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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
Visit the Forest Service's national "Careers" page
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.
SEASONAL / TEMPORARY HIRING - COMING SOON FOR 2023 POSITIONS
Update: November 10, 2023 - Visit the Regional Fire/Aviation page for current / upcoming Fire opportunities
- Fire positions are expected to be open on October 26 for 14 days.
- 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.
Click here for the list of 2024 temporary positions on the RGNF.
We will revise this section when additional opportunities occur.
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:
Working in recreation offers many different opportunities from clearing and maintaining motorized and non-motorized trails to maintaining campground and bathroom facilities.
| Program Area | Locations | For more info, contact |
|---|---|---|
| Recreation positions on the Conejos Peak Ranger District | La Jara | Jeremiah Martinez, jeremiah.martinez@usda.gov |
| Recreation positions on the Saguache Ranger District | Saguache | Matthew Schomburg, matthew.schomburg@usda.gov |
| Recreation positions on the Divide Ranger District | Del Norte | For Developed Recreation: Tanner Dutton, tanner.m.dutton@usda.gov For Trails: Bryce Hofmann, bryce.hofmann@usda.gov |
Seasonal employees working in timber will help evaluate and mark Forest timber for timber sales and collect data on Forest health.
| Program Area | Locations | For more info, contact |
|---|---|---|
| Timber positions on the Saguache Ranger District | Saguache | Christa Gulaian, christa.gulaian@usda.gov |
| Timber positions on the Conejos Peak Ranger District | La Jara | Vincent Dupont, vincent.dupont@usda.gov |
Assist with fuels mitigation, fire prevention, and fire fighting.
| Program Area | Locations | For more info, contact |
|---|---|---|
| Fire positions on the Rio Grande National Forest | Monte Vista | Derrick Rader, derrick.rader@usda.gov |
Assist with monitoring of livestock grazing on the Forest and evaluating range health.
| Program Area | Locations | For more info, contact |
|---|---|---|
| Range positions on the Saguache Ranger District | Saguache | Eric Norris, eric.norris2@usda.gov |
| Range positions on the Divide Ranger District | Del Norte | Madison Groven, madison.groven@usda.gov |
Assist with data collection, monitoring, and data entry of a variety of Forest resources.
| Program Area | Locations | For more info, contact |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Resource positions on the Rio Grande National Forest | Del Norte | William Remshardt william.remshardt@usda.gov |
Positions in visitor information and customer service provide information to visitors, answer phones, and sell forest products like fuelwood permits and maps.
| Program Area | Locations | For more info, contact |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor Information positions on the Conejos Peak Ranger District | La Jara | Andrea Jones, andrea.jones@usda.gov |
| Visitor Information positions on the Divide Ranger District | Del Norte | Patrick Moran, patrick.j.moran@usda.gov |
| Visitor Information positions on the Saguache Ranger District | Saguache | Tristram Post, tristram.post@usda.gov |
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:
- How to write a federal resume and apply
- How to apply for federal jobs YouTube video
- Video on resume writing for USAJobs
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
Trail work in the National Forest
Forest Service Firefighters