Help Your Parks
Work in the Parks
The opportunity to work in the National Park Service can be the chance of a lifetime. There are over 380 national parks in the United States. Each can be a place in which to gain experience and help develop a career. The types of positions in the NPS often focus on an integrated understanding of natural resources.
Photo by: Martha Bogle
Job titles of a more integrated science nature include: park ranger (interpretation/education or law enforcement), natural resource technician, natural resource specialist, environmental protection specialist, and environmental engineer. These jobs often focus on managing and having a basic understanding of a large spectrum of resources and associated issues, including geology, hydrology, biology, ecosystems, natural change, human-caused change, mitigation, and restoration. Other NPS resource positions require the general understanding with greater emphasis on knowledge in a specific field of study. These job titles include: geologist, physical scientist, botanist, hydrologist, wildlife biologist, fisheries biologist, economist, ecologist, GIS specialist, data manager, etc. Sometimes the title of a position may seem deceiving in that it sounds very general, but the job may focus on just one or two fields of the many within that area of study. For example, a geologist position may focus on the management of watersheds, soils, caves, disturbed lands restoration, glaciers, dunes, fossils, or volcanoes. A botanist position may focus on
endangered species recovery, invasive plant control, disturbed land restoration, aquatic plants, or fire management. While titles in job vacancy announcements may sound the same, job descriptions are key to discovering the exact nature of a position.
The environment can be comfortable or a challenge depending
on your perspective. Park locations span a spectrum from urban to very remote.
Central offices, where regional or national experts can be found, are often
located in major cities.
A career in the NPS may lead you through some of our nation's crown jewels
and to discover some of its less-known natural wonders. It may bring you to
a new perspective on our heritage, an enhanced respect for our people and their
history, as well as an appreciation of the complexities of managing our natural
resources. It is challenging and rewarding. We invite you to apply.