State Parks - Leesylvania State Park - Chief Ranger - Public Safety and Law Enforcement - Open Until Filled

If you have always wanted to work in a beautiful and serene environment, then we have the perfect position for you at Leesylvania State Park! The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is the state’s lead conservation agency, providing access for outdoor recreation, strengthening communities’ flood resilience, and protecting what Virginians care about: clean water, parks, natural habitat, and open spaces. Serving a diverse commonwealth rich in nature and culture, DCR touches all Virginians’ lives. Virginia’s award-winning state park system, a division of DCR, boasts an incredible and diverse array of natural, cultural, historical, and recreational resources.

About the role

The Chief Ranger – Public Safety and Law Enforcement (PS&LE) position serves as a sworn, commissioned, and certified law enforcement officer as defined in the Code of Virginia 9.1-101, with the responsibility to enforce the laws of the Commonwealth and the regulations of the Department.

Responsibilities

• Support Leesylvania State Park programs and services with special emphasis on providing public safety, law enforcement, and resource protection by enforcing park rules, regulations, and state laws.
• Ensure the protection of people, property, and resources on land owned, leased, or operated by the Department of Conservation and Recreation through articulated and displayed specialized knowledge of public safety and law enforcement activities.
• Patrol properties in a vehicle, on foot, and by other modes of transportation.
• Assist with special events and search and rescue operations.
• Respond to and conduct initial investigations of incidents, including felonies, crimes, and violations of rules, public use, safety requirements, and motor vehicle accidents, crowd control activities, responding to calls for public safety and law enforcement services, and proactively protecting property resources from all forms of degradation.
• Serve as a public safety resource by interacting with park visitors.
• Provide PSLE oversight at home and nearby parks as required, including reviewing reports as requested and ensuring compliance with General Orders, laws, codes, and regulations.
• Serve as primary contact for daily LE operations with District Ranger, serving as Acting District Ranger when requested.
• Provide ongoing law enforcement operational awareness and statistical awareness to the site PM for assigned sites, ensuring PM awareness of trends or issues that could impact site operations.
• Request and coordinate site-specific LE special operations proactively and in response to issues, and coordinate preparation of assigned site event operational/security plans for routing to District Ranger and DM.
• Coordinate scheduling of site Park Ranger PSLE with site PMs and District Ranger PSLE to ensure appropriate coverage.
• Assist in wilderness management, boundary enforcement, protection of natural and cultural resources (e.g., wildlife, plants, archaeological sites, historic buildings), and supporting wildland fire suppression protection, including such duties as wildlife management.
• Maintain Park boundaries and signage, marking forest roads/trails, and completing quarterly written trail inspections as well as other forms of written documentation.
• Facilitate stewardship (e.g., diagnosing basic maintenance issues and ensuring public safety through basic facilities and grounds maintenance) and use of appropriate safety equipment.

Requirements

• Experience working with the public and/or customer service experience.
• Ability to problem-solve and develop solutions.
• Ability to work with teams or independently with minimal supervision.
• Familiarity with 2-way radios, electronic devices, and computers, including Microsoft Office Suite.
• Basic knowledge of home/grounds maintenance (e.g., cleaning, debris removal, or minor home maintenance).
• Must possess and maintain a Law Enforcement Officer certification through the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS).
• Must be a US citizen; be at least 21 years old; be a high school graduate or possess a GED.
• Will be expected to obtain and maintain appropriate Search and Rescue (SAR) certification(s) and support the DCR Search and Rescue (SAR) Team/Virginia Department of Emergency Management during operations at their group of assigned parks or a geographic area.
• Will be expected to obtain and possess knowledge of controlled burns and wildfire response to provide appropriate public safety and law enforcement response at their assigned park(s) or a geographic area as approved by leadership of the Division of State Parks and OPSLE.
• May also be required to obtain and maintain certifications to serve as First Aid/CPR Instructor, or obtain CPTED certification, or other similar activities as approved by leadership of the Division of State Parks and OPSLE.
• Must not have a felony conviction(s) or have pled no contest to a felony or any offense that would be a felony if committed in VA.
• Must not have a misdemeanor conviction(s) involving moral turpitude, including larceny, concealment, uttering, embezzlement, or perjury.
• Must not have conviction(s) for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
• Must not have positive results on pre-employment drug screening.
• Employment is contingent upon satisfactory completion of a background investigation, including a criminal history record check, physical agility test, behavioral assessment, and physical exam.
• A valid driver’s license is required to operate a state vehicle or a personal vehicle while conducting official business on behalf of the agency.
• Must be willing to carry and properly use firearms as part of assigned duties.
• Must be willing to wear uniform and law enforcement equipment in accordance with DCR Public Safety & Law Enforcement Uniform standards.
• Must be available to work various shifts, including weekends, holidays, and overtime, and serve in an on-call capacity to provide security and operational efficiencies.

Additional Considerations

• Basic knowledge of park/recreation operations (e.g., building and grounds maintenance, resource management, etc.)
• Experience planning and conducting programs and events.
• Experience in leading, directing, and training others.
• Experience reaching logical conclusions from interpreting policy and regulations.
• Experience in responding to or handling emergencies.

Pay

Hiring range: $57,200 - $75,904

Benefits

• Paid leave; a minimum of 13 paid state holidays per year.
• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance.
• Retirement plans (including 401a Cash Match and 457 Deferred Compensation Plan for classified positions, and VaLORS for law enforcement positions).
• Federally recognized Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) employer.
• Free parking and admission to all Virginia State Parks.
• Overnight stay discounts for DCR classified, retired, and wage staff (after six months of service):
  • Free camping outside the Memorial Day to Labor Day season for sites accommodating up to six people.
  • Free Sunday–Thursday camping (excluding the night before holidays) during the Memorial Day–Labor Day period.
  • 50% off cabins (up to three bedrooms) outside the Memorial Day–Labor Day season for up to 14 nights.