The incumbent has the full range of responsibilities for providing leadership, management and supervision for one of the most complex and very active, field-based protection ranger operations anywhere within the NPS system.
Major Duties:
- Conduct and supervise the detection of criminal activity, investigation of criminal violations, and custodial arrests.
- Prepare and execute warrants, interview witnesses, and detain suspects. Ensure the completion of comprehensive written reports.
- Conduct and/or supervise gathering of law enforcement, security, and intelligence information relating to the park, its facilities, events, mission & visitors.
- Identify operational requirements and make recommendations to your supervisor regarding programming, budgeting, training, administration, and evaluation of operations.
- Supervise and lead complex law enforcement, all hazard, emergency medical, and search and rescue operations as well as provide emergency medical services to park visitors and residents.
South Rim Area Information:This position is stationed at Grand Canyon National Park at the South Rim located in Northern Arizona. The South Rim is located approximately 60 miles north of Williams and 82 miles Northwest of Flagstaff at an elevation of 7,000 feet. Temperatures range from approximately 90 degrees in the summer to 0 degrees in the winter. Annual precipitation averages around 13 inches.
Grand Canyon Village has schools K-12, a daycare center, post office, general store, churches, a recreation center with gym, a public library, a clinic with resident physicians, and several restaurants. The park community consists of some 2,500 people, including employees of the NPS and concessionaires and their family members. There are often employment opportunities for family members in the park and surrounding areas. The park community is small enough that many employees choose to walk or bike from their homes to work. Complete shopping, educational, medical and professional services are available in Williams and Flagstaff. Flagstaff has a population of about 75,000 and has multiple K-12 public and private schools, Northern Arizona University, and diverse community, medical and other support services. Recreational opportunities include hiking, backpacking, fishing, cross-country and downhill skiing, and golfing in nearby communities.
South Rim Housing: Permanent and Term employees with a Full Performance Level (FPL) of a GS-09 or WG-8 and above will be provided the option of accepting assigned housing, participating in the normal bid system, or accepting shared housing. Permanent and Term employees with an FPL of GS-08 or WG-7 and below may be provided the option of participating in the normal bid system or accepting shared housing. Any employee assigned to shared housing may continue to bid into non-shared housing.
North Rim Area Information:
The North Rim District is situated on the rim of the Grand Canyon amidst the vast public lands of the Arizona Strip. It is about 20 miles from the South Rim by a strenuous hike through the Grand Canyon or a 215 mile drive which takes approximately 4 hours. The nearest community with full range of services is located in Kanab, UT approximately 80 miles from the North Rim. The elevation on the North Rim is about 8,200 feet and consequently the climate in the summer is mild with highs in the 80's and lows in the 50's. Between May 15 and October 15 the North Rim receives approximately 500,000 visitors. The North Rim has a robust concession operation which features a historic full service lodge with accommodations serving around 500 visitors, 230 concession employees, a general store, post office, mule ride concession, gas station, campground, etc. Beyond the North Rim Village the district has about 20 miles of paved scenic roads, 80 miles of high clearance 4 wheel drive roads, and hundreds of miles of trails/routes including immediate access to the North Kaibab Trail/cross-canyon corridor.
Recreational opportunities include hiking, running, climbing, canyoneering, rafting, road/mountain biking, skiing, hunting, fishing and numerous other options in nearby communities such as St. George, Utah and Page, Arizona. Zion National Park, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument are all within a half day drive. Employees are assigned quarters in a cabin, apartment, or house.
Conditions of employment
- U.S. Citizenship required.
- Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
- Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
- Subject to pre-employment physical and drug testing.
- Must possess a Type I Federal Law Enforcement Commission.
- New employees of the Department of the Interior must identify a financial institution for direct deposit of net pay within 30 days of entrance on duty.
- 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. Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal civilian employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.
- 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.
- Selectee(s) will be required to carry a firearm while performing duties and maintain firearm proficiency.
- You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
- You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
- Occupancy of government quarters is required.
- If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
- You may be required to travel overnight away from home. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
- You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
- Applicants must be at least 21 years old.
- 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.
- *Additional Requirements located under qualifications*
Qualifications
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-09/26/2025-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:
- Type I Commission: Must currently possess or be able to obtain a valid Type I National Park Service (NPS) Law Enforcement Commission, or equivalent within the past three years, by 09/26/2025 (To be considered for this position, you must provide a copy of your commission, OR indicate your commission number and date, location and date of your last 40-hour refresher training, and the date of your last established proficiency in the use of firearms in your resume). More information can be found in the 'Education' section of this job announcement.
