Maintenance Worker Leader (Trails)

Summary

This position is located in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, in the Facility Management Division.

This is a Career/Career-Conditional Full-time appointment.

This job announcement is open to receive applications from the first 100 applicants. The job announcement will remain open until either the quota of 100 applicants, or 01/06/2025 is reached. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration, even those that exceed the 100-applicant limit.

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Duties

Additional Information:

• Current and former Federal employees with status, or who are reinstatement eligible; veterans eligible under the VEOA authority, or who are 30% or more disabled; applicants eligible under special appointing authorities such as individuals with targeted disabilities, certain military spouses, former Peace Corps and Vista Volunteers, etc. For more information, select the following link(s): 1) Merit Promotion, 2) Status Candidate, and/or 3) Veteran Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA).
• Current or former displaced Federal employee in the local commuting area eligible under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), current Department of Interior (DOI) employees in the local commuting area eligible under the Career Transition Program (CTAP), and Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) eligibility. For more information, select the following link(s): 1) Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP), 2) Career Transition Program (CTAP), and/or 3) Veteran Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA).
• Current or former time-limited (temporary and term) employees of a land management agency eligible for permanent positions under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA). For more information, select the following link: Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA).
• Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will be paid if the selectee lives outside of the local commuting area and is otherwise eligible for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation.
  
  
  

Major Duties:

• This position is a working leader of 5 or more employees. The incumbent has a complete knowledge of trail maintenance and construction techniques and must be able to recognize existing and future maintenance problems. Incumbent is knowledgeable in the analysis of drainage patterns and the subsequent control methods. Trail work requires ingenuity and good judgement due to the mostly backcountry nature of the work. Often leadership responsibilities extend after the normal workday in the backcountry camp setting when dealing with sanitation, cooking, and overall camp organization.
• Incumbent provides input to supervisor on trail work priorities, personnel and training recommendations, and equipment or supply needs. Once projects have been prioritized for the work season, incumbent work with supervisor to schedule individual phases of special project or various district projects for the season. This may include scheduling livestock packing, helicopter flights, reserving campsites or cabins, coordinating vehicle and equipment use, and working with volunteer or youth corps groups.
• Incumbent is responsible for daily on-site decisions concerning workflow and assignment and distribution of work for their crew. Teaches and demonstrates trail maintenance and construction methods and techniques to employees and volunteers and sets the pace when working alongside them. Keeps crew informed on procedures, policies, written instructions, and other directives. Holds safety "tailgate sessions" whenever necessary, especially when initiating a new task or operating specialized equipment. Inspects all assigned equipment and vehicles on a regular, recurring basis to assure safe working conditions. Keeps supervisor informed on status and progress of work, causes of work delay, and any personnel issues. Incumbent may be responsible in leading diverse volunteers in assigned trail maintenance and construction projects.
• Performs and leads other trail crew workers in masonry work, primarily dry stone, in the construction, stabilization, and maintenance to historic and non-historic structures, mostly on the park trail system.
• Performs and leads carpentry work, primarily using heavy log and rough-sawn lumber, on trail structures such as log checks, footbridges, multi-use bridges, corrals, hitch rails, and boardwalks. Log work tasks involve the use of a chain saw to fell, buck, notch, and/or shape both native and pressure treated logs in the maintenance and construction of multi-use and foot bridges, water bars and retainer steps, crib walls and steps. Incumbent also extensively uses chain saws in clearing trails of down trees and brush.
  
  
  

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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 will 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 shift work.
• If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
• You may be required to travel overnight away from home. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
• Government Charge Card: You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
• 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.
• Housing may be available
  
  
  

Qualifications

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

• Ability To Lead Or Supervise (SCREEN OUT)
• Knowledge of Equipment Assembly, Installation, Repair, etc.
• Technical Practices (theoretical, precise, artistic)
• Use of Measuring Instruments
• Ability To Interpret Instructions, Specification, etc. (includes blueprinting reading)
• Ability To Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment
• Knowledge of Materials
  
  
  

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.

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. Federal employees seeking CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit proof that they meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605(2) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of their most recent Performance Rating, and a copy of their most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP/ICTAP eligible. If you are selected for Federal employment, you will be required to fill out a Declaration of Federal Employment, OF-306, prior to being appointed to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. Failing to answer all questions truthfully and completely or providing false statements on your application may be grounds for not hiring you, or for firing you after you begin work. Also, you may be punished by fine or imprisonment (U.S. Code, Title 18, section 1001).

Education

There is no substitution of education for experience for Wage Grade (WG) positions.

Additional information

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Physical Demands: Heavy physical effort ss 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 75 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 15 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 6,600 feet 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 livestock, falling and bucking trees, and working around rigging equipment and machinery.

The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework only during an emergency or natural disaster.

Documentation for the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) eligibility, submission of ALL SF-50s and performance information for each period of temporary/term employment that qualifies for LMWFA. Performance documentation can be obtained by contacting the supervisors for the positions you served in during your 24 months. If they did not complete performance appraisals ask them to provide a statement of performance for each period of service. The statement must specify the dates for each employment period and your level of performance (dates should match the dates on the SF-50s).

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park

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107 Park Headquarters Road

Gatlinburg, TN 37738

US