Clarification from the agency

Under this announcement we are accepting applications from 1. All United States citizens 2. CTAP/ICTAP Eligibles.

WG-05 Maintenance Worker (Trails) - performs trail maintenance, construction, and repair. Tasks include clearing trails of wind falls, limbs, rocks, landslides, and other debris; digging or cleaning culverts and ditches for drainage purposes; clearing brush; tread work on native soil, gravel and asphalt trails. Assist or lead trail crews on bridge building, tread, brushing, drainage and trail clearing projects. Construct or repair bridges, food boxes, ramps, corrals, outbuildings and pit toilets. Assist in or perform masonry work. Paint or stains boxes, corrals, pit toilets and bridges. May assist in maintenance of historic structures. May assist Packer with preparing loads, as well as saddling and transporting stock. Service and repair chain saws, brushing saws, gas rock drills and breakers, and generators. Repair tents, hand tools, lanterns, stoves; sharpens axes, pulaski's, shovels and clippers. Responsible for inventory updates and issuance of trails equipment, parts and materials.

Work involves living and working in remote backcountry regions of the parks. Work involves long distance hiking, often with heavy backpacks, and long hours of hard physical labor to perform trail maintenance and construction tasks. Trail workers often carry loads weighing up to 50 pounds and may be required to hike up to 20 miles per day over steep and/or rough terrain.

Physical Effort: Heavy physical effort is required in bending, lifting, and using hand and power tools in trail work. Examples of typical strenuous activity include: Frequently lifts and carries objects weighing over 100 pounds, must carry and roll rocks and logs, move rocks of several tons with rock bars, use hammers to crush or shape rock, and use shovel extensively. Frequently hikes up to 20 miles daily and must be able to do so while carrying a backpack, power and/or hand tools.

Working Conditions: Incumbent must have the ability to live and work effectively in backcountry areas in close contact with small numbers of people for extended periods of time. Incumbent must live and work out-of-doors on projects in various terrain up to 13,000 feet elevation in all extremes of adverse weather conditions. Trail work is dusty, and hazardous conditions may exist when moving rocks and logs, working in and around rockslide areas, working around stock, working around explosives, falling and bucking trees, and working around machinery.

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 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.
• You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
• Frequent overnight backcountry travel (up to 76% or greater) may be required.
• 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 & relocation expenses will not be paid. Relocation expenses will be the employee's responsibility.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, you must have sufficient knowledge and ability in the following job-related factors:

Have the ability to do the work of a Maintenance Worker (Trails) without more than normal supervision. (Screen out).

This position requires regular and recurring work and camping in rugged mountainous backcountry at high elevations for extended periods of time. Selectee(s) must be able to hike by foot in the backcountry at high elevations for extended periods of time while carrying backpacks, tools, and supplies weighing at least 50 lbs. The selectee must be able to camp for several days in succession.

WG 5 level: Work experience demonstrates doing work such as maintenance worker tasks on a trail crew or group responsible for carrying out work on trails; constructed rock walls, water bars, and retainer bars; used chainsaws to cut wood or limb trees; and have used a jackhammer.
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: http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/x-118C/index.htm

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.

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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score will be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions can affect your rating.

Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. You may only submit one resume. Only the document submitted as the "Resume" under the Documents section will be used to determine your qualifications/eligibility and for rating purposes. In the event you submit more than one resume, only the latest submission will be reviewed.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of two categories:

• Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job.
• Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.

• 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

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 03/17/2026 :

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