Visitor Use Assistant, GS-0303-04 Job in Abiquiu, New Mexico US

Visitor Use Assistant, GS-0303-04

Experience your America by building a fulfilling career by joining the National Park Service. The National Park Service preserves unimpaired, the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. As a uniformed employee of the National Park Service, you serve as a front-line representative of the agency and frequently you are the first and only contact the visiting public has with an NPS employee. You work at an entrance station, visitor center, campground or other visitor contact station, collecting fees and providing answers to visitor questions about recreational opportunities, interpretive services, and concession facilities and services. You distribute maps and brochures, provide directions through the park and inform visitors of potential safety hazards. As you're responsible for collecting fees and following accountability guidelines for handling government funds, you must pass a required background investigation. You operate an electronic cash register, perform open and closing shift functions to verify money collected and stock sold. Other duties may include a variety of visitor services such as traffic control, radio dispatching or back-country patrols. The Seasonal Recruitment Operations Center is currently accepting applications to fill up to 2 temporary positions at White Sands National Monument, New Mexico. Appointments made under this announcement are limited to 1039 hours (six months) in a service year. Appointments may be terminated at any time and can be extended if workload and funding allow. Anticipated Entry on Duty: April 2012 White Sands National Monument, dedicated to preserving the world's largest gypsum dune field while providing recreational and scenic enjoyment for the public, is located 15 miles west of Alamogordo, New Mexico, and is sandwiched between Holloman Air Force Base and White Sands Missile Range. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 100 degrees, while winter months tend to be mild with nighttime temperatures frequently dipping below freezing. Precipitation averages 8 inches per year. Alamogordo (population 35,000) is nestled at the foot of the Sacramento Mountains and is 15 miles from the cool pines of the Lincoln National Forest. Alamogordo is situated at the crossroads of U.S. Highway 54, 70, and 82, which lead east into the mountains and the quaint village of Cloudcroft, New Mexico, south to the international border city of El Paso, Texas, west to the university city of Las Cruces, New Mexico, and north into the heart of the Land of Enchantment. Local attractions range from recreational opportunities and cultural events to areas of historical significance and educational possibilities. The area is host to museums, observatories, state and nationally managed parks and recreations sites, theaters for the performing arts, institutions of higher learning, and an abundance of year-round community events and activities. This announcement is being advertised under delegated examining procedures and is open to all U.S. citizens. This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate. APPLICANTS WHO DO NOT SUBMIT THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION WILL NOT RECEIVE FULL CONSIDERATION. KEY REQUIREMENTS U.S. Citizenship required. Background and/or Security Investigation required. Selective Service Registration if applicable. Must possess or be able to obtain state issued driver's license. Wearing a National Park Service uniform is required. DUTIES: Back to top Collects appropriate fees at park entrance station, visitor center, campground and other visitor contact station following established accountability guidelines for handling government funds. Safe guards funds collected. Operates an electronic cash register, performs opening and closing shift functions, issues entrance receipts, park passes and federal passports. Incumbent serves as front-line representative of the park. In many instances, the incumbent is the first and only contact the visiting public has with an NPS employee. Incumbent works at an entrance station, visitor center, campground or other visitor contact station. Provides answers to recurring visitor questions concerning the specific park area. Explains the area's recreational opportunities, including NPS interpretive services, concession-operated facilities and services, and campground availability; distributes maps, brochures, and other printed material; provides directions and routes of travel through the park; and informs visitors of potential hazards. Completes shift reports to verify money collected, accountable stock sold and all machine transactions from the shift using journal and receipt tapes and a register of voided transactions. Shares new and important information with other co-workers. Deal with a high volume of personal contacts while maintaining a professional demeanor. Gathers information from reporting parties concerning accidents/incidents within the area to notify appropriate personnel. PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Standing for long periods of time, walking, bending, lifting of moderately heavy items and sedentary work is required. Mental stress and physical fatigue occur due to high volume of personal contacts and the responsibility of dealing with large amounts of money. WORK ENVIRONMENT: Work is often performed in small, outdoor structures with open windows which results in exposure to extremes of temperature, rain, snow, wind, and direct sunlight. Park areas may be geographically located in areas of high elevation, rugged terrain or dense populations. High levels of vehicle noise and emissions may exist during heavy visitation periods. Duties may be performed alone in isolated locations. Tour of Duty: Multiple schedules. QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED: Back to top To qualify for this position, you must demonstrate that you possess either the specialized experience or the education as described below. Equivalent combinations of experience and education may also be used to qualify. Selective Placement Factor (Mandatory Screen Out): Handling money Applicants must be able to collect and account for money. If you do not meet the requirements of this selective factor, you will be rated ineligible for these positions. In order to qualify for this position at the GS-04 level, you must possess one of the following: A. One year of progressively responsible clerical, office, or other work that indicates my ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of a Visitor Use Assistant. General experience includes greeting the public, disseminating information, providing directions and fee collection. -OR- B. Two years of education above high school (60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours). This education was obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college, or university. -OR- C. Equivalent combination of experience and education. Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. In order 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 number of hours work per week. Qualifying experience may be obtained in the private or public sectors. The OPM Qualification Standards Handbook is available for review at: http://www.opm.gov/qualifications . ARE YOU USING EDUCATION TO QUALIFY? You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) a list with all your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of this announcement Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- natural resource management, natural sciences, earth sci