POSITION DETAILS
Position ID(s): 4356
Position Title: Natural Resource Management Assistant - AmeriCorps
Conservation Legacy Program: Scientists in Parks, Stewards Individual Placements
Site Location: Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division, Fort Collins, Colorado
Number of positions available: 1
TERMS OF SERVICE
Duration: 52 Weeks (not flexible)
Flexible Start Date: Yes
Start Date: 05/04/2026
End Date: 05/03/2027
AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 1700 hours - this is the minimum number of hours the selected candidate must serve throughout the duration of their position.
BENEFITS
- Segal AmeriCorps Education Award: $ 7,395.00 upon successful completion of position
- Weekly Living Allowance: $ 700.00 per week, fixed rate
- Relocation Allowance: $ 450.00 (distributed as a one-time lump sum with first paycheck)
- Student Loan Forbearance if applicable (administered by MyAmeriCorps, directly)
- Student Loan Interest Payments if applicable (administered through MyAmeriCorps, directly)
- For 52-week positions only:
- Free Healthcare Coverage (opt in)
- Childcare Coverage (opt in)
APPLICATION TIMELINE
Preference given to applicants who submit applications before Sunday, February 15, 2026. Applications will be reviewed after the application deadline passes. Positions will close after receiving 60 complete applications, or at 11:59 p.m. EST on February 15, 2026, whichever occurs first.
KEYWORDS: Data management, computer programming, processing pipelines, acoustics workflow, photogrammetric data
PURPOSE
This Natural Resource Management Assistant is an AmeriCorps position. The position will contribute to natural resource management issues at service-wide and individual park levels and will be aligned through the topics of night skies and soundscapes. The position is integrated with a group of interdisciplinary scientists; physical, biological, and social scientists for landscape management, ecological conservation and visitor services. The SIP participant will advance the NPS through modernization of data management, improved use of automation, and integration of advanced computer programming and processing, including artificial intelligence or machine learning for the enhancement of the protection and preservation of natural and cultural resources of National Park units.
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
The position of Scientific Data Manager is assigned to the Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division (NSNSD), a branch of the Natural Resources Stewardship and Science directorate of the National Park Service located in Fort Collins, Colorado. Duty stationed in Fort Collins, CO, the incumbent serves WASO needs by providing service-wide technical and operational guidance, and assistance to park units for the protection of acoustic and night sky resources. The service provides significant support for landscape-scale conservation planning, gaining ecological insights, and informing real management decisions in National Parks. The incumbent serves as a data manager in physical sciences related to the overall acoustic and nighttime environment of park units. The data scientist is responsible for programmatic data management, computer software development, electronic technologies, instrumentation, scientific research and development, and park stewardship of acoustic and photometric data collections and related divisional resource activities. The incumbent will collaborate and interact closely with park resource managers, scientists, GIS specialists, and cooperating partners to evaluate and analyze natural resource data sets produced by past and future inventory and monitoring efforts and assure that relevant data are acquired and integrated into well-designed databases, and that metadata for these sets are complete and current. The data scientist will manage storage and access of acoustic and photometric data for government staff, partners, and the public, and support data collection, research, development, and design of field equipment. A principal duty will be the transition of NSNSD data processing and storage of data into cloud platforms being established by the Department of Interior.
DELIVERABLES
(1) Complete QA/QC and archive all new acoustic, bio-acoustic, photometric, and aircraft tracking ADS-B datasets, as needed. (2) Conduct quarterly briefing for the division on the number of datasets reviewed, and reporting on common data quality issues with suggested fixes. (3) Convey acoustic monitoring datasets regularly to NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information Passive Acoustic Database. (4) Participate in professional development and training in data management, programming languages, Federal data standards, etc. (5) Install and track software updates for local RAID-based and maintain operational hardware system. (6) Develop novel data visualizations (Power BI, GIS Spatial Analysis) and other open data platforms or dashboards. (7) Convert NSNSD data storage and usage to cloud service provider platforms in coordination with other staff, and in compliance with policy. (8) Organize NSNSD documentation and historic files into sustainable, record-keeping format and transfer to NARA.
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 host site.
- The applicant must be available to participate for the entire 52 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Core KSAs: 1) Experience handling, controlling, managing, transferring, and archiving large data sets and maintaining meta data. 2) Advanced skill level with computer programming languages (writing code in Python, R and others) and computer technology (especially, cloud service environments and artificial intelligence). 3) Experience using and developing automated technology to acquire and process physical data (such as microprocessors, computer programming and machine learning). 4) Experience analyzing, evaluating, modeling and managing scientific data. 5) Knowledge of, or experience in, technical or scientific protocols and data collection and handling requirements. Additional Skills: 6) Operational experience with GIS ArcPro. 7) Experience with environmental modelling. 8) Experience with electronic micro-controllers (such as, Arduino, RaspberryPi, ASIAir Controller, or similar). 9) Experience in electronics, circuitry, testing, and controls of instrumentation or electronic devices.
ADDITIONAL POSITION AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION
POSITION SETTING
Position will primarily be in a shared office environment which is located in an office building within Fort Collins, Colorado.
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 selected candidate will be responsible for finding housing in the nearby area.
Nearby housing options in Fort Collins and the surrounding towns include apartments and room rentals. Rent costs start at around $900/month for a room in a shared house to $1200/month for an apartment, and vary depending on furnishings, amenities, and location. Fort Collins is home to colleges and universities, so sublet options may be available. Colorado State University and Front Range Community College are in Fort Collins. A few websites that list available rentals are Apartments.com, Roomster.com, Roomies.com, and Zillow.com. For reference, the Fort Collins office location is within the zip code 80525.
OUR COMMITMENT
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 based on project needs. Lunch breaks and days off 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
- Member will receive pertinent project and site training from host site throughout term
- Member will receive an orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
- Access to free professional development webinars led by Conservation Legacy staff
EVALUATION AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
As an AmeriCorps member, performance will be evaluated on whether the member has completed the required number of minimum AmeriCorps 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.
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 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/.
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 Scientists in Parks program will host the Natural Resource Management Assistant at Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division.
Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodations 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!”
