Careers at Virginia State Parks offer an opportunity to work outdoors, share conservation ethics with others, and protect natural, cultural, historical and recreational resources. State Park employees provide program support in headquarters or front-line interactions in the field. Each of these roles is important to furthering the Virginia State Parks' mission "to conserve the natural, scenic, historic and cultural resources of the Commonwealth and provide recreational and educational opportunities consistent with the good stewardship of these lands, waters and facilities that leaves them unimpaired for future generations."
Park positions are more than you might expect. Operating a park is like running a small city. The staff performs various duties, including natural resource management, visitor services, education, law enforcement, water and wastewater treatment, facility management and repairs, occupational safety, human resources, financial management and more. This variety of duties makes the work interesting, challenging and rewarding.
Park Ranger Career Development Program
This program offers participants a great way to start a career in state parks. It's typically a two to three-year program held in the summer, which introduces participants to park operations and ensures that applicants are prepared for entry level positions. Completion of the program makes individuals highly qualified to fill park ranger, chief ranger and other entry positions.
Those accepted into the program work about 12 weeks each summer at a state park. Participants are paid hourly, and on-site housing is typically provided. Participants are trained in all aspects of state park field positions. Participants are evaluated each session, and those who perform up to standards are invited to participate in the program the next summer. Upon successful performance in the program, participants are encouraged to apply for a permanent park ranger, chief ranger and other positions in the state park system. Candidates must apply when positions are open and advertised.
Although people who complete the program are highly competitive for full-time employment, DCR is not required to hire them, and participants must apply for employment during the recruitment process. Candidates will also find it helpful to develop good writing and interviewing skills for the application and interview process.
Applications for the 2025 Park Ranger Career Development Program are now open. Apply here.
For more details about program recruitment or other employment opportunities, please email parkstraining@dcr.virginia.gov.
DCR also manages the Youth Conservation Corps and Volunteer programs as other opportunities to serve and learn firsthand about state parks and conservation.
Park Positions
Click the + to expand to read a position description.
Residential field positions:
Provides daily leadership for all
operations of a state park. This includes ensuring
proper personnel management and effective
enterprise operations; appropriating expenditures for
all park operations within budget; ensuring all areas
within the park meet health and safety standards;
ensuring all program areas meet expectations
and are mission compliant; being engaged with
local leaders, media, civic organizations and other
stakeholders. This position may be a commissioned
law enforcement officer depending on the need at a
particular park.
Assists the park
manager in overseeing all operations of a state
park. This includes supervising daily operations;
being directly involved in all aspects of personnel
management; coordinating and delivering training;
assisting with the park’s enterprise operation;
assisting in the development and monitoring of
the park budget; planning and management of all
program areas including educational programming
and resource management; public relations; public
health and safety; and law enforcement.
Serves as a frontline supervisor
for state park operations. This includes maintenance
operations; personnel management; program level
budget development; support for educational
programs; support for resource management
programs; management of volunteers; public relations;
public health and safety; and law enforcement.
Full-time park jobs include:
Oversees the maintenance
operations within a state park. This includes personnel
management of maintenance staff; performing
maintenance on park buildings, grounds, equipment,
vehicles and facilities; management of inventory that
includes tools, equipment and supplies; supporting
other program areas within the park; public relations;
and public health and safety. This position may be a
commissioned law enforcement officer depending on
the need at a particular park.
Serves
as a frontline supervisor for visitor services within
state park operations. This includes coordination in
the delivery of educational programs; visitor center
operations; personnel management of visitor services
staff; coordination of park special events; outreach
efforts; public relations; public health and safety; and
management of volunteers that perform duties in
visitor services.
Assists the park manager
in overseeing the administrative operations
of a state park. This includes supervising
daily operations as they relate to the park’s
administrative, visitor services and enterprise
functions; being directly involved in all aspects
of personnel management; coordinating and
delivering training; assisting in the development
and monitoring of the park budget; being directly
involved in the planning and management of the
park’s educational programming and other visitor
services; outreach efforts; public relations; and
public health and safety.
Oversees the administrative
operations within a state park. This includes
personnel management of administrative staff;
customer service; cash management; budget
reconciliation; procurement; human resources
duties such as completing hiring or separation
paperwork and payroll; completing other reports
as requested; and park office operations including
merchandise sales.
Oversees the
housekeeping operations within a state park.
This includes day-use, overnight, meeting and
administrative facilities. Duties include personnel
management of housekeeping staff; cleaning of
park buildings and grounds; completing basic repairs
and preventative maintenance of park buildings;
management of inventory that includes cleaning
supplies, supplies for overnight facilities, and supplies
for repairs and preventative maintenance of facilities;
public relations; and public health and safety.
Furthers the
resource management goals of the department,
division and parks within a region by utilizing
a variety of resource management methods.
This includes developing resource management
plans; coordinating and executing management
prescriptions like prescribed fire or pesticide
application; monitoring water quality; constructing
and maintaining sustainable trails; utilizing GIS
software for a variety of mapping needs; and serving
as a liaison between park staff and other natural
resource agencies.
Various positions in the Virginia State Parks headquarters office.
Part-time positions
If you are interested in a career in our parks, part-time jobs are a great way to start. There are many positions, from maintenance to customer service to park interpreter, each gives you a taste of working in a state park. Each park handles the hiring of its seasonal workers so find and contact a nearby park to learn more about these jobs.
