POSITION DETAILS
Position ID(s): 4303
Position Title: Astronomy Assistant - AmeriCorps
Conservation Legacy Program: Scientists in Parks, Stewards Individual Placements
Site Location: Great Basin National Park, Baker, Nevada
Number of positions available: 1
TERMS OF SERVICE
Duration: 12 Weeks (not flexible)
Flexible Start Date: No
Start Date: 07/26/2026
End Date: 10/18/2026
AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 450 hours - this is the minimum number of hours the selected candidate must serve throughout the duration of their position.
BENEFITS
- Segal AmeriCorps Education Award: $ 1,956.35 upon successful completion of position
- Weekly Living Allowance: $ 600.00 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)
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: Public Speaking, Astronomy, Telescopes, Caves, Visitor Services
PURPOSE
This Astronomy Assistant is an AmeriCorps position. The projects done by the SIP participant help to continue dark sky education and interpretation, and maintain Great Basin’s International Dark-sky Association designation. Their service may contribute to the Basin and Range Dark Skies Cooperative mission, with social media and web outreach. The night sky measurements will be used by the park and the Great Basin Observatory to quantitatively describe the darkness of Great Basin to the Dark Sky International, the non-profit which designates Dark Sky areas.
Dark sky measurements and outreach are critical components of resource management and protection of the natural and cultural heritage that dark skies preserve.
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
The SIP participant will be assisting with night sky programming up to four times a week. During these night programs, the SIP will be responsible for connecting the public to the valuable resource of the night sky, enforcing safety guidelines to conduct successful programs, and directing visitors to safely use telescopes to view night sky objects.
As part of their duties, the SIP will be responsible for:
• Assisting in various special programs including Star Trains and Moon Walks.
• Assisting the lead astronomy ranger with various projects to better the astronomy programming at Great Basin National Park.
• Individually conducting solar observations during day shifts, using public speaking skills to connect visitors to the sun and daytime astronomy.
• Individually conducting cave tours of Lehman Caves. Tours last 30 to 90 minutes, during these tours the SIP will be responsible for the safety and education of visitors.
• Taking night-sky darkness readings multiple times and month to continue the long term project of darkness measurement at Great Basin National Park.
DELIVERABLES
During their time as an Astronomy Assistant, interns will complete:
- Monthly Dark Sky readings
- The annual Dark Sky International report on Great Basin's dark sky programs, conservation efforts, monthly measurements, and next steps. This is a report submitted annually since our designation in 2016.
- Create an interpretive audio/visual program
- Assist with developing new Star Train programming
- Creating regularly scheduled social media posts about dark skies and resource protection
- Creating handout(s) or web page(s) about dark skies, lightscapes, stargazing, and/or astronomy
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 12 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Experience in operating and trouble shooting telescopes with Go-To technology, knowledge of night skies and deep space objects, knowledge of caves and geology, and public speaking skills.
Some background in astronomy, astrophysics, planetary science, or a related field is preferred but not required.
ADDITIONAL POSITION AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION
POSITION SETTING
Position is half and half field and office time. SIP participant will need to be able to lift 60 pound telescopes safely without hurting themselves or damaging the telescope. SIP will be spending long periods in the sun and out at night standing and operating telescopes.
Great Basin National Park is very remote at 6,800 ft with varying weather conditions, with high temps into the 90s and lows into 30s. The closest grocery store in 65 miles away in Ely, NV. Ely also has other services including hospital, restaurants, and pharmacies. Baker, NV where the park is located is very small averaging about 60 full time residents. Baker has restaurants, a small general store, and a gas station.
VEHICLE AND DRIVERS LICENSE REQUIREMENTS
- Applicant must have a valid driver's license to drive a government vehicle.
- A personal vehicle is REQUIRED for this position.
HOUSING
Park housing is available and will be provided at no cost to the participant.
Housing may be a private or shared room in a dorm with shared kitchen, living, dining, and bathroom facilities. The SIP will need to bring bedding, towels, and toiletries. Park housing is within walking distance of the duty station.
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 Astronomy Assistant at Great Basin National Park.
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!”
