Job Description

About Our Job

Who We Are

With competitive pay, great benefits, and endless opportunities, working for the City and County of Denver means seeing yourself working with purpose — for you, and those who benefit from your passion, skills and expertise. Join our diverse, inclusive and talented workforce of more than 11,000 team members who are at the heart of what makes Denver, Denver.

We value diversity of ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, sexual identity, gender, religion, language, ability, and experience and exemplify this through the makeup of our team at all levels. You'll be right at home here if you cultivate strong relationships and push yourself, your work, the people around you and Denver to the next level.

The mission of Denver Park Rangers is to maximize public safety, protect park resources and provide service to visitors. Park Rangers patrol mountain and urban parks daily by foot, bicycle and vehicle, assisting local law enforcement and fire department in the event of an emergency or hazardous situation.

What We Offer

These are seasonal positions which typically work 39 hours per week but are not eligible for full time City benefits.

If the incumbent meets requirements per CSA rules, Park Rangers may be able to earn a shift differential in pay for working during night hours or evening hours at 12% of current hourly pay rate and 7% of current hourly pay rate, respectively.

A flexible 4 (10) shift work week is available as well as a 5 (8) shift work week.

Location

The Ranger department has various report to locations, which will be determined by the districts being filled. We are hiring for both Urban and Mountain Parks Districts. In this position you would be required to work weekends, nights, and holidays, and the hours in this position may vary.

What You’ll Do

These seasonal non-benefitted positions provide opportunities to work within one of the largest and most diverse park systems in the region consisting of both urban and mountain parks. These positions are budget dependent, but historically work 39 hours/week for 10-11 months out of the year.

Specifically, as a Park Ranger you will:

• Patrol parks through motorized and non-motorized means to protect public safety and park resources; perform visual surveillance and assessment of the use of park facilities to ensure compliance.
• Provide outreach and options for people experiencing homelessness.
• Interpret rules and regulations relative to the facility/park and its condition and interpret information about the park system and natural resources; assure public safety, park security and resource protection by providing education to park visitors to encourage the proper use and enjoyment of urban parks.
• Ensure permit compliance and manage conflicts between visitors; issue warnings and citations for violations of municipal park ordinances; may need to appear in court if required.
• Report hazardous conditions which might interfere with safe usage of facility/park, report accidents to proper authorities and respond appropriately to coordinate and assist with medical emergencies and other incidents.
• Provide information to the public about facility and assistance to the public about park resources; assist facility users in resolving problems and complaints concerning facility/park quality, availability, and the actions of other users.
• Interact with the public to increase awareness of parks rules and regulations and act as a community advocate; communicate with diverse and multi-lingual community members, represent the department at various public events.
• Employees are required to have access to a working smartphone to perform essential administrative and operational duties, communicating with staff, and accessing other work-related applications or resources. The City will not provide a work-issued phone; however, eligible employees may receive a phone stipend to help offset the cost of using a personal device for work-related purposes.

What You’ll Bring

Our ideal candidate has some or all the following experience, skills, and characteristics:

• Currently pursuing or possession of an associate degree or higher in Parks and Recreation, Natural Resource Management, Wildlife Management, Criminal Justice, or another related field
• Previous experience performing various Park Ranger duties.
• Bilingual skills (Spanish is preferred)
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and/or GPS units (to track/document field work)

Required Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Graduation from high school or the possession of a GED, HiSET, or TASC Certificate
• Experience: One (1) year or two seasons of park experience in public relations, natural science, open-space, or regulation compliance experience
• Equivalency: Additional appropriate education may be substituted for the minimum experience requirement
• License/Certifications: Requires a valid Driver's License at the time of application. Must possess a valid Denver Parks and Recreation Enforcement Official Certification by the end of the Ranger Training Program. Possession of CPR and First Aid Certifications by the completion of probation. Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment.

Application Deadline/Start Date Requirement

This posting is expected to stay open until September 21st, 2026. Please submit your application as soon as possible and no later than September 21st, 2026 at 11:59 PM to ensure consideration. If selected for these positions, there is a mandatory start date of 11/2/26.

application deadline must be communicated according to updates to the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act.

To comply:

• Career Service must be posted for at least 2 business dates
• Non Career Service (e.g. appointee) must be posted for at least 1 business day
• The posting CANNOT be pulled before the application deadline stated here. It can be updated and pushed out if needed.
• Evergreen Language should ONLY be used when we are truly accepting applications on a constant/rolling basis and do not plan to pull the posting. If at any point you plan to shut down the posting, update the job description to reflect the expected application close date.

About Everything Else

Job Profile

CN2570 Park Ranger

To view the full job profile including position specifications, physical demands, and probationary period, click here.

Position Type

Oncall

Position Salary Range

$23.89 - $35.84

Target Pay

$24.00/hour

Agency

Parks and Recreation

Redeployment during Citywide Emergencies

City and County of Denver employees may be re-deployed to work in other capacities in their own agencies or in other city agencies to support core functions of the city during a citywide emergency declared by the Mayor.

The City and County of Denver provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, or any other status protected under federal, state, and/or local law.

It is your right to access oral or written language assistance, sign language interpretation, real-time captioning via CART, or disability-related accommodations. To request any of these services at no cost to you, please contact Jobs@Denvergov.org with three business days’ notice.

Applicants for employment with the City and County of Denver must have valid work authorization that does not require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S.

For information about right to work, click here for English or here for Spanish.