PARK RANGER - 37002401

Requisition No: 847414 

Agency: Environmental Protection

Working Title: PARK RANGER - 37002401

 Pay Plan: Career Service

Position Number: 37002401 

Salary:  $2,813.33 monthly/ $33,760.08 annually 

Posting Closing Date: 03/16/2025 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

PARK RANGER

State of Florida

Department of Environmental Protection

OPEN COMPETITIVE

CLOSING 03/16/2025

Our Organization and Mission:

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is the state’s lead agency for environmental management and stewardship - protecting our air, water, and land. The vision of DEP is to create strong community partnerships, safeguard Florida’s natural resources and enhance its ecosystem. 

The Work You Will Do:

PARK RANGER 37002401

Ochlockonee River State Park is looking for a self-motivated park service professional to fill a Park Ranger position, providing visitor services, maintenance, protection, administration, and resource management.  The applicant must have strong customer service, administrative and maintenance abilities, be able to work independently, and be able to work rotating shifts including evenings, weekends, and holidays.

SUPERVISOR

Jonah Snelling, Assistant Park Manager, 850-962-2771

The Difference You Will Make:

Florida state parks are managed and preserved for enjoyment by all through providing appropriate resource-based recreational opportunities, interpretation and education that help visitors connect to the Real Florida. SM

How You Will Grow:

DEP encourages its leaders to constantly innovate and seek efficiencies. We believe in supporting and encouraging you as you take on important and often complex projects while offering you the opportunity to gain valuable experience quickly.

Where You Will Work:

OCHLOCKONEE RIVER STATE PARK

429 State Park Rd.

Sopchoppy, Florida 32358

Ochlockonee River State Park is located on the scenic Ochlockonee River just 4 miles south of Sopchoppy and offers more than 500 acres with an array of recreational activities on land and water. The Ochlockonee River is a fantastic destination for boating, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, camping, picnicking and sunbathing. The beautiful trails through the pine flatwoods and oak thickets provide excellent hiking, birding and wildlife viewing opportunities.  

Facilities include restrooms, a fishing dock, picnic pavilions, accessible kayak launch, boat ramp, primitive youth camp, dump station and a thirty-site campground with water and electricity.

Ochlockonee River State Park is managed together with Bald Point State Park. Located on Alligator Point where Ochlockonee Bay meets Apalachee Bay, Bald Point State Park offers a multitude of opportunities for land and water activities. Coastal marshes, pine flatwoods, and oak thickets foster a diversity of biological communities that make the park a popular destination for birding and wildlife viewing.  A recent addition of over 7,000 acres makes Bald Point the second largest park in the panhandle at 12,154 acres.

Bald Point offers beach access for swimming, sunbathing, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and windsurfing. Facilities include restrooms, a fishing dock, and picnic pavilions.  A newly constructed accessible kayak launch provides easy access to Chaires Creek and Tucker Lake.   A full facility family campground and ranger station are planned and currently in the design phase.

The Benefits of Working for the State of Florida:

FTE Benefits Language:

Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck. The State’s total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits including:

• Annual and Sick Leave benefits;
• Nine paid holidays and one Personal Holiday each year;
• State Group Insurance coverage options, including health, life, dental, vision, and other supplemental insurance options;
• Retirement plan options, including employer contributions (For more information, please click www.myfrs.com);
• Flexible Spending Accounts;
• Tuition waivers;
• And more!

For a more complete list of benefits, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com.

Pay:

Base salary $2,813.33 month/ $33,760.08 annual

Your Specific Responsibilities:

VISITOR SERVICES: Explains facilities and services provided for public use, enjoyment, and education. Visitor interaction includes answering questions, providing information, assistance, and directions. Resolve customer complaints while maintaining good customer service and upholding the Florida Park Service image.

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: Monitor, maintain, and protect the natural and cultural resources of the park. Implements resource management plans. Plans and participates in invasive species control using chemical and mechanical means. Implement site restoration projects. Participates in hydrological resource restoration and monitoring. Collects, analyzes, and records data.

MAINTENANCE: Constructs, cleans, maintains, and repairs park grounds, facilities, and equipment. Conducts routine inspections to ensure proper maintenance standards are met and identifies and prioritizes needs. Completes basic repair tasks and construction in all trade skills. Maintains Park roads, trails, and fire lines using tractors and chainsaws. Conducts preventative maintenance on all park equipment.

INTERPRETATION: Completes interpretive training to meet established guidelines. Participates in education and outreach, special events and festivals, programs, and personal interpretation. Represents the Florida Park Service to outside agencies and organizations, disseminates information and promotes interpretive opportunities.

ADMINISTRATION: Abides by fiscal and purchasing guidelines. Acquires bids, quotes, and proposals for projects and equipment.  Purchases materials, tools, and equipment. Plans and leads work projects with employees, volunteers, and interns. Completes reports, timesheets, vehicle logs, P-Card purchasing, tracking sheets, wildlife sightings, invasive removal reports, etc. using a variety of computer applications. Operates Point of Sale computer on an as-needed basis.

PROTECTION: Provides protection of facilities and resources by applying rules, policies, regulations, and procedures. Takes appropriate action to ensure visitor safety and adherence to park rules, including identifying and investigating problems. Ensures adherence to Park Protection Plan.

Performs other related duties as required.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

KNOWLEDGE OF:

• Natural and cultural resource preservation and restoration techniques
• Computer operations, point of sale systems, and basic arithmetic
• Effective customer service and public relations methods

SKILL IN:

• Communicating effectively verbally and in writing
• Customer service, public relations, and public speaking
• Use of assorted hand tools, power tools, equipment and operation of vehicles and heavy equipment including manual transmissions
• Operating point of sale systems, reconciling reports, cash handling, and basic arithmetic
• Basic plumbing, electrical and carpentry

ABILITY TO:

• Work independently with minimal supervision
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships
• Perform physical labor
• Work outdoors in inclement weather conditions
• Collect fees, operate computer and point-of-sale systems, and reconcile transactions
• Communicate effectively verbally and in writing
• Understand, apply, and follow applicable rules, directives, regulations, policies, and procedures
• Conduct inspections, identify needs, and investigate problems
• Operate a variety of equipment including 4WD vehicles, ATV’s, tractors, hand tools, and chainsaws
• Complete interpretive training, present interpretive programs and coordinate special events
• Implement invasive removal and restoration programs, including chemical and mechanical treatments
• Accurately prepare reports, collect and analyze data
• Troubleshoot and maintain facilities and equipment
• Perform basic repairs in all trade skills
• Maintain a valid driver’s license
• Successfully complete ranger academy
• Successfully complete background and fingerprint check
• Work rotating shifts including evenings, weekends, and holidays

Minimum Requirements: Valid driver’s license. 

POSITION OF SPECIAL TRUST

This position is designated as a Position of Special Trust in accordance with DEP-422 (Positions of Special Trust or Responsibility). Any applicant being considered for employment must successfully complete a Level 2 State and National criminal history check as a condition of employment before beginning employment, and also be screened in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 435, F.S.  No applicant may begin employment until the background screening results are received, reviewed for any disqualifying offenses, and approved by the Agency.

DEP is committed to successfully recruiting and onboarding talented and skilled individuals into its workforce. We recognize the extensive training, experience, and transferable skills that veterans and individuals with disabilities bring to the workforce. Veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to contact our recruiter for guidance and answers to questions through the following email addresses:

HR_VeteransPreference@dep.state.fl.us

HR_ER@dep.state.fl.us

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer, and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE.  Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply.  Certain service members may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements.  Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code.  Veterans’ Preference documentation requirements are available by clicking here.  All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement.