POSITION DETAILS
Position Title: Night Skies Assistant - AmeriCorps
Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements
Site Location: Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division, Fort Collins, Colorado
Can this position be fully remote: Yes
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 Night Skies Assistant is an AmeriCorps position that will contribute to NSNSD scientific analysis and publications, enabling the member to advance understanding of how visitors and staff experience different lighting designs meant to balance night sky resources related to human and ecological function. The member’s contribution will position NSNSD to support ongoing and future lighting retrofits across the NPS. By providing statistical analysis of previously collected data into meaningful and understandable outputs, the member will help foster conservation to protect parks against a backdrop of rapid environmental change. Depending on the member’s interests and skills, this position may also support integration of survey design and implementation, writing information for interpretation and outreach.
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
The Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division (NSNSD) is seeking a highly skilled and detail-oriented Scientific Researcher to contribute to groundbreaking research on light pollution. The ideal candidate will possess strong organizational skills and expertise in social science research methods and onsite data collection, and statistical analysis and some skills geographic information systems (GIS) are beneficial. A background in survey design and data collection is essential to help gather insights into the social and environmental impacts of light pollution.
This position balances the onsite data collection and technical skills required for scientific research with expertise in manuscript writing, and data analysis, all relevant to light pollution research.
KEYWORDS: social science data collection, statistical analysis, science writing, peer-reviewed manuscripts
DELIVERABLES
Collecting visitor responses to social science surveys in a National Park
Organize five years of data collected in previous studies on visitor experience under different lighting experiments
Identify the appropriate statistical analysis needed to address research questions
Data analysis of existing data collected at various locations and projects
Two manuscripts submitted for NSNSD and partner review
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
Required Qualifications:
• Master’s or Ph.D. in Environmental Science, Geography, Social Sciences, or a related field.
• Strong statistical analysis skills, preferably in social science research (experience with software like SPSS, JMP, R, or Python).
• Excellent scientific writing and editing skills with a track record of published papers or reports.
• Ability to interpret and present complex data in a clear and concise manner.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills to handle multiple projects simultaneously.
ADDITIONAL POSITION AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION
POSITION SETTING
Physical/Natural Environment: This is primarily a technical, desk/computer-based position either stationed remotely or in Fort Collins, CO. Fort Collins is located in northern Colorado along the Front Range. It has a growing population of approximately 165,000 and is home to Colorado State University. The city is located at ~5000 feet elevation, with low humidity and average summer high and low temperatures of 87*F and 59*F, respectively. Although the city itself is ecologically plains/grassland, Fort Collins is approximately an hour's drive from Rocky Mountain National Park. It is also approximately an hour drive to Denver or Boulder to the south, or Cheyenne, WY to the north.
Work Environment: Whether remote or stationed in Fort Collins, the position is office and computer-based. If in Fort Collins, the member can (if desired) be based at the NPS NRSS building at 1201 Oakridge Drive in Fort Collins. The member will have a designated desk space and workstation, and access to office amenities such as microwave, electric tea kettle, and small gym with shower. Standing desk workstation options may be available.
This position will require four weeks (non-sequential) in a National Park to collect onsite social science survey working with a collaborative team and required camping.
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. Park housing is NOT available. The member has the option of a fully remote position or living locally in the Fort Collins, CO area, depending on their needs and circumstances. Fair market rent prices in Fort Collins are high compared to the national average ($1088 for studio/efficiency, $1187 for 1-bedroom), although lower prices can be found for temporary summer sublets and roommates. If choosing to live in Fort Collins for the summer, a personal vehicle or at minimum a bicycle are highly recommended for getting around.
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 Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division will host a Night Skies 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!”