What are the responsibilities and job description for the Maintenance Worker (Trails) (Seasonal) position at US National Park Service?
Summary
The purpose of the position is to perform, at the sub-journeyman level, the maintenance, repair, and construction of Park trails. Duty station may be in an area away from park headquarters with general duties performed in a Park. This position requires frequent overnight backcountry stays.
Open to the first 50 applicants or until 07/20/2026 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration.
Learn more about this agency
This job is open to
The public
Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
Duties
These positions may be filled for a seasonal period, up to 1039 hours, but can vary due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: October 2026- March 2027.
Major Duties:
- Using Hand tools and other equipment to repair tread of trail
- Motor vehicle and equipment operation
- Carpentry repairs using simple measurements and hand tools
- Chainsaw operations including limbing, bucking down trees, and clearing trails
Housing may be available
Buffalo National River was established in 1972 as the country's first national river, the park protects 135 miles of river from near its origin in the Boston Mountains to the confluence with the White River in Northwest Arkansas. Nearly 100,000 acres in size, roughly one third of the park's land base is designated wilderness. Heavily wooded and extremely rugged terrains are found throughout the park along with numerous hidden caves and waterfalls. There are over 100 miles of maintained trails for hiking and horseback use. There are two developed campgrounds and eight primitive campgrounds throughout the entire park. Of the two developed campgrounds, only one offers amenities such as water and electricity hook ups for visitors. There is one visitor center in each of the three districts, two of which are staffed and open to the public year round.
Duty Station is located Marble Falls, Arkansas, formerly known as Dogpatch, Arkansas. The nearest town is Jasper, AR which offers most services found in small towns, such as a grocery store, hardware store, several small restaurants and K-12 public schools. Marble Falls is approximately 60 miles south of the Arkansas-Missouri state line. Harrison is located 30 miles east and has a population of approximately 14,000 people. Harrison offers K-12 schools, a community college, restaurants, shopping, groceries, a movie theatre, a performing arts theatre, a hospital, and specialized clinics. There are several rental properties, as well as of homes to purchase within Harrison and Boone County.
For more information regarding this park, please visit Buffalo National River (U.S. National Park Service)
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.
- Depending on location, occupancy of government quarters may be required.
- Depending on location, government housing may be available.
- You may be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
- You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and/or shift work.
- You may be required to travel overnight away from home occasionally.
- You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
- You may be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel drive vehicle.
- 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.
- Applicants must be at least 18 years old.
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
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
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.
Click here for the Federal Wage Schedule Website to calculate location specific pay.
The locations listed on the announcement anticipate filling vacancies. However, not all grade levels may be filled at all locations. Eligibility and qualifications will be verified if there is a vacancy for the location and grade for which you applied.
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: 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.
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
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.
Review our benefits
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.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
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.
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.
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. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of the following categories:
- Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position
- 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
Required Documents
The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 07/20/2026:
- Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade. Your resume must clearly show how long you have held each grade in a federal position. Resumes must not exceed two single-sided pages and resumes longer than two pages will not be accepted. The minimum font size is 10-point for all body text. Headers may be slightly larger but must remain legible. All resumes must maintain a minimum 0.5-inch margins on all sides to ensure readability and prevent excessive content compression. Including supplemental pages or attachments disguised as resume extensions are prohibited and will not be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications
- A complete Occupational Questionnaire
- Other Supporting Documents, if applicable, such as:
- Veterans Preference Documentation:
- If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.
- If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
- If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability.
- Veterans Preference Documentation:
- Documentation for Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan consideration if you are a displaced Federal employee within the local commuting area. You must include: 1) Proof you are a displaced Federal employee, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be rated well-qualified on the rating criteria for this position.
Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.
Do not upload Adobe portfolio documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.
How to Apply
To apply for this position: You must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 07/20/2026. WE DO NOT ACCEPT HARD-COPY OR E-MAIL APPLICATION PACKAGES.
- Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account.
- Prompted to Start the Application Process by selecting "Start Application."
- Click here for USAJobs Help with "How to create an application"
- To PREVIEW the application questionnaire, select the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13001885
- Select or add the resume you want to use for this application. Click here on how to build a resume in USAJOBS.
- Select documents you want included in this application.
- Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed.
- Select if you want to include your demographic information.
- After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site."
- Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application.
- Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown.
- Upload any missing required documents or optional documents.
- Review and Submit Application.
- While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting " " next to the job title for this position.
- You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement.
- To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select " " next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job.
- Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. So it is important that you select all documents you want to use in the re-application.
Agency contact information
601 Riverfront Drive
Omaha, NE 68102
US
Next steps
Many similar position are advertised by various offices within the National Park Service. You MUST apply to each announcement for consideration. Officials may hire at any grade level, location or work schedule. All position may or may not be filled. Dates and length of employment will vary between park sites depending on funding, weather conditions, and visitation. Positions are TEMPORARY positions, not to exceed 6 months (1,039 hours), and have no promotion potential.
Once the Occupational Questionnaire is received you will receive acknowledgement that your submission was successful. If you are among the most qualified candidates and your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly for a possible interview. You will be notified of the status of your Application Package at the time candidates are referred for consideration, and when the selection process is complete.
Applicants will get a response from this announcement by approximately September 11, 2026.
Overview
- 4749 Maintenance Mechanic
- Credentialing
- Suitability/Fitness
Salary : $24 - $28