Federal

Seasonal Animal Packer Leader

National Park Service Β· Department of the Interior
πŸ“ West Glacier, Montana WL-8 $36 - $42/hr
Posted: Feb 10, 2026 Deadline: Feb 24, 2026 (Closes in 9 days days left)

About This Position

These positions may be filled for a seasonal period, up to 1560 hours, but can vary due to weather conditions, project needs, or funding. Anticipated Entry on Duty: March-July 2026. For more park(s) information, please visit find a park.

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) Ability to Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc. (Other Than Blueprint Reading) Ability To Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment Dexterity and Safety Knowledge of materials Technical Practices (theoretical precise, artistic) Use of Measuring Instructions 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 priorΒ­ity 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.

Major Duties

Responsible for the care, feeding, and assignment of the Park's stock, approximately 60 horses and/or mules. Ensures the upkeep, replacement, or purchase of all equipment and supplies for the operation. Oversees the Park's packing operation. Provides oversight and direction in emergency operations when the use of stock is required, such as rescues and fire suppression.

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. If selected for a position/location that requires search and rescue, emergency response, use of firearms, watercraft operation, or commercial driver's license, you will be required to submit to a drug test and receive a negative drug test result prior to appointment. In addition, this position is subject to random testing for illegal drug use. 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 must possess and maintain a current Class B or higher Commercial Driver's License with no Air Brake Restriction. Applicants must be at least 18 years old.

Education

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

How You Will Be Evaluated

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. You will be evaluated on the following competencies and/or job elements: Ability to Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc. (Other Than Blueprint Reading) Ability To Lead Or Supervise Ability To Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment Dexterity and Safety Knowledge of materials Technical Practices (theoretical precise, artistic) Use of Measuring Instructions

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. This job opportunity announcement will be used to fill one or more additional selections at any time without notification. 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 Effort: Requires good physical stamina and strength in arms, back and legs to perform required tasks safely and efficiently. Involving walking, bending, riding horseback for long hours, it requires lifting, carrying and securing awkward loads onto the sides of animals at or above chest height and the use of arms to hold packs in position while hitching ropes. Must be able to adjust these loads along the trail in steep, rocky. or other poor footing situations. Incumbent is also required to bend, squat, twist, lift, and load while preparing loads, lifting loads onto trucks for transport, daily feeding, and occasional shoeing. When not actively engaged in packing operations, may be assigned as a working member of a trail crew performing various trail maintenance functions including but not limited to sawing out downed trees, miscellaneous shoveling. trail grubbing. pasture fencing, and hiking. Working Conditions: Works at altitudes in all extremes of weather, from wind, rain, snow and extreme cold, to hot, dry, and dusty. At times it is required to live in primitive backcountry locations for up to ten days. Supplies own food and provides for own personal needs. Also work in barn and shop environments. There is danger of cuts, burns and hypothermia; danger of strained or wrenched muscles due to the movement of animals while hitching or loading, shoeing, etc.; danger from animals crushing, striking, or biting; exposure to equipment, prefabricated pit toilets, roofing, explosives, hay and any other types of supplies and materials

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 02/24/2026. 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/12883304 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.

Required Documents

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 02/24/2026: 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. Documentation that you meet the Selective Placement Factor. 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. Failure to submit any of the above-mentioned required documents will result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted. 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the salary for the Seasonal Animal Packer Leader position at National Park Service?
The salary range for this position is $36 - $42/hr. This is a WL-8 position on the General Schedule pay scale. Actual pay may vary based on locality adjustments.
Where is the Seasonal Animal Packer Leader job located?
This position is located in West Glacier, Montana. This is an on-site position.
What qualifications do I need?
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) Ability to Interpret Instructions, Specifications, etc. (Other Than Blueprint Reading) Ability To Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment Dexterity and Safety Knowledge of materials Technical P...
How do I apply for this position?
Apply through USAJobs.gov by clicking the 'Apply on USAJobs' button. You'll need a USAJobs account, a federal-style resume, and supporting documents. The deadline is Feb 24, 2026.
Is a security clearance required?
No security clearance is required for this position.
What does WL-8 mean?
WL-8 refers to the General Schedule grade level. Higher grades require more experience and offer higher pay. Visit our GS Pay Scale page for full salary tables by grade and locality.
What benefits do federal employees receive?
Federal employees receive comprehensive benefits including health insurance (FEHB), retirement through FERS, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) with government matching, paid annual and sick leave, paid parental leave, life insurance, and student loan repayment programs.