State Parks - Machicomoco State Park - Park Ranger Public Safety & Law Enforcement - Closes on 09/06/2026

Hiring Range: $42,000 - $57,680

About the role

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 space. Serving a diverse commonwealth rich in nature and culture, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation touches all Virginians’ lives.

The Park Ranger – Public Safety and Law Enforcement position serves as a sworn, commissioned, and certified law enforcement officer, as defined in the Code of Virginia 9.1-101, with responsibility for enforcing the laws of the Commonwealth and the regulations of the Department.

Responsibilities

• Support Machicomoco 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.
• Assist with natural resource protection, which includes medical services, as well as facilitating stewardship and orientation.
• Assist in wilderness management, boundary enforcement, and protection of natural and cultural resources (e.g., wildlife, plants, archaeological sites, historic buildings).
• Support wild land 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 and equipment.
• Supervise and train seasonal and wage staff and volunteers, and other work program participants in the maintenance of grounds, facilities, and equipment as appropriate.

Requirements

• Experience working with the public and/or in customer service.
• Written and verbal skills in public speaking and communications.
• Experience solving problems and developing solutions.
• Experience working 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).
• Requires the incumbent, if not already certified through the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice (DCJS), to meet the required steps for the initial certification as a Virginia Law Enforcement Officer within 12 months of an assigned class date to maintain employment.
• Position requires completing the agency Basic Law Enforcement Academy and obtain DCJS certification within 18 months of hire.
• A valid driver’s license is required.
• Due to Law Enforcement requirements, the successful candidate must be a U.S. citizen, be at least 21 years old, and be a high school graduate or possess a GED.
• Work requires exposure to the outdoors, weather in all seasons, dust, animals, and insects. Successful candidate must be able to perform manual labor to include standing, bending, pulling, climbing, and frequent lifting up to 50 pounds.
• Successful candidate must obtain certifications in CPR and First Aid and accepts responsibilities related to being equipped with and using firearms and will be required to wear a uniform and related law enforcement equipment and comply with the DCR Public Safety & Law Enforcement Uniform standards.
• 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.

Additional Considerations

• Current Virginia DCJS law enforcement officer certification.
• Basic knowledge of park/recreation operations (e.g., building and grounds maintenance, resource management, etc.).
• Experience in 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.
• Certification in Search and Rescue and/or First Aid/CPR/AED.
• Experience in responding to or handling emergency situations.

Schedule

• Law Enforcement Rangers are required to work various shifts, which include weekends, holidays, and overtime.
• As needed, incumbents will serve in an on-call capacity to provide security and operational efficiencies. Responding to calls outside scheduled hours requires a response within a prescribed timeframe.

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. Two nights minimum required. Bunkhouses, camping cabins, and yurts are included; one night yurt stays receive a 25% discount.

Additional Information

This position requires the incumbent to be or become a Sworn Conservation Officer and attend a 21-week Law Enforcement Academy located in Salem, Virginia. Selected candidates are provided with living accommodation during the academy. Full-time Law Enforcement Rangers are eligible to take home their assigned vehicle in accordance with agency General Orders.

PARK HOUSING IS NOT GUARANTEED FOR THIS POSITION. If park housing is available and chosen by the incumbent, the following will apply: In accordance with 10.1-109.B of the Code of Virginia, this position is required to reside in Department-controlled housing for the purpose of providing security and operational efficiencies to DCR property. The incumbent must enter into a lease agreement and demonstrate possession of liability and personal property insurance.