Conservation Legacy

POSITION DETAILS

Position Title: Astronomy Assistant - AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements

Site Location: Great Basin National Park, Baker, Nevada

Can this position be fully remote: No

Number of positions available: 1

TERMS OF SERVICE

Duration: 20 Weeks (not flexible)

Flexible Start Date: No

Start Date: 05/18/2025

End Date: 10/05/2025

AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 675 Hour

BENEFITS

  • Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $2,817.00 upon successful completion of position.
  • Living Allowance of $565.00 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 Astronomy Assistant is an AmeriCorps position that will help to continue dark sky education and interpretation, and maintain Great Basin’s International Dark-sky Association designation. Their work may contribute to the newly formed Basin and Range Dark Skies Cooperative mission, with social media and web outreach. The night sky measurements will be used by the park and the Great Basin Observatory to quantitatively describe the darkness of Great Basin to the International Dark Sky Association.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

The SIP member will be assisting with night sky programming up to four times a week. During these night programs, the member will be responsible for connecting the public to the valuable resource of the night sky, enforcing safety guidelines to conduct successful programs, and directing visitors to safely use telescopes to view night sky objects.

As part of their duties, the member will be responsible for:

  • Assisting in various special programs including Star Trains and Moon Walks.
  • Assisting the lead astronomy ranger with various projects to better the astronomy programming at Great Basin National Park.
  • Individually conducting solar observations during day shifts, using public speaking skills to connect visitors to the sun and daytime astronomy.
  • Individually conducting cave tours of Lehman Caves. Tours last 30 to 90 minutes, during these tours the member will be responsible for the safety and education of visitors.
  • Taking night-sky darkness readings multiple times and month to continue the long term project of darkness measurement at Great Basin National Park.

KEYWORDS: Interpretation, Outreach, Dark Skies, Telescopes, Observatory

DELIVERABLES

During their time as an Astronomy Assistant, members will complete:

  • Monthly Dark Sky readings
  • Update the park's lighting inventory and create a compliance plan for any remaining out-of-compliance lighting systems
  • The annual Dark Sky International report on Great Basin's dark sky programs, conservation efforts, monthly measurements, and next steps. This is a report submitted annually since our designation in 2016.
  • Create an interpretive audio/visual program about a topic relating to astronomy, dark skies, and the great basin
  • Develop a cave tour of Lehman Caves
  • Assist with developing new Star Train programming
  • Assist as needed with maintenance of the Great Basin Observatory

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
Experience in operating and trouble shooting telescopes with Go-To technology, knowledge of night skies and deep space objects, knowledge of caves and geology, and public speaking skills. These positions are geared towards all experience levels.

ADDITIONAL POSITION AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION

POSITION SETTING

Position is half and half field and office time. Member will need to be able to lift 60 pound telescopes safely without hurting themselves or damaging the telescope. Member will be spending long periods in the sun and out at night standing and operating telescopes.

Great Basin National Park is very remote at 6,800 ft with varying weather conditions, with high temps into the 90s and lows into 30s. The closest grocery store in 65 miles away in Ely, NV. Ely also has other services including a small movie theater, clinic, fast food, hardware store, banking, and other typical services.


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 available and will be provided at no cost to the participant. Member housing may be a private or shared room in a dorm with shared kitchen, living, dining, and bathroom facilities. The SIP will need to bring kitchen supplies, bedding, towels, and toiletries. Park housing is within walking distance of the duty station.


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 Basin National Park will host a Astronomy 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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