Natural Resources Specialist (Ranger)

Summary

This is a Direct Hire Authority (DHA) solicitation utilizing the DHA for Certain Personnel of the DoD Workforce to recruit and appoint qualified candidates to positions in the competitive service. About the Position: This position with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, SWD, Fort Worth District, Operations Division located at one of the following duty station locations: Clifton, Lewisville, Texarkana, or Jefferson, TX. See "Additional Information" Section for more info.

Duties

• Serve as a natural resource management staff specialist for a major water resource project.
• Participate in the development of various planning documents including Master Plans and Operational Management Plans (OMP), for management of natural resources.
• Participate in conservation, preservation, restoration and use of project natural and cultural resources.
• Participate in all aspects of recreation management at the project.
• Enforce Title 36 CFR by educating the visiting public on project purposes, conditions, policies and regulations.
• Patrol project lands and waters on foot and using motor vehicle to prevent unauthorized use, trespass, destruction of property, and to insure compliance with rules and regulations.
• Assist with project's environmental compliance program.
• Conduct public relations services for the general public and for special groups.
• Assist with management of the water resources project as it pertains to the dam and appurtenant structures in conjunction with daily duties.
• Ensure strict enforcement of safe practices and safety regulations.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. Basic Requirement for Natural Resources Specialist (Ranger): A. Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related disciplines appropriate to the position. Related disciplines would be ecology, land use planning, arboriculture, zoology, environmental law, wildlife management, botany, fire science, landscape architecture, forestry, horticulture, conservation education, fisheries biology, plant physiology, range management, wildlife biology, geology, wildlife ecology, geographic information systems, soils science, air resources, or environmental interpretation. OR B. Combination of Education and Experience: Courses equivalent to a major, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education. In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below: GS-05 for Natural Resources Specialist (Ranger): Applicants who meet the basic requirements described above are fully qualified for this grade level. GS-07 for Natural Resources Specialist (Ranger): Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes 1) Preparing documents pertaining to leasing and/or managing project lands; AND 2) Providing project information to the visiting public through brochures, bulletin boards, news releases and/or telephone calls. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-05). OR Education: One full year of graduate level education in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, ecology, land use planning, arboriculture, zoology, environmental law, wildlife management, botany, fire science, landscape architecture, forestry, horticulture, conservation education, fisheries biology, plant physiology, range management, wildlife biology, geology, wildlife ecology, geographic information systems, soils science, air resources, or environmental interpretation.]. OR Superior Academic Achievement: In order to be creditable under this provision, Superior Academic Achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled, such as that identified in Education above. Superior Academic Achievement is based on:(1) Class Standing - Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; OR(2) Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) - Applicants must have a grade-point average of either (a) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on your official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or (b) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.; OR(3) Honor Society Membership - Applicants may be considered eligible based on membership in one of the approved national scholastic honor societies listed by the Association of College Honor Societies (https://www.achsnatl.org/). OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) by 18. Add the two percentages. GS-09 for Natural Resources Specialist (Ranger): Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes 1) Enforcing project regulations, laws and/or policies by educating visitors; AND 2) Planning and/or implementing environmental, recreational, or natural resources activities at a park or lake. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-07). OR Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, ecology, land use planning, arboriculture, zoology, environmental law, wildlife management, botany, fire science, landscape architecture, forestry, horticulture, conservation education, fisheries biology, plant physiology, range management, wildlife biology, geology, wildlife ecology, geographic information systems, soils science, air resources, or environmental interpretation.. OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages.

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the 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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/

How to apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/08/2026 to receive consideration To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application (https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12964327). Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. As a reminder, your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For additional information, refer to the 'Required Documents' section. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process. You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. Your resume selected in USAJOBS will be included, but you must re-select other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application may be incomplete. It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan. Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/applicant/profile/dashboard/), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.