Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/20/2026. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-08. For a GS-10 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09.The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: This position has INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT which is a basic requirement that must be met to qualify for entry into this job series, and it is something that cannot be waived. To meet the basic requirement for the Recreation Specialist Occupational series, applicants must demonstrate one of the following:

Basic Requirements:

• Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- general recreation, or one of the appropriate fields of recreation such as outdoor recreation
• recreation and parks leadership
• wild land recreation management
• natural resources recreation
• youth recreation
• public, urban, or community recreation
• special populations recreation (e.g., senior citizens, institutional, etc.)
• or physical education
• OR, Experience that demonstrated the ability to apply the principles of one or more specialty areas of recreation
• Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: Planning, organizing, coordinating, supervising, or evaluating community, industrial, outdoor, institutional, or other recreational programs
• Planning, establishing, or evaluating a recreational curriculum for junior college or higher academic levels
• Instructing in the principles and techniques of recreational program planning and management
• Serving in a leadership role in the programs and activities of local, regional, and/or national recreational organizations
• Grade Requirements: Recreation Specialist, GS-9 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-8) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization
• Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: performing developmental recreation programs using established principles, guidelines, and structured models to include planning and delivering recreational activities, support treatment, program goals, gathering and documenting participant information, and contributing to activity adaptation using well-defined procedures under normal supervision
• OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience
• To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B
• or J.D., if related
• OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level
• You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond 1 full year of graduate level education
• Recreation Specialist, GS-10 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-9) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization
• Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: performing a full range of recreation specialist duties with technical proficiency and programmatic responsibility to include planning, implementing, and evaluating recreational programs
• adapting activities based on participant needs
• coordinating with interdisciplinary staff
• assessing risk and safety considerations
• and making decisions that require interpretation of policies, therapeutic objectives, and program requirements with greater independence and minimal supervision
• OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience
• To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B
• or J.D., if related
• OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level
• You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond 1 full year of graduate level education
• You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Communications Patient Care Project Management Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional
• philanthropic
• religions
• spiritual
• community
• student
• social)
• Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment
• You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience
• Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week
• Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities
• Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment
• Physical Requirements: The work requires some physical exertion in handling the tools, materials, and equipment of the various recreation activities and in organizing the physical environment for various recreation projects, activities and events
• This includes physical characteristics and abilities (e.g., specific agility and dexterity requirements) and the physical exertion involved in the work (e.g., climbing, lifting, pushing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, reaching)
• For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.