Summary The typical seasonal entry-on-duty period is April but can be variable during these months due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: April or May 2025. These positions are all located at Yosemite National Park. Responsibilities The purpose of this position is to perform Animal Caretaker (Packer) duties. The full range of duties include packing supplies, materials, and equipment onto pack mules or horses; leading a string of up to 6 pack animals transporting supplies, materials, and equipment into back country work sites; loading and hauling horses and mules by truck and trailer; riding, handling, and training horses and mules. In addition, moves trail crew camps and trail opening work crews to new locations with pack mules, makes minor repairs to packing equipment and tack gear as required, shoes saddle horses and pack mules in remote back country locations, and in front country staging locations, makes diagnosis and treats minor horse/mule injuries and illnesses, and trains young mules for packing. Physical Demands: Light to heavy physical exertion is required in bending, lifting, reaching and horse-back riding for extended periods of time to perform work. Lifts, places and carries objects weighing up to 100 pounds. Heavy strain is incurred in controlling animals while shoeing and handling. Working Conditions: The incumbent is subject to working in elevations of 2,000 to 11,000 feet in moderate to severe weather conditions for periods up to six weeks at a time, in remote backcountry camps and work project areas.. Incumbent is subject to being kicked, bitten, scratched, bruised and rope burns form unpredictable interactions with livestock. Works in temperatures from 0 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. 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. 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. You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work. Applicants must be at least (1)18 years old or (2) at least 16 years old and: (a) Have graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or (b) Have completed a formal vocational training program; or (c) Have received a statement from school authorities agreeing with their preference for employment rather than continuing their education; or (d) Be currently enrolled in a secondary school and either work only during school vacation periods or work part-time during the school year under a formal student employment program. Travel, transportation and relocation expenses will not be paid. Relocation expenses will be the employee's responsibility. Qualifications Ability to do the work of a Animal Caretaker (Packer) without more than normal supervision (Screen out). Work history demonstrates experience as an Animal Packer performing the following duties: feeding, caring for, and handling mules and saddle horses. Maintain fences and pastures. Experience in animal packing and have routinely packed and led a string of 4-5 pack animals in wilderness and non-wilderness areas. Transport animals and equipment over narrow, mountainous, and/or unpaved roads, exercising care to secure loads to prevent injury to horses and mules. Additional information on the specific qualification requirements for this position are found in the Job Qualification System for Trades and Labor Occupations. It is available for review on OPM's web site at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/federal-wage-system-qualifications/#url=WG-5000 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. ICTAP/CTAP Statement: Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special prior­ity selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. Well qualified means that the applicant meets the following: OPM qualification standards for the position; all selective placement factors, where applicable; special qualifying conditions that OPM has approved for the position, where applicable; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at least at the well qualified level on all competencies. Education There is no substitution of education for experience for Wage Grade (WG) positions. Additional Information For questions about this position please contact: Shane Fairbanks Email: shane_fairbanks@nps.gov For questions about applying or the application process, use the contact at the end of the page. Government housing may be available for this position. 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 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. 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. The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster. If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document that you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application. Click the following link for more information, https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Alternate_Application_Information.