Summary
These positions may be filled for a seasonal period, up to 1560 hours, but can vary due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty:
May-July 2026
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Duties
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- Assist Supervisory Range Technician with providing daily care of cattle, and other domesticated animals. This includes conducting or arranging for near-daily herd and livestock health checks and ensuring fresh water supply. Recognizes and provides care for animals with illness and injuries as detected through daily health, checks. Recognizes situations beyond basic treatment and communicates with Supervisory Range Technician to coordinate for veterinary care.
- Assist Resource Management staff with various projects related to natural & cultural resource protection, preservation, and/or restoration; projects include, but are not limited to natural resources, cultural landscapes, historic registered herds of livestock, historic structures, etc.
- Assists park staff with various demonstrations, special events, and/or educational programs, particularly those related to ranching and/or resource management.
- Assist with park's Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program. Assists the park's IPM Coordinator with monitoring and management of pests, including insects, plants, and animals. Applies approved pesticides according to prescribed thresholds. Follows all safety & PPE guidelines.
- Regularly operates farm-type tractors up to 100 hp with attachments including harrow, loader, baler, swather, rake, shredder, and blade. Operates tractors with implements, trucks, and UTVs over rough, uneven, and sloping terrain and around fields with open ditches. Occasionally operates a truck over roads and highways and to pull utility and stock trailers.
Requirements
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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.
- Government housing will be available.
- You will be required to wear a uniform of basic ranch attire. A uniform costume allowance will be provided.
- You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays or overtime.
- You may be required to travel occasionally.
- 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.
- Some positions require certification to perform emergency medical response. Level of certification may vary dependent on location.
- Applicants must be at least 18 years old.
- You will obtain National Park Service Non-Wildland fire Chainsaw operator certificate.
- You will obtain (as needed) and maintain a Texas Non-Commercial Political Pesticide Applicator license and follow safe application procedures and NPS policies.
- You must have the ability to lift 50 pounds.
Qualifications
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-04/03/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.
Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume
MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience.
To qualify for this position, you must possess one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:
- SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-06 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: daily care and feeding of livestock; performing exotic plant control with the application of herbicides; performing manual exotic plant control such as pulling or cutting; collecting data and keeping field notes concerning livestock management or pasture management activities; or other related land management experience. . You must include hours per week worked.-OR-
- EDUCATION: Successful completion of at least one full year of graduate study in one of the following fields: natural resource management, rangeland management, animal and rangeland sciences, ranch management, plant or grazing ecology/vegetation management or restoration of rangelands or other closely related subjects pertinent to the position. (One year of graduate education is 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours). IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE: If you are using education to qualify you must document your course work and/or degree completed in your resume or other application materials you submit. You must submit a copy of your transcripts. You must include transcripts.-OR-
- Successful completion of a combination of education and experience as described above. To combine education and experience, for example: take one-half year (9 semester hours or 14 quarter hours) of directly-related graduate level college study in an accredited institution (50% of the qualifying education). Then take the number of months of full time experience and divide by 12 months for example: 6 months of the specialized (50% of the experience requirement). Add the percentages together. The total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must include transcripts.
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.
This job opportunity announcement will be used to fill one or more additional selections at any time without notification.
Education
To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.
If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.
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.
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, or 1560 hours if the position falls under the Exception to the General Time Limits for Temporary Seasonal positions, 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 hours during that period, you are still welcome to apply. However, please be aware that exceeding the appointment limit 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 the appointment limit.
Employment may be terminated at any time due to fluctuations in funding levels, project needs, employee performance, or other considerations.
Physical Demands: Must be in good physical condition. Job requires periods of sustained major exertion. Included are such activities as handling baled hay weight up to 100 pounds, lifting/loading feed sacks and mineral blocks weighing 50 pounds, handling equipment and nutrition tubs weighing up to 250 pounds, and operating cattle squeeze chutes and calving tables. At times, major physical exertion is required to move, handle, and treat cattle and other livestock. Must be able to move quickly and nimbly to safely move livestock and avoid aggressive cattle. Must be able to walk across uneven surfaces and finishes including slopes, rocks, ice, mud, gravel, ruts, and burrows. Must be able to use hands for a number of tasks such as pulling, tying, typing, cutting, and writing. Must be able to stand and walk for extended periods of time. Must be able to kneel and crawl on occasion. Must be able to see for gross and fine motor skills work.
Work Environment: Work is performed both inside and outdoors. The majority of work is performed outside in all types of weather. Summers are hot, daytime temperatures average from 90 - 100 degrees F. Winters are mild, highs averaging 50-60 degrees F with lows occasionally dipping into freezing. The work involves moderate risks and discomforts such as dust, smoke, insects, feces from livestock, and pollens particularly from grass and hay. Special safety precautions and personnel protection equipment may be required. Indoor work is mostly climate controlled. Incumbent will be subject to callback when livestock are in imminent danger to themselves or others, e.g., cattle out loose in public use areas, livestock being injured, etc. Incumbent may be
needed to work overtime during haying season. In addition, during the 6 to 8 weeklong calving period(s), there will be mandatory overtime and/or callback to respond to calving emergencies.
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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
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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.
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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.
