Summary This position serves as the Superintendent for Mesa Verde National Park and Yucca House National Monument, and will be duty-stationed in Mesa Verde National Park, CO. This is a permanent, full-time position.
This position is also open to status candidates under announcement CAHN-27-13094227-ST-MH. You must apply to each announcement separately if you wish to be considered under both recruitment methods. Duties We seek leaders who excel not only at managing parks and public lands, but at leading other leaders. Today's Superintendents are expected to lead beyond the boundaries of a single park by investing in, coaching, and empowering senior managers and fellow Superintendents, creating the conditions in which accomplished leaders can thrive, exercise sound judgment, and deliver exceptional stewardship and public service. Successful candidates serve as multipliers of leadership capacity-fostering collaboration across organizational boundaries, navigating the complexities of leading experienced executives with diverse perspectives and authorities, and building high-performing organizations grounded in accountability, integrity, and trust. They cultivate enduring partnerships, ensure decisions are lawful and mission-focused, and inspire confidence among employees, partners, gateway communities, Tribal Nations, and the American people.
As the Park Manager (Superintendent) you will perform the following major duties:
- Direct and supervise the full range of planning, organizing, development, control, and evaluation of operations and management programs of Mesa Verde National Park and Yucca House National Monument.
- Represent the National Park Service (NPS) in primary communications with members of Congress, Federal, State, and regional and local officials, public and private organizations, Tribal Nations, and the general public.
- Oversee and manage natural and cultural resource protection of the parks to ensure the preservation of resources and implementation of land protection initiatives.
- Manage visitor and resource protection programs, providing overall direction for law enforcement functions and the Interpretation and Visitor Services Program.
- Manage large and complex park facility management and maintenance programs to maintain and preserve structures, landscapes, and/or monuments.
- Responsible for identifying, obtaining, and directing financial and human resources necessary to accomplish the mission of the park.
- Provide leadership to the parks and partners to uphold the NPS vision in a complex and continuously changing environment.
Qualifications
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-11/17/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.
To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.
** Please refer to the "Required Documents" section for Resume requirements. **
QUALIFICATIONS:
To qualify for this position at the GS-15 grade level you must possess the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement:
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: At least one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-14 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is experience that demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled.
Park-related or similar land management experience may have been in technical, administrative, resource management, or scientific work, fish and wildlife management, recreation management, law enforcement, or other park-related work.
Examples of qualifying specialized experience include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Management, assistant, or program specialist work involving the development and implementation of policy related to protection, conservation, or management of park areas or similar operations;
- Management work in a park, recreation, or conservation area;
- Experience working with Tribal Nations;
- Directs park-related or similar land management programs and work through direct and indirect supervision.
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. Note: To receive credit for volunteer experience please follow the same required resume format as paid experience (i.e., hours per week worked, dates in month/year format, etc.
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PROBATIONARY PERIOD: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.
This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider:
- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary, such appointments are terminated.
Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.Education This position does not allow substituting education for experience.
Requirements
- Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
- Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
- Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
- Direct Deposit participation required.
- Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit www.dhs.gov/EVerify/.
- DRIVER'S LICENSE: Must have and maintain a valid driver's license throughout employment.
- UNIFORM: You are required to wear a uniform and comply with the uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
- A financial disclosure report will be required within 30 days of appointment.
- WORK SCHEDULE: You may be required to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and overtime for special events or emergencies.
- TRAVEL: You may be required to travel overnight away from home occasionally. You will be required to obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
- You may be required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and purchase authority.
- You 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.
- PROBATIONARY PERIOD: As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period. For more information regarding Probationary Periods, please see "Qualifications" section below.
How you will be evaluated Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g. resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of any additional assessment(s) required for this position.
Your resume must not exceed 2 pages. 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.
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, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into 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 assessed in the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
- Administration and Management
- Leadership
- Partnering
- Planning and Evaluating
- Project Management
To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of an additional assessment, a subject matter expert (SME) resume review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.
Current or former displaced Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be well-qualified, score at least 85 (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry.
Providing false or misleading information on your resume or supporting documentation may result in removal from consideration or other action consistent with applicable federal hiring regulations. Applicants who include vulgar, offensive, or inappropriate language or information in their application package will be ineligible for further consideration for this position. How to apply Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the 11/17/2026--unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement to receive consideration.
The application process is as follows:
- Click the Apply Online button.
- Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. To PREVIEW the application questionnaire, select the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13094224
- Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To view the announcement status or your application status, visit https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status.
Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies within the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s), including within the same metro/commuting area. Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration. Other information AREA INFORMATION: Located in southwestern Colorado, Mesa Verde National Park was established in 1906 to preserve and interpret the archaeological heritage of the Ancestral Pueblo people. For more than 700 years, Ancestral Pueblo communities thrived on the mesas and among the cliffs of Mesa Verde. Today, the park protects an extraordinary cultural landscape with deep connections to 26 Pueblos and Tribes, offering visitors opportunities to explore the past while learning about the enduring cultural connections of contemporary Tribal communities.
Designated as both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an International Dark Sky Park, Mesa Verde is also home to more than 1,000 species, including several found nowhere else in the world. The park also administers nearby Yucca House National Monument, an undeveloped National Park Service unit that protects a large, unexcavated Ancestral Pueblo village.
Mesa Verde welcomes more than 500,000 visitors annually. The surrounding Four Corners region offers exceptional outdoor recreational opportunities, including skiing, mountain biking, hiking, rafting, camping, hunting, and fishing. Nearby public lands include the San Juan National Forest, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, and lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management's Tres Rios Field Office.
Most employees should anticipate a 45-minute to one-hour commute to park headquarters, where the Superintendent's Office is located. The surrounding communities of Cortez, Mancos, Dolores, and Durango offer a variety of housing, shopping, dining, schools, and community amenities. Regional airports in Cortez and Durango provide additional travel connections.
With its remarkable cultural and natural resources, welcoming communities, and outstanding recreational opportunities, Mesa Verde and the surrounding region offer an exceptional place to live and work.
Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will be paid if the selectee lives outside the local commuting area and is otherwise eligible for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation.
Employer paid and reimbursed relocation expenses are considered taxable income. The NPS does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. Employees should consult professional tax, legal and accounting advisors regarding concerns about the financial implications of a Permanent Change of Station (PCS).
The duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.
Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.
All Department of Interior (DOI) employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here, https://www.doi.gov/ethics/ethics-prohibitions.
