DCNR Ranger Trainee (Seasonal) - Keystone State Park

If you love spending time in Pennsylvania's state parks and enjoy helping others appreciate the outdoors, consider applying for the Seasonal DCNR Ranger Trainee position. In this role, you will play an important part in creating positive experiences for visitors while working outside and connecting with people from all walks of life. You'll help promote the natural beauty of the Keystone Park Complex, represent the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and support the enforcement of park rules and regulations. You'll also assist with educational and recreational programs that enrich every visitor's time in the park.

Watch this video to see how DCNR Rangers make Pennsylvania a better place to work, live and play!

In this position, you will support public interaction, visitor safety, and law enforcement efforts throughout the Keystone State Park Complex. You will receive both formal and informal training, along with hands-on instruction, to build the essential skills needed for a DCNR Ranger-including public service, conservation practices, environmental education, and basic law enforcement.

Your training will include classroom sessions focused on customer service, modern conservation principles, and introductory environmental education techniques. You will also complete the physical training required to obtain arrest authority. Field assignments will give you the opportunity to apply what you have learned in real-world situations while ensuring compliance with agency policies and regulations.

Work Schedule and Additional Information:

• This is a seasonal, full-time position with no healthcare benefits. The season runs from approximately March 2026, through November 2026, at which time the employee will be placed on leave without pay. The employee will automatically be returned to employment March 2027.
• Will work 40-hour work week, 5 days per week. Will include evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Work Hours are varied eight-hour shifts, with 30-minute paid lunch.
• Telework: You will not have the option to telework in this position.
• You will receive further communication regarding this position via email. Check your email, including spam/junk folders, for these notices.

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Experience and Training Requirements:

• Six months of experience providing visitor services in a public park, forest, recreation area, or a privately-owned and operated nature or outdoor education center; or
• Completion of 15 college credits in natural or environmental sciences, natural resource management, park management, parks or outdoor recreation, forestry, environmental education, ecology, wildlife management, or in a closely related field; or
• An equivalent combination of experience and training.

Special Requirements:

• You must be at least 21 years of age at time of employment.
• All positions require possession of an active motor vehicle license.
• All employees must successfully complete a structured law enforcement training program to obtain authority in exercising the powers of arrest during the trainee period.
• All employees must obtain valid certification in standard first aid and adult, child, and infant CPR approved by the American Red Cross, American Heart Association, or equivalent during the trainee period.
• All employees must pass psychological testing (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Failure to pass this test is a basis for removal from the position.
• All employees must pass Pennsylvania State Police and FBI Criminal Background Checks. A record of conviction of a criminal offense for which more than one year in prison can be imposed as punishment is a basis for removal from the position.

Other Requirements:

• This position requires employees to successfully pass a physical fitness test within 6 months of the start of employment. Click here to learn more about these requirements.
• You must meet the PA residency requirement. For more information on ways to meet PA residency requirements, follow the link and click on Residency Guidelines.
• You must be able to perform essential job functions.

Legal Requirements:

• You must pass a background investigation.
• This position falls under the provisions of the Child Protective Services Law.
  • Under the Law, a conditional offer of employment will require submission and approval of satisfactory criminal history reports including, but not limited to, PA State Police clearance, PA Child Abuse history clearance, and FBI Fingerprint clearance.

How to Apply:

• Resumes, cover letters, and similar documents will not be reviewed, and the information contained therein will not be considered for the purposes of determining your eligibility for the position. Information to support your eligibility for the position must be provided on the application (i.e., relevant, detailed experience/education).
• If you are claiming education in your answers to the supplemental application questions, you must attach a copy of your college transcripts for your claim to be accepted toward meeting the minimum requirements. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable.
• Your application must be submitted by the posting closing date. Late applications and other required materials will not be accepted.
• Failure to comply with the above application requirements may eliminate you from consideration for this position.

Veterans:

Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS):

• 711 (hearing and speech disabilities or other individuals).

If you are contacted for an interview and need accommodations due to a disability, please discuss your request for accommodations with the interviewer in advance of your interview date.

The Commonwealth is an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse workforce. The Commonwealth values inclusion as we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most qualified people to serve the citizens of Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, ancestry, union membership, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, AIDS or HIV status, disability, or any other categories protected by applicable federal or state law. All diverse candidates are encouraged to apply.

• Completing the application, including all supplemental questions, serves as your exam for this position. No additional exam is required at a test center (also referred to as a written exam).
• Your score is based on the detailed information you provide on your application and in response to the supplemental questions.
• Your score is valid for this specific posting only.
• You must provide complete and accurate information or:
  • your score may be lower than deserved.
  • you may be disqualified.
• You may only apply/test once for this posting.
• Your results will be provided via email.