Conservation Legacy

POSITION DETAILS

Position Title: Biology Assistant - AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements

Site Location: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division, Waynesville, North Carolina

Can this position be fully remote: No

Number of positions available: 1

TERMS OF SERVICE

Duration: 20 Weeks (not flexible)

Flexible Start Date: Yes

Start Date: 05/12/2025

End Date: 09/29/2025

AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 675 Hour

BENEFITS

  • Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $2,817.00 upon successful completion of position.
  • Living Allowance of $665.00 per week.
  • Relocation Allowance of $400.00 distributed as a one-time lump sum.
  • Student Loan Forbearance if applicable (administered by MyAmeriCorps, directly).
    • Student Loan Interest Payments if applicable (administered through MyAmeriCorps, directly).

APPLICATION TIMELINE

The position will close after receiving 75 applications, or at 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, 19 January, 2025, whichever occurs first. The review of applications will begin after Sunday, 19 January, 2025.

PURPOSE

This Biology Assistant is an AmeriCorps position that will be essential to the completion of Natural Sounds & Night Skies conservation projects within the Eastern regions. There is an excess of existing projects that have been delayed due to staffing gaps & capacity that this member will be integral in progressing. This work will enhance our acoustic & photic resources in Service-protected lands as well as educate park-goers on the importance of the protection of all resources.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

This position is assigned to the Natural Sounds & Night Skies Division supporting 75 parks across nine states & two territories within the Southeast Region with some potential project work in the Northeast region as well. They will be working with the NSNS Biologist on projects that work to protect acoustic & photic resources. This position will support park units as they seek to increase scientific understanding & public appreciation of these resources. Responsibilities will include field collection of Acoustic & Night Sky data with the accompanying data management & reporting, developing & presenting educational materials, contributing or creating to internal NSNSD guidance, and working with appropriate staff & researchers to enhance the protection & monitoring activities related to these resources. This work will entail travel to parks for various lengths collaborating with other biological cultural and/ or social scientists on multiple types of projects. This work will also entail up to 10 days of camping for project work.


KEYWORDS: Natural Sounds, Night Skies, Light Pollution, Noise Pollution, Data Collection, Data Analysis, Reporting, Data Management

DELIVERABLES

Expected products of this position are the co-creation of scientific reports, NSNSD internal guidance and educational materials as well as the contribution to Natural Sounds & Night Skies databases. This position will also be tasked to help review incoming datasets (QA/QC) to ensure accuracy and quality.


QUALIFICATIONS

  • United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien.
  • Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate; or has not dropped out of secondary school to enroll as an AmeriCorps participant and agrees to obtain a high school diploma or its equivalent prior to using the education award.
  • Prior to starting the position, agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check for the employer of record, Conservation Legacy, and a separate government security background check for the NPS site location.
  • The applicant must be available to participate for 20 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor's degree in Natural Resources, Cultural Resources, Social Sciences, or a related field is REQUIRED. Resumes with expected completion dates will not be reviewed so please do not apply unless your graduation date is before the Membership Start Date. Experience in the field that demonstrates an awareness of field safety & Leave No Trace principles is also required and can be from professional, academic or personal experiences. Experience with technical writing or reporting is preferred. Basic and/ or Wilderness First Aid is preferred.

ADDITIONAL POSITION AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION

POSITION SETTING

Local Area Details: Great Smoky Mountains National Park covers over 800 square miles in the Southern Appalachian Mountains with elevations ranging from approximately '875-'6643. The Purchase is based on 535 acres in Haywood County, North Carolina and contiguous with the rest of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is at '5086 elevation and consists of a historic cabin, two buildings with offices, a laboratory, a classroom and temporary housing for up to eight visiting scientists. Waynesville is a town about 45 minutes west of Asheville and 90 minutes from Gatlinburg. Occasional to frequent travel between GRSM locations in a personal vehicle will be required.

