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An opportunity is anticipated for a self-motivated, hard-working individual, with strong facility management, visitor services, protection, and maintenance experience to fill a Park Ranger position at Lake Louisa State Park located a short drive from Orlando.
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
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.
The natural theme park of Lake Louisa State Park showcases a diversity of wildlife, including deer, bobcat, gopher tortoises, fox squirrel and flighted creatures like bald eagles and osprey.
The park is home to 11 distinct natural plant communities and lies within the eastern boundary of the Green Swamp Area of Critical State Concern and the northern boundary of the Lake Wales Ridge.
The park’s three major lakes, Louisa, Hammond and Dixie, transform idle observers into active participants with opportunities for canoeing, kayaking and paddle-boarding. Bicycling is popular on the park’s seven miles of paved roads over rolling hills and on the 20 miles of unpaved multi-use trails.
Click on the link to preview this beautiful park: https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/lake-louisa-state-park
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.
Base salary- $2,813.33 monthly/$33,760.08 annually
Your Specific Responsibilities:
VISITOR SERVICES - Explains facilities and services provided for public use, enjoyment and education; meets visitors, answers questions, provides information and directions. Attempts to resolve visitor complaints while maintaining good public relations. Provides natural and cultural history interpretive programs and services via tours, walks, and campfire program.
MAINTENANCE - Maintains cleanliness of grounds and facilities. Assists with maintenance and daily cleaning of 20 fully equipped rental cabins. Constructs, maintains, and repairs small buildings, fences, trails, service roads, fire lanes, boardwalks, campsites, picnic sites, docks, and all other necessary facilities.
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT – Participates in the execution of all facets of prescribed fire. Implements ecological burning plan for fire type plant communities; recognizes communities, control burning techniques and maintain fire lanes. Implements vegetation and wildfire management plans; recognize communities and maintains optimum species control via natural and chemical means. Implement site restoration projects such as reforestation and erosion control. Implements water resource management plans.
ADMINISTRATION - Prepares forms and reports on a wide range of subjects including fees, receipts, visitor use, visitor contacts, patrols, wildlife sighting and population counts, accidents, crisis and miscellaneous incidents, vehicle, boat, and equipment operations, property records, p-cards, purchase orders and requisitions, etc. Answers telephone, operate radio equipment, personal computer and maintain logs. Answers correspondence and maintains park files.
PROTECTION - Ensures Park rules are enforced pertaining to all natural, historical and archaeological sites and resources and use thereof for enjoyment of the visitor.
Performs related work as required.
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Knowledge of: good public relations; basic arithmetic.
Skilled in: Utilizing motor vehicles; using various hand tools, power tools, small engines such as lawn mowers and chainsaws.
Ability to: work outdoors in all weather conditions; perform physical labor including lifting 40 pounds; establish and maintain effective working relationships with others; follow verbal and written instructions/directions; communicate effectively, verbally and in writing; work independently with minimum supervision; deal with visitor inquiries in a tactful and courteous manner; understand and apply rules, directives, policies, laws and regulations; perform cash register transactions; operate personal computers; prepare reports; operate radio equipment; participate in all aspects of resource management;
Minimum Qualifications:
- Valid driver’s license.
- Reside on Park property. 2bd/1bth house
- Successful completion of background/fingerprint check
- Successful completion of annual moderate pack test.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Prior to being hired, applicant has a single opportunity to take and successfully complete supervised moderate pack test. Date and location to be announced. Pack test requires applicant to complete a two-mile walk while carrying 25 pounds in less than 30 minutes.
BACKGROUND SCREENING REQUIREMENT: This position is a Position of Trust. 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 to answer 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.