- Primary law enforcement experience: 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). Applicants for this position must possess experience gained by substantial service in a primary law enforcement position.
- NREMT- Basic certification: Must currently possess and be able to maintain a National Registry Emergency Medical Technician- Basic certification or higher by the close of the announcement on 09/26/2025.
- AND - To qualify at the GS-12 grade level, applicants must possess 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-11 grade 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 could include: law enforcement or investigative work; investigating, apprehending, detaining or prosecuting individuals suspected of or convicted of crimes against the United States; protecting officials against threats to personal safety; 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; or other similar work. You must include hours per week worked.
Additional Requirements: - You will be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record. You must also 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 disclose all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you.
- You may be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel drive vehicle.
- Selectees may be expected to travel in (not pilot) a small single-engine aircraft.
- 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.
- Prior to appointment, the people selected for these positions 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.
- This is a secondary-administrative law enforcement position under the special retirement provisions of 5 U.S. C. 8336 (c) (CSRS) and 5 U. S. C. 8412 (d) (FERS). PLEASE NOTE: Applicants may meet qualification requirements, but may not be eligible for special retirement coverage. If such an applicant is selected, they will be placed in the regular retirement system. To be eligible for Secondary retirement coverage under CSRS, an employee must transfer directly (without a break in service exceeding 3 days) from a primary position to a secondary position. To be eligible for Secondary retirement coverage under FERS, an employee must: 1) transfer directly (without a break in service exceeding 3 days) from a primary position to a secondary position, AND 2) complete 3 years of service in a primary rigorous position including any such service during which no FERS deductions were withheld, AND 3) must be continuously employed in a secondary position(s) since moving from a primary rigorous position, except for any break in employment from a secondary position that began with involuntary separation (not for cause). It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure this office has enough information to determine your special retirement status to ensure you do not lose benefits (normally through submission of your work history or other documentation that demonstrates work history of approved covered positions). You must let this office know if you are in a Primary position.
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
Law Enforcement Commission: This position requires applicants to possess, previously held (within the past three years), or be able to possess by 09/26/2025 a valid Type I National Park Service (NPS) Law Enforcement Commission (or equivalent), which requires completing training from an accredited institution, which currently consists of over 650 class hours and lasts on average 17 weeks. Please visit the Association of National Park Rangers' Seasonal Law Enforcement Training Program (SLETP) for additional information on approved training courses and equivalency for commissioning.
There is no substitution of education for the specialized experience at the grade level of this announcement.
Additional information
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.
A Recruitment Incentive May Be Authorized for a newly selected employee when appointed to a permanent, temporary, or term position. A Federal employee who is transferring to the National Park Service from another component, bureau or Federal agency and who does not meet the conditions under 5 CFR 575.102 is not eligible for a recruitment incentive.
A Relocation Incentive May Be Authorized for a Federal employee when the employee must move, as directed by the National Park Service (NPS) either through a management directed reassignment or selection for employment, to a different location at least 50 miles away from the one where his/her position of record held at time of selection is currently located, due to a need of the NPS. A relocation incentive is not the same as a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move and, as such, may be granted in conjunction with one another.
This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.
Physical Demands: Incumbent must be in excellent physical and mental condition in order to safely and competently perform under emergency situations. Incumbent must maintain a year-round fitness training program. The work regularly includes long periods of standing, hiking and/or climbing, 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 of equipment weighing over 50 pounds, such as search and rescue or firefighting equipment is required. In some assignments, heavy packs may have to be carried long distances over rugged terrain, in extreme desert heat. Position involves occasional travel.
Working Conditions: Work is performed in both an office and field setting. Field conditions can range from extreme summer temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer to -20 degrees in the winter. Snow depths during the winter may vary up to six feet on the North Rim. At any given time, incumbent must be prepared to be dispatched to any location within Grand Canyon National Park, which represents some of the harshest and most rugged terrain on earth. The work is performed at various hours of the day and night and for prolonged periods during emergency situations. 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 able to operate and-or ride in small watercraft on one of the largest whitewater rivers in the work.
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.
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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. Please limit your resume to no more than 2 pages. If more than 2 pages are submitted, only the first 2 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications. You can only submit one resume; Only the resume submitted under the "Resume" "Document Type" will be used to determine your qualifications and for rating purposes. Only one resume will be used to evaluate your qualifications. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed.
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:
- Administration and Management
- Criminal Law
- Managing Human Resources
- Oral Communication
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 subject matter expert 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.
