Ecological Assistant - AmeriCorps

Position Title: Ecological Assistant - AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements

Site Location: 103 Headquarters Rd., Moose, WY 83012

Application Timeline: Preference given to applicants that submit application by 9/11/2026

Terms of Service:

•                  Start Date: 11/2/2026

•                  End Date: 4/30/2027

•                  AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 900 Hour

Purpose:

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 Grand Teton National Park will host an Ecological Assistant.

This Ecological Assistant is an AmeriCorps position that will support the Vegetation Ecology and Management Branch in developing and finalizing technical and management strategies, plans, reports, and other program documentation across a range of vegetation programs and projects.

This individual placement will provide an opportunity to build experience in synthesizing ecological information and translating science, monitoring results, management experience, and institutional knowledge into both technical and management-focused products. These may include technical reports and monitoring summaries as well as science-based strategies, plans, and other decision-support documents. Working with the Vegetation Branch Manager and other park staff, the participant will gain experience in technical writing and editing, project coordination, document design, data visualization, and related tools while contributing to priority vegetation program needs. Projects may address invasive plant management, ecological restoration, whitebark pine conservation, grazing management, native plant materials, revegetation, and ecological inventory and monitoring. A detailed work plan will be developed at the beginning of the position with the participant, based on park and branch priorities and further tailored to the participant’s skills, interests, and career development goals.

Description of Duties:

·        Coordinate internal document development by preparing timelines, organizing staff input, and tracking milestones and deadlines.

·        Review, edit, and draft sections of technical and management documents; develop clear document design and layout.

·        Review existing reports, plans, datasets, monitoring results, and other source materials to identify relevant content for new or updated products.

·        Develop supporting content from existing data, photographs, maps, analyses, and program materials, including summaries, tables, figures, and conceptual diagrams.

·        Conduct interviews and structured discussions with staff to capture institutional knowledge and translate it into clear documentation.

·        Depending on technical expertise, skills, interests, and product needs, contribute to data analysis, visualization, map creation, figure development, and desktop publishing.

·        Prepare documents, data, and supporting materials for final review, publication, archiving, and posting to NPS repositories, including the NPS Data Store in IRMA.

Qualifications:

• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien
• Applicants must be between ages of 18-30 years old, or up to 35 for veteran, based on Public Land Corps Act of 1993 authorizing this AmeriCorps opportunity.
• 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.
• Agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check.

 Preferred Qualifications:

·       Education or experience in ecology, natural resources, environmental science, conservation, or a related field.

·       Strong writing, editing, and organizational skills, with an ability to synthesize technical information into clear, concise products.

·       Interest in ecological science, natural resource management, and communicating scientific or management information to varied audiences.

·       Ability to work independently, problem-solve, take direction and feedback from a supervisor, manage multiple tasks, and adapt as priorities change.

·       Experience reviewing and organizing information from reports, datasets, maps, photographs, and other technical sources.

·       Strong attention to detail and interest in producing accurate, well-organized, visually effective documents.

·       Experience with common document and data tools such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

·       Coursework and experience with GIS, data analysis or visualization, graphic design, or desktop publishing is desirable but not required.

·       Ability and willingness to learn new technical tools and develop skills through mentorship and on-the-job experience.

Additional Position and Community Information

·        Grand Teton National Park covers 310,000 acres in western Wyoming. The park showcases iconic peaks, but also protects high-quality sagebrush steppe valley, high alpine wildflower meadows, and riparian corridors which support some of the most fantastic wildlife habitat in North America. You will live at approximately 6,500 feet elevation, with the Grand Teton reaching 13,000 ft. The town of Jackson is about 20 minutes away, and while busy, hosts a great deal of services. We have an airport, hardware stores, 3 grocery stores, banks, a Target, and auto body shops. Some people drive 2 hours to the larger Idaho Falls for errands on the weekends. The winter recreational opportunities are boundless, including great downhill and Nordic skiing, or snowshoeing.  In spring, summer, and fall, the area offers camping, floating the river, hiking, fishing, mountain biking, and backpacking that is hard to beat.

·        It is important to have a personal vehicle. Town and grocery stores are 20 minute drive from housing, along a highway with temperatures and wind discouraging biking.

·        Housing is likely a private bedroom with shared kitchen and bathroom. Beds and basic furniture are provided. Individual Placement must bring all bedding and kitchenware.

Our Commitment:

Conservation Legacy is committed to the full consideration of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential job functions. Physical requirements may include periodic overnight travel, non-traditional work 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. The ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.    

Benefits:

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $3,697.50
• Living Allowance of $700.00 per week.
• Additional Benefit of $300.00 per week.
• Student Loan forbearance if Eligible (administered by MyAmeriCorps, directly)
• Interest Payments if Eligible (administered through MyAmeriCorps, directly)

How to Apply
Apply on-line at: https://stewardslegacy.org/open-positions.  In addition to your resume, please submit a one page cover letter highlighting why you are interested in this position and how your background and experience will help you succeed in this position.

Application Timeline: Preference given to applicants who submit applications by September 11, 2026. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Position will close on September 25, 2026.

Supervisor Name and Contact Information:

·        Program Contact information: Sam Rush at srush@conservationlegacy.org

·        Service Site Contact information: Laura Jones at laura_jones@nps.gov

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 the hiring manager. 

Additional Details

Time Requirements:

• This position is expected to serve 40 hours each week, but exact service schedules may vary.
• Lunch breaks will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service.
• 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 an orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
• $1,500.00 Professional Development Fund for travel and training.

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.

Salary : $300 - $700