Position Setting: Office tasks will take place at a shared working space with other NPS employees with telework options available if applicant has adequate teleworking conditions. Field work and travel will encompass 20-30% of the position's workplan. Field work will be performed in mostly front country environments, with a possibility of some backcountry work. Expect to be in the outdoors for long days through various conditions & terrain (off-trail, steep, rocky). The applicant is expected to work in any of these conditions, while actively mitigating hazards & practicing field safety. For this reason, we seek applicants with strong decision-making skills in the field with basic first aid or higher. A bear safety orientation course is recommended and is periodically provided locally at the Smokies. There will be opportunities for travel to multiple parks within the Southeast Region and during these field collection trips overnight lodging will be utilized at hotels, camping and/ or park housing.


VEHICLE AND DRIVER’S LICENSE REQUIREMENTS

  • Applicant must have a valid driver's license to drive a government vehicle.
  • A personal vehicle is REQUIRED for this position.

HOUSING

Park housing is NOT available. The member will be responsible for finding housing in the nearby area. The position will offer a Great Smoky Mountain Duty Location based in Waynesville, NC or Gatlinburg, TN with telework options available for a percentage of the position. NC lodging can be sought in Waynesville or adjacent locations such as Maggie Valley, Canton, & Asheville. TN lodging can be sought in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge or Knoxville. Position is offering multiple locations to allow for more housing options with partial telework available.

Average rental costs for these locations vary with fair market values [one-bedroom apartments/month] listed as: Haywood County, NC (1105), Buncombe County (1347), Seiver County, TN (955) Knoxville (1264).


HOW TO APPLY

Apply online, all Scientists in Parks positions are listed at: https://conservation-legacy.breezy.hr/. Complete the application for this position, highlighting why you are interested in the position and how your background and experience will help you succeed in this position. Be prepared to upload your resume and unofficial transcript as part of completing the application questionnaire.

Once you begin applying for a position, the application must be completed in one sitting. You cannot save and return later to complete it. Applicants can apply for up to five Scientists in Parks positions per season. You need to complete a separate application for each position in order to be considered. You should receive a confirmation email after successfully submitting an application. Sometimes institutional email filters/settings can redirect or block emails related to the application. We recommend watching spam, junk, and promotional email folders in case your email service delivers messages there. Please visit How to Apply for additional resources and information about applying (i.e., learn what materials to have ready for applying, find a worksheet that previews application questions, etc.). Learn more about Scientists in Parks at: https://www.scientistsinparks.org/.


ADDITIONAL DETAILS


PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Conservation Legacy is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential functions. Some positions may require periodic overnight travel, non-traditional hours, ability to move across varied terrain, use program-specific tools and a range of technology on an infrequent or frequent basis. Exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. Ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions.


TIME REQUIREMENTS

  • This position is expected to serve full time each week, but exact service schedules may vary.
  • Lunch breaks will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service hours.
  • Member may be required to participate in national, state, or local service projects or events as part of their service term.

ORIENTATION AND TRAINING

  • Orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
  • Pertinent training from the NPS site location throughout the term of service.
  • Access to free professional development webinars led by Conservation Legacy staff or the Ecological Society of America.
  • Opportunity to join one (or more) SIP Affinity Groups. Groups include: DEIJ Change Makers, Women+ in Science, BIPOC, or Pride in STEM.
  • Opportunity to present the outcomes from the SIP position at national scientific meetings held by the Ecological Society of America and Geological Society of America.

EVALUATION AND REPORTING

As an AmeriCorps member, performance will be evaluated on whether the member has completed the required number of hours, the member has satisfactorily completed assignments, and if the member has met other performance criteria that were clearly communicated at the beginning of the term of service.


Reporting requirements include, but are not limited to, bi-weekly timesheets and accomplishment tracking.


Stewards Individual Placements (Stewards), a program of Conservation Legacy, provides individuals with AmeriCorps service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources. Participants serve with federal agencies, tribal governments, and nonprofits to provide institutional capacity, develop community relationships, and support ecosystem health. Stewards in partnership with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division will host a Biology Assistant.


Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage members of diverse groups to apply. This program is available to all, without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or expression, political affiliation, marital or parental status, genetic information, and military service. Where a significant portion of the population eligible to be served needs services or information in a language other than English, the recipient shall take reasonable steps to provide written material of the type ordinarily available to the public in appropriate languages. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with AmeriCorps requirements.


If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to Scientists in Parks using the email address at the base of the home page, under “Questions? Contact us!”

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