Seasonal Supervisory Recreation Assistant (Surf Lifeguard)

Summary These positions are temporary/seasonal not to exceed 1560-hour appointments. they are located at Gateway National Recreation Area. Temporary positions not-to-exceed 1560 hours in a service year may be terminated/extended based on management needs. Defined seasonal May through September. Learn more about this agency Duties MAJOR DUITES: Manages and oversees lifeguard operations at a large, high-volume surf beach, ensuring the safety of visitors through effective supervision, coordination of staff, and enforcement of established safety protocols. Directs and supervises lifeguard staff and subordinate supervisors, including training, scheduling, performance management, and ensuring compliance with recognized lifeguarding and operational standards. Coordinates emergency response operations, including search and rescue activities, medical emergencies, and incident command functions, ensuring timely and effective response to life-threatening situations. Develops and implements operational plans, reports, and program improvements, including preparing statistical data, evaluating performance trends, and recommending enhancements to lifeguard program effectiveness. Ensures compliance with park regulations and public safety requirements, conducting inspections of facilities and equipment, addressing hazards, and maintaining readiness of rescue equipment and personnel. 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 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 may be required to complete training and operate a four-wheel drive vehicle. Government housing maybe available in New Jersey location only. 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. Must have the ability to lift 50 pounds. 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. Pre-employment physical examination required prior to entry on duty at applicant's expense. You must be able to pass the surf-lifeguard test. Candidates must pass all parts of the test - includes the following: Swim 550 yards continuously in less than 10 minutes using a swimming stroke performed on the front only; and Run 1.25 miles continuously in less than 12 minutes. All applicants will be tested upon entry on duty. Inability to pass this test is grounds for termination. Qualifications All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-05/08/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience. To qualify for this position at the GS-08 grade level, you must possess at least one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: EXPERIENCE: To qualify for this position at the GS-08 grade level, applicants must possess one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience that demonstrates the ability to perform the following: Applying advanced knowledge of surf lifeguard operations at a major ocean or surf-beach recreational area, including open water rescue techniques, emergency medical response, surveillance operations, and coordination of lifeguard coverage across designated swimming areas; Serving as a supervisor or lead over subordinate first-level surf lifeguard supervisors or lifeguard staff, including assigning work, directing operational activities, monitoring performance, and ensuring adequate staffing and safety coverage for beach operations; Ensuring compliance with park regulations and compendium rules governing designated swimming areas, including enforcing safety regulations, monitoring visitor activities, and taking appropriate action to prevent unsafe behavior or hazardous conditions; Demonstrating strong interpersonal and communication skills ("people skills") to effectively interact with visitors, staff, and cooperating agencies, including resolving conflicts, providing safety information to the public, and maintaining order in high-use recreational beach environments; Adhering to Merit System Principles, advancing Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) policies, and promoting ethical conduct in the workplace, including fostering a respectful work environment and ensuring fair and equitable treatment of employees. 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. Education There is no substitution of education for experience at the grade level(s) of this announcement. 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. 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 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 temporary appointment less than 1040 hours during that period, you are still welcome to apply. However, please be aware that exceeding the limit of 1040 hours 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 1040 hours. The limit also can be exceeded by working a single temporary seasonal appointment that exceeds 1040 hours, unless granted an exception by OPM. NOTE: In support of Executive Order (EO) 14189 "Celebrating America's 250th Birthday" and EO 14314 "Making America Beautiful Again by Improving our National Parks" the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has approved an exception to the 1039 hour time limitation for this position. This approval extends the time limitation to 1560 hours for this temporary seasonal appointment. Employment may be terminated at any time due to fluctuations in funding levels, project needs, employee performance, or other considerations. Physical Demands: The work is primarily management and supervision requiring periods of time working indoors in an office setting, driving off road vehicles and walking on paved, beach sand, or other uneven surfaces. Second level supervisors involved in ocean rescue require demonstrably above-average speed, but also endurance capacity, in running barefoot over rough, uneven surfaces, then without a second's interruption, plunging into turbulent surf, and swimming at is someone else's life is on the line. The work requires lifting objects over 45 pounds (e.g., lifeguard stands, surfboats), jumping from an elevated height (10ft), running with a surf-rescue board, then paddling it vigorously using both arms; paddling an ocean kayak; and rowing a surfboat crewed by 4 persons. The following is required physical-conditioning and skill-proficiency training for surf rescue work:- Distance runs and swims for time. (Daily)- Paddle surf-rescue board 1,000 yards. (Daily)- Participate in rescue drill. (Weekly)- Urgent first-aid care, CPR, AED drill. (Weekly) Working Conditions: The work involves potentially high risks; developing skin cancer from prolonged exposure to the sun, a shark attack, inadvertently being pinned under a 300-pound surfboat in attempting to beach it. The representative sample of potentially high risks associated with surf-lifeguard work, however, equates the employee to be mindful of such risks, and to take prudent precautions to eliminate-or if not eliminate, at least to minimize-such risks. For the conditions of the work setting are literally uncontrollable. Expand Hide  additional information Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.