POSITION DETAILS
Position Title: Science Communication Assistant
Park Unit: Natural Resource Stewardship and Science
Location: Lakewood, Colorado
Number of positions available: 1
Can this position be fully remote: YES
INTERNSHIP DATES AND LENGTH
Duration: 36 Weeks (not flexible)
Start Date: 02/16/2025
Flexible Start Date: YES
LIVING AND RELOCATION ALLOWANCE:
Weekly Stipend: $665.00
Relocation Allowance: $400.00
CURRENT NUMBER OF APPLICANTS: Under 75 (This posting will close after receiving 75 complete applications or at 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sunday, 16 June, whichever occurs first.)
POSITION DESCRIPTION
The SIP will provide program support to the National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program with projects primarily associated with education and communication. The NNL Program, which is part of NPS’ Natural Resource Stewardship and Science (NRSS) Directorate, collaborates with public and private landowners at over 600 sites across the country that have been designated NNLs in recognition of their significant biological and geological features. The SIP will engage with NNL Program staff on projects that may include 1) review and revise NNL site descriptions and significance statements, 2) creation of educational outreach products/online tools for NNL partners, 3) assist with NNL site monitoring (including travel for in-person visits and remote via email and phone calls), 4) providing support to NNL owners/managers, 5) assist with outreach to NNL site owners/managers, 6) development of social media announcements regarding NNL anniversaries, national celebrations and landscape initiatives (such as National Cave Week, National Fossil Day, America the Beautiful), 7) explore and implement audience-specific communication tools for connecting within the NPS to share about the program and NNL sites, and 8) engage fully as a member of the NNL Team, sharing thoughts, perspectives, ideas and recommendations. Overall position responsibilities include being flexible and working efficiently in a remote scenario, interfacing with internal and external partners to gather and exchange information and plan and execute projects, and working effectively both independently and on teams. This internship offers an invaluable opportunity to gain experience engaging with various public and private land managers and partner organizations, interact with different divisions and directorates within the NPS, travel to nationally significant sites, and work with a group of dedicated and passionate NPS employees.
POSITION IMPACT
The position supports the mission of the NNL Program to recognize and support the conservation of sites that best illustrate the nation’s biological and geological history, and to promote landscape conservation and the appreciation of natural heritage. This position also further advances the NPS mission of extending the benefits of resource conservation beyond park boundaries. With over 600 NNL sites across the country, the position will provide positive benefit to owners and managers nationwide, broadly increase understanding of the program by the public and within NPS, create informational tools/products available for use by thousands of educators, and make information that is often highly technical and complex in nature accessible to greater audiences. This position will directly impact the program’s ability to share and connect the public with America’s diverse natural heritage.
DELIVERABLES
Deliverables may include 1) hardcopy and/or digital educational outreach products/tools, 2) revised one-page Landmark Briefs, 3) site monitoring reports, 4) outreach communications and social media posts, and 5) other educational tools, like state-by-state NNL guides, those created for specific NPS audiences and/or other tools/products identified to help meet program goals and NNL site needs.
DESIRED INTERN QUALIFICATIONS
The applicant must have strong communication and writing skills with a solid background in science and natural resource management. The applicant must be self-directed, self-motivated, organized, detail-oriented, and have the ability to work independently in a remote situation and collaboratively with a variety of people from diverse partner organizations. The ability to use standard office software such as Excel, Word, etc is required. Experience with graphic design software and developing web-based communication products and outreach tools is highly desired.
The applicant must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. legal permanent resident (“Green Card holder”). Prior to starting this position, a government security background clearance will be required. The applicant must be available to participate for 36 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.
WORK SETTING
Primarily office work with some travel for meetings and to NNL sites, the latter of which may include air travel, driving to remote locations, meeting with partner individuals/organizations, hiking and being outdoors in variable weather conditions.
VEHICLE AND DRIVERS LICENSE REQUIREMENTS
- Applicant must have a valid driver's license to drive a government vehicle.
- A personal vehicle is recommended for this position.
HOUSING
Park housing is NOT available. The intern will be responsible for finding housing in the nearby area. No housing provided, position is fully remote.
KEYWORDS
Natural resources, communication, education, partnerships, conservation
IMPORTANT NOTICES
This posting will close after receiving 75 complete applications, or at 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sunday, 16 June, whichever occurs first. 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 Intern positions per winter. 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 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
https://www.scientistsinparks.org/