POSITION DETAILS
Position Title: Science Communication Assistant - AmeriCorps
Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements
Site Location: Alaska Region Office, Intermountain Region Office, Pacific West Region Office, Southeast Region Office, Boise, Idaho
Can this position be fully remote: Yes
Number of positions available: 2
TERMS OF SERVICE
Duration: 52 Weeks (not flexible)
Flexible Start Date: Yes
Start Date: 09/15/2025
End Date: 09/14/2026
AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 1700 Hour
BENEFITS
- Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $7,395.00 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).
- For 52-week-long positions only:
- Healthcare Coverage
- Childcare Coverage
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 Science Communication Assistant is an AmeriCorps position that will assist in improving wildland fire management planning and decision-making in parks in Alaska, the Western U.S., and the Southeastern U.S. by helping to deliver fire-focused climate change information to managers. The outcomes from the project will help parks achieve management goals and objectives of protecting natural ecosystem integrity and function for the enjoyment of future generations. Products generated from the project may be used as templates and applied more broadly to other parks in the future. The project will also provide the members with experience working at the interface of science and land management in the realm of climate change which is important for continuing work in the future.
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
The proposed positions will be involved in a project to provide fire-related climate change information products to managers to improve fire management planning and implementation for a number of groups of parks to better prepare for rapidly changing conditions. Information products will be developed by a team of scientists from the USGS Climate Change Adaptation Center guided by a group of National Park Service fire ecologists and planners. The members will work directly with the project's Coordinator to determine the most effective way to communicate the resulting information products for direct use by park managers. Products will be designed to be directly incorporated into park fire management plans, help prioritize and locate strategic fuels treatments, and inform fire preparedness, response, and recovery decisions in parks.
KEYWORDS: climate change, fire management, science communication, training tools, planning
DELIVERABLES
The primary work products from these positions will be communication and training tools for disseminating fire-related climate change information products to park managers. These products may include communication plans, resource briefs, formal reports, presentations, data visualizations, webpages, videos, written guides, and training classes, depending on the products identified in the final project plan.
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 52 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Candidates must have experience in written and oral communication. Candidates must also have the ability to work in a collaborative team environment where communication between scientists and land managers in various locations is the focus. In addition, the ability to work independently is important due to the remote nature of the position. Experience with, or an ability to quickly become familiar with, multiple types of communication platforms and information systems including GIS, databases, websites, publishing software, and decision support, is preferred. Also, experience with, or a strong interest in, climate change, fire management processes, and ecological effects of fire, as well as previous work with climate and ecological data, is helpful.
ADDITIONAL POSITION AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION
POSITION SETTING
A majority of the work is performed in an office setting with adequate light, heat, and ventilation. Occasional site visits to park units in the local area may create exposure to a variety of physical settings including extreme climatic conditions and rugged terrain. Local area details will vary based on chosen remote location.
VEHICLE AND DRIVER’S LICENSE REQUIREMENTS
- Applicant will not need to drive a government vehicle.
- A personal vehicle is not required for this position.
HOUSING
Park housing is NOT available. The member will be responsible for finding housing in the nearby area. Housing availability and costs will be dependent on the remote location selected.
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 Alaska Region Office, Intermountain Region Office, Pacific West Region Office, Southeast Region Office will host a Science Communication 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!”