Conservation Legacy

POSITION DETAILS

Position Title: Paleontology Assistant - AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements

Site Location: Geologic Resources Division, Washington, District of Columbia

Can this position be fully remote: Yes

Number of positions available: 1

TERMS OF SERVICE

Duration: 36 Weeks (not flexible)

Flexible Start Date: Yes

Start Date: 05/05/2025

End Date: 01/12/2026

AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 1200 Hour

BENEFITS

  • Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $5,176.00 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 Paleontology Assistant is an AmeriCorps position that will address paleontological resources. Support for infrastructure projects is a very challenging aspect of paleontological resource support and the increasing number of infrastructure and construction projects has required considerable time investment. This position will provide a strategic approach to expanding the Paleontology Program’s capacity and communication, as well as generate legacy documents to guide and inform the Denver Service Center, park managers, and outside contractors. Improved practices and communication for paleontological resource monitoring and mitigation during infrastructure projects will ensure that the Paleontology Program can continue to function efficiently and fulfill its mandated responsibilities concerning the servicewide management of paleontological resources, e.g., in accordance with the Organic Act (16 USC Section 1) and the Paleontological Resources Preservation Act (PRPA) (Title VI, Subtitle D on Paleontological Resources Preservation (123 Stat. 1172; 16 U.S.C. 470aaa), contained within Public Law 111-011).

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Support provided by the NPS Paleontology Program to the Denver Service Center (DSC) and to parks involved with planning and NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) compliance for infrastructure and construction projects represents an expanding, complex, and important area of service and technical assistance provided to the NPS. Support needs for infrastructure projects at all stages from inception to completion have grown vastly in the past few years. The Paleontology Program has identified several topics and tasks that would benefit greatly from an infrastructure liaison to provide support and create legacy documents. The selected participant would have the following duties and responsibilities: 1) The participant will provide preliminary evaluations and recommendations to the Paleontology Program on whether projects are likely to impact paleontological resources and therefore require further attention; 2) The participant will be a part of early planning meetings for projects that potentially impact paleontological resources. This participation is critical early in project planning in order to help contribute information to ensure the highest level of protection for non-renewable paleontological resources in the parks. This liaising will also enhance prioritization; 3) The participant will communicate important policy and resource management information in their communication with DSC and park contacts. This is important because many parks have limited experience and knowledge of these considerations as they relate to NPS fossils and their management; 4) The participant will capture questions and needs expressed by DSC and park staff to share with the Paleontology Program for input; 5) The participant will work with the Paleontology Program to draft a document compiling best practices for assessing and protecting fossils during planning and construction, as a reference to share with DSC and park staff. Educating new park staff during each new project is time-consuming and having a reference document, which could be shared and posted online, would be extremely useful and could save a great deal of time in our communication with parks; 6) A second companion document will be prepared to help inform contractors on NPS policies, procedures, and needs. This is important because contractors are often more familiar with Bureau of Land Management practices and policies and frequently default to them; 7) Finally, depending on location, the participant may also conduct a pre-construction inventory, serve as a monitor, or take a similar on-site position for a project.


KEYWORDS: Paleontological resource management, compliance, best practices

DELIVERABLES

The primary deliverables for this project will be two best practices documents, one focused on park staff and the Denver Service Center, the other focused on the needs of outside entities, concerning monitoring and mitigation for paleontological resources in a National Park Service setting in compliance with PRPA and NPS standards. The participant will also provide documentation of decisions made during individual projects (e.g., recommendations, data provided, photos and notes during any site work, etc.).


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 36 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Applicants should be advanced undergraduate or graduate students whose educational background and career objectives are in paleontology. Applicants must have completed basic undergraduate coursework toward a degree in geology or biology, ideally with an emphasis on paleontology. Preference will be given to students having an excellent academic record, a work history, a demonstrated ambition to pursue paleontology as a career, and the capacity to successfully work independently and without direct supervision. Experience with mapping programs (e.g., ArcGIS) will be useful. Previous experience in paleontological resource monitoring and compliance is desirable. The selected applicant should be able to work well independently in field and office settings, but be flexible enough to work well as part of a team. Prior to starting this position a government security background clearance will be required.

ADDITIONAL POSITION AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION

POSITION SETTING

This project is planned to be conducted remotely. The participant will be provided a government laptop and will be expected to maintain a typical NPS work schedule appropriate for their time zone to facilitate communication.


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. This project is planned to be conducted remotely. It should not be necessary for the participant to relocate, although being within an hour of an NPS unit or office would facilitate technical support if necessary.


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 Geologic Resources Division will host a Paleontology 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!”

%FOOTER_POWERED_BY%breezy