Visitor Services Assistant (NPS, Zion National Park)

The Research Associate Program at GBI, in cooperation with National Park Service (NPS) at Zion National Park, is recruiting two (2) Visitor Services Assistants to participate in fee collection and visitor services duties.  

The Visitor Services Assistants (VSA) will work under the guidance and mentorship of the Zion National Park fee management office. The positions will primarily support fee collection operations in entrance stations and campgrounds as well as perform other visitor services duties such as traffic control at the historic Zion Mt Carmel Tunnel and providing general park orientation information and publications to the visiting public. Opportunities to support other work groups such as Interpretation and Education and search and rescue may be possible as staffing allows.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Fee collection at busy entrance stations including the sale of park admission and America the Beautiful interagency park passes. Payments may be processed by cash, credit card, or check.  Basic knowledge of fee collection equipment and troubleshooting may be required.
• Issuing oversize vehicle permits for the Zion Mt. Carmel Tunnel. Manually verifying that vehicles exceed dimensions requiring a permit by using a tape measurer and/or telescoping measuring stick.
• Provide information to a high volume of visitors entering the park regarding general park orientation and transportation logistics. Information is provided verbally and by distributing park publications.
• Perform fee collection duties in park campgrounds including reservation management on Recreation.gov, providing information to visitors checking in about campground regulations and distributing publications, performing campground roves to check for rule compliance, and performing light campground maintenance duties such as trash and campfire ring ash removal.  
• Assist with clerical administrative duties such as preparing cash and credit card deposits, receiving and verifying accountable stock such as interagency park passes, and performing courier duties to deliver and retrieve supplies from the field.
• Perform light maintenance in fee collection booths and offices such as vacuuming, dusting, restocking, and cleaning employee restrooms at fee stations.  
• Perform traffic control duties at the Zion Mt. Carmel Tunnel to allow for safe passage of oversize vehicles.
• Communicate effectively by park radio, telephone, Microsoft Teams chat, and Microsoft Outlook email. 
• If interested, and as staffing allows, may be allowed to cross train with the Interpretation and Education work group staffing the Zion Canyon Visitor Center information desk or facilitating education programs for visiting school groups.

Timeline:

• September 2025 - September 2026, 52 project weeks.
• Full time (40 hours/week).
• Schedule: 5/ 8’s, weekend and holiday work may be required.

Location:

Zion National Park is a unique geological, natural, and cultural treasure in southwestern Utah. Opportunities for sightseeing, hiking, and camping abound in the park. Humans have occupied this area for approximately 10,000 years and archaeological sites occur throughout the park.

Work will primarily be performed at the Springdale, UT duty station in Zion Canyon. Opportunities to cross train at the Kolob Canyons Visitor Center in New Harmony, UT may be possible. 

Compensation and Benefits:

Compensation: $15.50 hourly.

Benefits:

• Company-paid comprehensive medical, dental (with option to upgrade in coverage), and vision insurance.
• $25,000 Basic Life & AD&D insurance at no cost.
• Competitive PTO accrual and paid holidays.
• Eligible for 401(k) retirement savings with up to 4% GBI match.
• Access to Pro Deals.

Housing:

• Will be provided to the selected participant at additional costs. All housing is located within ½ mile of Zion National Park Headquarters where the fee office is located. Depending on availability selectees may be provided a room in a dormitory or house with shared common spaces and bathroom. Units are furnished with basic furniture and kitchen appliances including refrigerator, range, and microwave.
• Reimbursement of $108.30 biweekly will be provided to the selected participant. Selectees will be responsible for remainder of bi-weekly rent payments which could be up to $190 every two weeks.

Required:

• Cash handling experience and basic knowledge of fee collection technology such as cash registers, electronic credit card readers, or web-based fee collection platforms (ex. Recreation.gov).
• Experience working in environments with a high volume of customer service interactions.
• Ability to maintain a helpful and positive attitude while independently handling difficult situations.
• Experience performing work requiring organization, attention to detail, interpretation and implementation of policies and standard operating procedures.
• Must provide a valid driver’s license and possess a clean driving record. Will be required to operate government vehicles to get to and from some duty stations.
• Successful applicants must complete a Department of Interior (DOI) Background Investigation (BI) or submit paperwork to NPS human resources indicating an active and fully adjudicated BI has already been completed prior to beginning position. If you already have a fully adjudicated BI, please let us know in your application.

Preferred:

• Individuals with a sincere interest in serving the visiting public at one of the busiest parks in the NPS.
• Individuals who find value in being part of a greater mission to support park operations through fee collection, visitor service, and representing the NPS with pride and professionalism.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, use hands, stand, walk, bend, and have specific vision abilities to include close and distance vision, and ability to adjust focus working with computer business equipment and other job/industry specific equipment. The noise level in the work environment is usually low but you may be occasionally exposed to loud noise produced by vehicle engines at entrance stations and while performing traffic control duties. Employees may be required to occasionally lift up to 25 lbs.

Work is performed indoors and outdoors during all seasons. Temperatures in the summer can reach 110 degrees Fahrenheit and can be below freezing in the winter. Most work is performed inside climate-controlled buildings, but some duty stations require outdoor work and exposure to environmental conditions. Mitigations are in place to provide for employee comfort and safety.

How to Apply:

Please apply online through this application link by submitting an up-to-date resume, one-page cover letter that details your interest in the position, and any qualifications not fully described in your resume, contact information for three professional and/or academic references. Be sure to complete any preliminary questions prompted in the application and sign your application.

Public Land Corps Hiring Authority:

This project is federally funded through the Public Land Corps Hiring Authority. Participants serving under this authority may be eligible for the PLC non-competitive hiring status and certificate. The PLC Authority requires all applicants meet the age and US Citizen requirements. Additional information regarding the PLC can be found on the GBI website under the Research Associate Programs FAQ.

Notes:

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employees may perform other related duties as negotiated to meet the organization's ongoing needs.

All offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment background check.

Disclaimer:

Although the organization has attempted to accurately and thoroughly describe this position, GBI reserves the right to change the same, including to change, add to or subtract from the duties outlined, within the sole discretion of the organization, at any time, with or without advance notice.