Park Guide

Summary

The primary purpose of this position is to provide guide services to visitors. The work involves giving talks, interpreting natural and historic features, answering questions, guiding tours, and providing miscellaneous services to visitors. Learn more about this agency Duties Help Some of the major duties you will perform include but are not limited to the following:

• Operates a visitor center or contact station. Answers telephone, orients visitors to site, stocks brochures and kiosks and handles minor visitor complaints. Is friendly and relates to visitors with varied backgrounds. Helps orient visitors to what is available to see on site and within the area.
• Presents pre-established interpretive programs, orientation talks, guided tours, living history demonstrations or off-site programs for a diverse audience.
• Communicates orally and in writing by presenting interpretive programs, writing email responses to visitors, and/or answers visitor questions.
• Performs opening and closing procedures for a visitor center, historic buildings, etc. Sets alarms and assures areas secure.
• Operates a computer to perform small projects. Uses a variety of software such as Word, Excel, etc. Runs a cash register and credit card machine. Maintains stock, completes inventory, and makes deposits.

Physical Demands: The work requires standing for long periods of time, walking for long distances, climbing and descending steep inclines, bending, and lifting moderately heavy items. Mental stress and physical fatigue occur due to high volume of personal contacts, occasional emergency responses, and repetitive nature of interpretive programs. Work Environment: Work is performed both indoors and outdoors resulting in exposure to a variety of weather conditions. Area Information: Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Chase County, just north of Strong City, Kansas. Chase County is rural and lightly populated. Major groceries, medical and dental services are located in Emporia, Kansas (20 miles distant). Public schools are located in Cottonwood Falls and Strong City; a state university is located in Emporia. Climate is considered moderate, with average precipitation of over 30", summer high temperatures 80-100°, winter low temperatures 10-20°. NO PARK HOUSING IS AVAILABLE; rentals and houses for sale are limited in Chase County but plentiful in Emporia. For more information, see the parks website: www.nps.gov/TAPR

Requirements

Help Conditions of employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• 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 www.dhs.gov/EVerify/.
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
• You are required to wear a uniform and comply with the uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
• You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
• You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, and overtime.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated. 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.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-09/15/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. All candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements. To qualify for this position at the GS-05 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: Specialized Experience Requirement: you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-04 level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is experience that includes oral presentation of historical, scientific, or program information to groups; developing and/or providing guided tours and/or running an information center. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- Education: Successfully completed four years of study above high school (120 semester hour or 180 quarter hours) leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation, such as American History, science, public speaking, parks and recreation, education or communications. You must include transcripts. -OR- Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. Equivalent combination of experience and education that, together, equal 100% of the qualification standards listed above when combined. You must include transcripts. To receive credit for experience, 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. 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 You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include your name, school name, grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, and date the degree was conferred, if applicable. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not qualified for the position. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work. Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education. https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualification Additional information This position will be filled under the Field Unit Local Hiring Authority. Eligibility is limited to applicants who reside within the defined local commuting area at the time of application. For this announcement, the local commuting area is the area from which individuals can reasonably commute to the duty station under normal conditions. The defined vicinity for this position is: 75 miles or less from official duty station of Strong City, Kansas. You must provide proof of residency within the defined vicinity (e.g. mortgage or property deed, lease/rental agreement, utility bill, insurance policy, etc.). See the Required Documents section for information on how to verify current residence. Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement. All Department of 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, https://www.doi.gov/ethics/ethics-prohibitions. 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. Expand Hide additional information 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

Help 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 make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.