Park Ranger

Summary

The Park Ranger position with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Folkston, Georgia, delivers visitor services, interpretation, environmental education, and outreach programs that promote stewardship of refuge resources. The position supports wildlife-dependent recreation, visitor facilities, and partnerships with volunteers and community stakeholders to advance conservation, enhance visitor experiences, and foster public engagement.

Duties

The Park Ranger at the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge plans, coordinates, and implements programs and activities that promote public understanding and appreciation of refuge resources while supporting the protection and conservation of fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats. This position supports visitor services, resource interpretation, environmental education, public outreach, and compatible wildlife-dependent recreation; contributes to the effective operation and maintenance of visitor facilities and programs; and helps foster partnerships with volunteers, community organizations, and other stakeholders. At the full-performance level (GS-9), duties include, but are not limited to, the following: Plans, develops, and implements a balanced Visitor Services program, including interpretive and environmental education activities and compatible wildlife-dependent recreation. Administers the volunteer program including recruitment, onboarding, training, and leading volunteers on various work projects. Assists with the planning, design, and routine operation of visitor facilities - including visitor centers, trails, and exhibits - and contributes to short-term operational plans and maintenance coordination. Conducts visitor use studies, surveys, carrying-capacity analyses, and program evaluations to improve policies, procedures, and the overall effectiveness of visitor services. Develops and manages communication products (e.g., social media, web content, publications, interpretive materials) and builds partnerships with community groups, organizations, and agencies to support refuge visitor services initiatives.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement - 11/18/2026 - unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Competitive candidates must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements as defined in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F. For current Federal employees, if hours worked per week are not included on your resume, you must submit a non-award SF-50 as part of your application to be used to validate your work schedule and determine the amount of specialized 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 periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the work schedule requirement as the service dates will be reflected. 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. Minimum Qualification GS-09 Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications: 1. One (1) year of full-time specialized experience comparable in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as: 1) assisting in developing and presenting interpretive or environmental education programs; 2) supporting partnerships with community organizations, volunteers, or local groups to promote visitor services activities; 3) applying basic knowledge of natural resources and public-use laws and policies to assist with visitor services activities; 4) preparing routine administrative reports and assisting with fee collection or related Visitor Services support tasks; and 5) assisting with visitor use data collection, surveys, or other information gathering that supports Visitor Services planning. -OR- 2. Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education, from an accredited college or university, with a major field of study in 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. -OR- 3. Successful completion of a combination of graduate education and specialized experience as described above, which together equals 100% of the qualification requirements. Only graduate education beyond the first year may be combined with specialized experience. 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. For more information on how foreign education is evaluated, visit: https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications.