POSITION DETAILS
Position Title: Geomorphology Assistant - AmeriCorps
Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements
Site Location: Gulf Coast Network, Lafayette, Louisiana
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: 09/01/2025
End Date: 01/19/2026
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 Geomorphology Assistant is an AmeriCorps position that will aid the NPS Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program, which is specifically tasked with implementing projects to assess and report on the health of park “vital signs.” Vital signs are natural resource or environmental elements that, when monitored over time, can indicate changes in ecosystem health. Reporting these changes to park resource managers provides them with detailed data and information that can be used to shape their management actions. The Gulf Coast Network (GULN) monitors water quality, terrestrial vegetation, amphibians, Texas tortoise, coastal geomorphology, seagrass, and birds. Each vital signs project relies heavily on geospatial data to inform efforts from design to data collection and reporting. The member selected for this position will help temporally and spatially expand the scope of the GULN's coastal geomorphology project by gathering, preparing, and analyzing shoreline position data for changes over time in the vicinity of Gulf Islands and Padre Island National Seashores. Understanding past and current rates of shoreline advance or retreat helps predict future conditions and improves a management team's ability to adapt to those changes and protect natural and cultural resources for the enjoyment of this and future generations.
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
The member will be responsible for compiling remote sensing imagery and LiDAR, extracting or digitizing shorelines, and making multitemporal comparisons to help identify patterns of change in shoreline position over time. Additionally, to help determine if field-collected shoreline position and topography datasets are representative of change on a broad and continuous scale, the member will be asked to compare GNSS datasets against remotely sensed datasets as a means to verify results and/or interpolate or extrapolate the results from field-collected data.
KEYWORDS: GIS, ArcGIS Pro, Geomorphology, Shoreline, Coastal Dynamics, Seashore
DELIVERABLES
The member will be responsible for generating the following products:
1. An organized database where source data, extracted shoreline features, and supportive and analytical datasets are stored in a standardized data structure using standard naming conventions.
2. Metadata that documents data sources and processing steps so that procedures and outputs can be repeated.
3. Maps or other visual products that communicate analytical outcomes, such as change rates or comparisons of outputs from different source data.
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
Strong ArcGIS Pro skills, including feature editing, feature extraction, georeferencing, and managing raster datasets. Familiarity with locating and downloading publicly available imagery and LiDAR is a plus. Experience with ArcGIS Online and/or Portal for ArcGIS is also desirable. The ability to work independently with limited supervision and to collaborate with their supervisor through an online workspace, such as Microsoft Teams, is essential.
ADDITIONAL POSITION AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION
POSITION SETTING
The member will not be required to move for this position and can work from their university, home, or other suitable workspace. The member will be responsible for internet access and a safe, productive work environment.
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. Relocation will not be required for this position.
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 Gulf Coast Network will host a Geomorphology 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!”