Employment

Since 1905, US Forest Service employees have been operating under the philosophy initiated by the first Chief of the Forest Service, Gifford Pinchot, who believed in "the greatest good for the greatest number in the long run." Forest Service careers provide exciting and challenging opportunities to be involved in the management and protection of our nation's 51,000 square miles of National Forest System Lands. 

This page offers information on how to seek and apply for jobs on the Rio Grande National Forest. We use a combination of information sources from our local offices to our Rocky Mountain Regional Office to our National office in Washington D.C. There is much information here and we recommend you carefully review the information to ensure you are fully prepared to apply for jobs in what can be a long and tedious process. It is well worth it! 

Agency-wide Hiring

Rocky Mountain Region - seasonal jobs

Please see "Seasonal / Temporary Hiring" below.

Follow this link to the Region 2 Jobs Page: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/r2/jobs

Also, we recommend visiting USAJobs regularly. See also "What can you do to prepare in advance" below for suggestions.

Job Opportunities - Rio Grande National Forest

PERMANENT POSITIONS

Non-Fire Positions

The Rio Grande National Forest is actively participating in several national collective hiring events in 2023.  We are often running the outreach concurrently with the actual job advertisement.

COMING SOON! (Posted - June 5, 2023)

From June through September, we are hiring hundreds of entry-level forestry aids and technicians in locations nationwide. The Rio Grande NF expects to fill a few positions through this effort. 

Entry-Level Forestry Aid & Technician Jobs

The Rocky Mountain Region, Region 2, is filling multiple permanent-full time, entry-level Forestry Technicians in Timber, Recreation, and Natural Resources, GS-0462-4, with a full performance potential of GS-5, 6, or 7.

These integrated entry-level forestry technician positions and career ladders provide training steps that lead to progressively more advanced jobs and skill sets throughout a Forest Service employee's career.

Applications are accepted during these weeks:

  • June 26 through July 3, 2023: Locations include UT, CO, OR, WA, ND, and SD

 

SEASONAL / TEMPORARY HIRING - NOW CLOSED FOR 2023 POSITIONS

We will revise this section when additional opportunities occur. 

  • ​Second application period for 2023 summer seasonal positions is open from Jan 12th to Jan 19th. 
  • Important note! You must apply on usajobs.gov for all positions. Learn more about about how to apply.
  • You should also check back here occasionally to see if new positions are being advertised.
  • The application period for 2023 summer positions was open from September 29 to October 6.

Temporary positions with the USDA Forest Service are a great way to gain valuable experience, work outdoors, and get exposure to different careers. The positions are in fire, trails, timber, administration, recreation, fisheries and archeology. The Rio Grande National Forest will be hiring up to 35 positions for next summer. Listed below are the positions we anticipate hiring for:

 

OUTREACH

An outreach is the process by which our hiring managers attempt to determine the method that will be used to fill a particular vacancy and notify potential applicants of an upcoming job announcement. Often, these are NOT the actual advertisements for the position being filled. We encourage all interested parties to respond to the outreach to help us determine interest. The RGNF is currently outreaching the following positions (most recent on top):

There are currently no RGNF outreaches listed.

Follow this link to the Forest Service Outreach Database.

When they become actual vacancy announcements, access them on the USAJobs website on the date the job opens. Typically, vacancies will open in USAJobs at 12:00am and close at 11:59:59pm Eastern time on the dates listed.

How to prepare and apply?

  • Create an account on USAJobs and set up your profile.
  • Build or upload your resume. Please note federal resumes are generally more extensive than private sector resumes; learn more.
  • Upload important documents. These may include current transcripts, a list of references, letters of recommendation, veterans preference documentation, and certifications.
  • Search for open positions by location (eg. Del Norte, La Jara, Saguache).
  • Submit an application package for each position you are interested in. This may include a questionnaire about skills related to the job.
  • Sign-up for e-mail notifications about future job postings using the “save search” function in your USAJobs profile.

Helpful links:

Career Options

The Forest Service has a wide breadth of career fields, appealing to both outdoor and indoor enthusiasts alike. Many short-term seasonal opportunities are also available. Below are examples of the many career areas available with the Forest Service. Learn more about careers at the Forest Service National Career Page.

Recreation Wildlife Biology Fire Management
Heritage Resources Engineering Range Management
Information Technology Hydrology Timber Management
Administrative GIS Human Resources
Law Enforcement Contracting Visitor Information
Land Surveying Budgeting Public Affairs

Quick Links

Related Links

Photo of trail work in the National Forest

Trail work in the National Forest

Photo of FS Firefighters

Forest Service Firefighters