Summary This position is located in Interior Region 2, in the Interpretation, Education, and Community Partnership Division. This is a temporary promotion not to exceed 1 year, and can be extended up to 5 years. This temporary promotion is not eligible for coversion to a permanent position. Open to the first 100 applicants or until 09/24/2024 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration. Responsibilities Provide professional and technical support, advice, and analysis of interpretation, education, and cooperating association services, guidelines, best practices, rules and regulations to 74 parks. Assists with the regional interpretive training and planning pilots, which are based on the TORE (Thematic, Organized, Relevant, Enjoyable) model for interpretation. Coordinates and hosts collaboration and training for educators that keeps pace with professional standards, theory, methods, platforms, accessibility, national and regional curriculum, and models the TORE approach. Manages and promotes the region's Teacher Ranger Teacher (TRT) and Junior Ranger programs. Serves as an advocate, advisor and liaison for cooperating associations. Collaborates with the IR2 and WASO Partnerships Coordinators on ensuring updated training, policies, agreements and amendments, evaluation, audits, and reporting for cooperating associations. Manages the Interpretation and Education Fund Source, including the Interpretation. Requirements Conditions of Employment U.S. Citizenship required. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males. Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program. 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. 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 travel overnight away from home up to 5 nights per month. 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. Qualifications All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-09/24/2024-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. To qualify for this position at the GS-12 grade level, you 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). This experience includes activities such as: Experience may have been in technical, administrative, or scientific work, fish and wildlife management, recreation management, law enforcement, or other park-related work. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include, but are not limited to, the following: Park guide or tour leader, Law enforcement or investigative work, Archeological or historical preservation research work, Forestry and/or fire management work in a park, recreation, or conservation area, 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. Examples requires In depth knowledge of a wide range of interpretive principles, practices, policies and techniques. Knowledge of the TORE approach to interpretation. Knowledge of professional standards, theory, methods, platforms, accessibility, national and regional curriculum, and models for educational programming. Broad knowledge and considerable experience in park and cooperating association operations and policy. Knowledge of managing Interpretation, Education and Civil Rights fund sources, including ability to provide guidance and training for parks with creating, submitting, managing and troubleshooting projects. Ability to coordinate the review, formulation and submission of park projects. 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 There is no substitution of education for experience at the grade level(s) 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. 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: The work is generally sedentary, requiring more mental than physical stamina. Frequent field trips require walking, and hiking. The incumbent is expected to travel in a variety of conveyances, including aircraft, boats, and ground vehicles. Occasional trips require the ability to function effectively for periods well beyond the conventional 8-hour workday. Working Conditions: Work is generally performed in an office. Occasional trips and travel to parks throughout the southeastern United States are required. Parks may expose employees to varying temperatures and terrain, most of which can be controlled by planning ahead. 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.