Summary The incumbent works primarily on the backcountry and front country trails. The primary purpose of the position is to assist journeyman level tradesmen in all areas of trails maintenance in the park unit. Responsibilities Performs routine and complex trail maintenance, rehabilitation and construction of graded foot, mountain bike, and horse trails. Work includes building, repairing, and maintaining erosion control structures, retaining walls, and tread surface and reblazing of trails; park boundary line maintenance, removal of vegetation growth and fallen rock and tree obstructions from trails. The trails may include ADA accessible trails with special surfaces, trails in high visitor use areas, foot and horse use trails in remote backcountry areas and trails in designated Wilderness areas. Trail work is performed with a variety of hand tools including shovels, picks, fire rakes, swing blades (grass whip), McLeods, pulaskis, rock bars, cross-cut saws, wheelbarrows, grip hoist, etc. and small power equipment such as chainsaws, weed trimmers, rock drills and jack hammers. Operates vehicles in the performance of assigned duties for transportation of self and other employees to and from worksites. Typical vehicles include pickup trucks (including 4WD operation), utility body trucks, crew cab pickup/utility trucks, automobiles, panel vans, light mower and utility tractors, all-terrain vehicles, and small towed equipment or trailers. The position requires frequent strenuous activity. Selectees are required to hike up to 10 miles over steep, rough and uneven mountainous terrain into backcountry worksites while carrying work tools. At least ninety percent of work is performed in an outdoor setting. Cut-off Dates: This is an open continuous announcement, in which applications are collected over several months, and have multiple cut-off dates. Applications will be considered throughout the open period of the announcement. INITIAL CUT OFF IS Friday, 15 December 2023 Referral certificates will be issued when a hiring official exhausts current certificate and/or additional vacancies need to be filled Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area ($24.66-28.79/hr) Point of contact: Bill Tagye, 570-426-2416, williamtagye@nps.gov New River Gorge National Park & Reserve ($20.54-23.97/hr) Point of contact: Lark Morgan Hartsock, 304-465-6548, larkharsock@nps.gov Shenandoah National Park ($22.52-26.27) Point of contact: William Jenkins, 540-999-3500 x3141, dave_jenkins@nps.gov 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. 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. Uniform: You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided. Government Housing: Housing may be available at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and New River Gorge National Park & Reserve. Qualifications To qualify for this position, you must have sufficient knowledge and ability in the following job-related factors: Ability To Do The Work Of The Position Without More Than Normal Supervision (SCREEN OUT) Ability To Interpret Instructions, Specification, etc. (includes blueprints reading) Ability To Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment Knowledge of Equipment Assembly, Installation Repair, etc. Knowledge of materials Technical Practices (theoretical precise, artistic) Use of Measuring Instruments SCREEN OUT: Skilled in trail construction and rehabilitation work including repair of trail tread and drainage structures; constructing walls, turn piking, cribbing, and foot bridges; removing windfalls, felling trees, and utilizing block, tackle, and winches for moving and placing heavy objects; installed water bars, rock and wood, turn piking, and repair trail tread through leveling with fill; operating motorized utility terrain vehicles (UTV), 4x4, and utility vehicles. Experience includes the use and maintenance of proper tools to complete the task. Able to perform the strenuous work required by this position such as carrying heavy objects weighing up to 100 pounds and hiking mountainous terrain up to 12 miles per day. Considered an expert and work with a high degree of independence. If your knowledge and ability in the SCREEN OUT factor above is not sufficient, you will receive no further consideration. In preparing your application, describe in detail the experience and training which you have had that specifically prepared you for this job and to perform the duties described for this job. Experience should be clearly described and documented in your resume. The qualifications reviewer will not assume performance of such duties by Job Titles alone. Address your knowledge, skills and/or abilities in the areas shown in the job-related factors. 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 for Wage Grade (WG) positions. Additional Information This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate. 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. Non-Competitive Rehire Eligibility: Temporary seasonal employees can only maintain their non-competitive rehire eligibility if they work no more than a combined total of Temporary NTE less than 1040 hours anywhere in the National Park Service (NPS) within their established service year. Accordingly, non-competitive rehire eligibility allows for re-appointment to the same position or another position appropriate for temporary appointment with the same qualification requirements (5 CFR 316.402[b][7]), based on series and grade, anywhere in the major subdivision (NPS). If you have held a temporary seasonal appointment in the past 12 months and have already worked the maximum temporary appointment less than 1040 hours during that period, you are still welcome to apply. However, please be aware that exceeding the limit of 1040 hours in your established service year will result in the loss of your non-competitive rehire eligibility. The limit can be exceeded by working multiple temporary seasonal positions that result in a combined total greater than 1040 hours. The limit also can be exceeded by working a single temporary seasonal appointment that exceeds 1040 hours, unless granted an exception by OPM. Employment may be terminated at any time due to fluctuations in funding levels, project needs, employee performance, or other considerations. Physical Demands: Heavy physical exertion is frequently required in bending, lifting, and using hand and power tools in trail work. Examples of typical strenuous activity, include frequently lifting and carrying objects weighing up to 100 pounds., carrying and rolling rocks and logs, moving rocks of several tons with rock bars, using hammers to crush or shape rock, and using shovels extensively; frequently walks up to 20 miles daily; and must not have potential emergency medical problems that could complicate work in remote areas for extended periods of time. Working Conditions: Incumbent must have the ability to live and work effectively in isolated backcountry areas in close contact with small numbers of people. Incumbent must live and work out-of-doors on projects including mountainous terrain up to 14,000 feet in elevation in all extremes of weather. Trail work is dusty and hazardous conditions may exist when moving rock, working in and around rock slide areas, working around explosives, falling and bucking trees, and working around machinery.