanced retirement provisions which stipulate mandatory retirement at age 57 after 20 years of service. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age and must not have reached their 37th birthday upon appointment to this position. Exceptions allowed: 1) an applicant has prior Federal service in a primary covered position sufficient to complete 20 years of service on or before the mandatory retirement age of 57; 2) an applicant is a qualified veterans' preference eligible.
Qualifications
- Time-in-Grade: 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.
- Probationary Period: If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
- Financial Filer Requirement: The position to which you will be appointed is subject to a financial disclosure reporting requirement and you will be required to complete a new entrant Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) within 30 days of your appointment.
- Travel: You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 5 nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
- Government Charge Card: You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
- Uniform: You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
- Firearm Proficiency: Required to carry a firearm while performing duties, required to maintain firearm proficiency and be subject to the Lautenberg Amendment.
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-07/21/2025-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.
Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 for each federal position listed as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of qualifying 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 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. 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.
SELECTIVE FACTORS: Applicants must meet ALL of the following to qualify:
- Previous Law Enforcement Experience: Prior law enforcement experience, as gained by substantial service in a primary law enforcement officer position or equivalent experience outside the Federal government is a MANDATORY PREREQUISITE for the incumbent of this position. (Experience must be documented in your Resume.)
- Type I Law Enforcement Commission: Must currently possess or previously held (within the past three years), a FLERT issued Land Management Police Training (LMPT), full Type I Law Enforcement Commission or equivalent; or be qualified to receive a Type I Commission upon appointment. This will be based upon having completed approved NPS training as outlined by policy including Natural Resource Police Training (NRPT), Land Management Police Training Program (LMPT), US Park Police Integrated (USPPI), Uniformed Police Training Program (UPTP), BIA Basic Police Officer Training Program (BIA-BPOTP), or Criminal Investigator Training Program (CITP). This is required by the closing date of the announcement.
- K9 Handling Experience: Prior experience handling a K9 service animal that conducts searches, locating or tracking, protects officers or public from threats, deployment as reasonable control measure to effect arrest (Graham v. Connor) and as a public relations tool.
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To qualify for this position at the GS-11 grade level, you must possess all of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:
- 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). This experience includes activities such as: Experience at this level must include all of the following: 1) performing law enforcement duties for the protection, conservation, use, and management of natural and/or cultural resources in park areas or similar operations, which involved the application of law enforcement authorities and procedures to protect visitors and resources; 2) providing law enforcement or investigative services which include apprehending, detaining, detection, and prosecution of individuals; 3) applying knowledge of applicable laws, regulations, policies, and areas of jurisdiction when serving as a person with law enforcement authority; 4) responding to accidents, emergencies, and/or natural disaster; and 5) using precautionary methods and techniques while patrolling to mitigate any crimes or violations of the law. You must include hours per week worked.
-OR-
- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree related to the occupation. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. You must include transcripts.
-OR-
- Successful completion of a COMBINATION of education and experience as described above. To combine education and experience, first take the number of semester hours or equivalent earned towards a graduate degree, in excess of 36 semester hours, and divide by 18 semester hours or equivalent. Then, take the number of months of experience and divide by 12 months. Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts.
- Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. You must include your resume with hours worked per week annotated, as well as 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.
Education
To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.
If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.
Additional information
Click here for the OPM Salaries and Wage to calculate locality pay
A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected. The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.
Physical Demands: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion such as running in pursuits or emergency responses, long periods of standing, walking, driving, stooping, reaching, crawling, and similar activities, in many cases on uneven, steep, rough, slippery, and/or rugged terrain. Strenuous exertion is frequently required in law enforcement, firefighting, search and rescue, medical and related emergency activities. Lifting or carrying equipment weighing over 50 pounds, such as emergency equipment, or search and rescue equipment is required. In some assignments heavy packs may have to be carried long distances over mountainous, desert, or snow-covered terrain.
Duties involve performing physically rigorous assignments, often in isolated outdoor environments, frequently while exposed to severe weather conditions. The work requires common physical characteristics and abilities in agility and dexterity and the strength to pursue, apprehend, and detain uncooperative suspects.
The incumbent is also responsible for the wellness and performance of their K9 partner which at times may add complexity to the physical demands of the assignment.
Office work occasionally requires long hours of desk work and is occasionally stressful in that the incumbent must resolve conflicting viewpoints.
Position is required to meet and continuously maintain the physical/medical standards as set forth in the requirements of D.O.#57. There is a physical, mental, and emotional high-stress component to much of the incumbent's work assignment.
Working Conditions: The work environment is a mix of office setting and field work. Field work is performed outdoors in all kinds of weather and climatic conditions for various hours of the day and night and for prolonged periods during emergency situations. The incumbent is frequently exposed to high-risk and potentially dangerous situations in law enforcement and emergency situations requiring use of a wide range of personal protective gear, adherence to specific safety procedures and other precautions.
Long periods of surveillance work may be required in cramped, or unpleasant locations and under unpleasant conditions. Shift work is often required. Incumbent is required to operate motor vehicles of various types, may be required to fly in small fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft, and may be required to operate and/or ride in small watercraft. Emergency law enforcement operations will require entry into hazardous environments, exposure to dangerous persons; animals; and substances, and potential exposure to infectious diseases.
Telework: The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessments required for this position. A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score will be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions can affect your rating.
Candidates who apply under Competitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are highly qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Best qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.
Candidates who apply under Noncompetitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are minimally qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.
You will be evaluated on the following competencies:
- Criminal Law
- Decisiveness
- Oral Communication
- Public Safety and Security
- Technical Competence
In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessments, including a panel resume review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.
Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation and 2) a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process.
If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.
Required Documents
The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 07/21/2025.
- Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates specified in month and year format, and indicate hours worked per week. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade. Your resume must clearly show how long your have held each grade in a federal position.
- Complete All Required Assessments.
- Merit Promotion Eligibility Documentation such as:
- Federal employees or former federal employees must submit a copy of their latest or last SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" reflecting career or career-conditional status in the competitive service, shows position title, series, grade and an additional SF-50 showing highest permanent grade ever held, if not reflected on your latest SF-50. Examples of acceptable SF-50s include: Promotion, Within Rate Increases (WRI/WGI), or Appointment SF-50s. Do not submit an Award SF-50. Time in grade will be determined by reviewing your resume and required SF-50s. Your last Federal performance appraisal plan for your last position must reflect a rating of Fully Successful or equivalent. If the SF-50 showing highest permanent grade ever held has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess the one-year time-in-grade, as required by this announcement. In this instance, your resume must clearly show that you held that grade for one-year
- Veterans Preference Documentation (e.g. DD-214, SF-15, VA Letter as appropriate)
- LMWFA: Documentation for the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act eligibility, which includes ALL Appointment AND Termination SF-50s for EACH appointment as well as ALL performance evaluations, for each qualifying period of temporary employment claimed.
- Performance Appraisals and Awards:
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- All applicants must submit their most recent performance appraisal showing the official rating of record and signed by a supervisor. If submitting a performance appraisal not dated within the last18 months, a statement as to why it is the most recent must be submitted. If no performance appraisal is available, applicants must submit a statement as to why it is not available (including if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level).
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- Documentation that you meet Selective Factors.
- College transcripts, if qualifying based on education.
- Documentation for Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan consideration if you are a displaced Federal employee within the local commuting area. You must include: 1) Proof you are a displaced Federal employee, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be rated well-qualified or above 85 on the rating criteria for this position.
- Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted.
Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
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 07/21/2025. 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/12755102
- 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.
Agency contact information
- keri_vasquez@nps.gov
- Address
- Visitor and Resource Protection
1849 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20240
US
Next steps
Once the Occupational Questionnaire is received you will receive acknowledgement that your submission was successful. If you are among the most qualified candidates and your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly for a possible interview. You will be notified of the status of your Application Package at the time candidates are referred for consideration, and when the selection process is complete.
Fair & Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.