2023 NPS Academy Visitor Use and Experience Social Science Member - Grand Teton National Park

Summary: American Conservation Experience (ACE), a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with Grand Teton National Park, is seeking ONE Visitor Use and Experience Social Science member as part of the 2023 National Park Service Academy cohort. During this 16-week position and additional one week March Experience, the member will learn how to apply social science techniques to visitor use and experience while simultaneously learning about the National Park Service (NPS) as a career path.

For more information about NPS Academy, please visit: npsacademy.org.
For more information about ACE, please visit: www.usaconservation.org.

About NPS Academy: National Park Service Academy aims to support the development of a more representative NPS workforce by connecting dynamic, young adults through an experiential program designed around three themes - Connections, Diversity, Legacy. Through participation, members build their conservation ethic, intercultural awareness, and career readiness skills and competencies. NPS Academy introduces participants to the NPS Universal Competencies that are foundational to all NPS career paths within a cohort of like minded peers.

Program Goals:The main goals of NPS Academy are:

• Connect a diverse group of young adults sharing a passion and curiosity for careers within the NPS
• Deepen participants' knowledge of and personal network within the NPS by fostering an NPS mentorship relationships
• Develop a network of emerging conservation and park leaders by building ambassadorship, storytelling, and leadership skills
• Create a more inclusive and representative future for public lands

Start Date: June 5, 202 (flexible)

End Date: September 22, 2023

*a 16-week minimum commitment and participation in the orientation March 6th-10th is required for the position*

Location: Grand Teton National Park- The town of Jackson offers a variety of amenities and services in close proximity to Grand Teton National Park. Jackson is only four miles from the southern boundary of Grand Teton, 12 miles from Moose, 20 miles from Jenny Lake, and 41 miles from Colter Bay. The year-round population of Jackson is about 10,000 people. However, millions of visitors come through every year, which means that Jackson offers many amenities that you don't normally see in a town of that size. The Grand Tetons are a magnificent mountain range in this northwestern region of Wyoming, with the small town of Jackson Hole in its foothills. The Grand Teton rises to 13,770 feet, 7,000 feet about the valley floor. Numerous peoples have roamed these lands, showing first signs from various Native American tribes around 11,000 years ago, from the ranchers and trappers of the 1800's, to the homesteaders and modern-day conservationists that support the park. Grand Teton National Park is rich in history of human cultures and biological diversity, being a part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Project Website: For more information about Grand Teton National Park please visit nps.gov/grte.

Living Allowance: Members are expected to contribute ~40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $480/week (less any applicable taxes) to offset the costs of food and incidental expenses, dispersed bi-weekly. NPS Academy allowances are designed to prepare members for similar allowance structure at entry level positions at their service site and some variation exists due to local cost of living differences.

Housing: NPS Academy members will be accommodated in provided park service housing at no cost for the duration of the term. Housing varies by park site. Accommodations are generally shared housing, and include a full kitchen. Housing may be a house, apartment, or dormitory depending on what is available.

Scheduling: The Academy member is expected to contribute ~40 hours a week. This is typically 8 hour days, 5 days a week. Work will occur on weekends, and the member will have two consecutive days off every week. There is the possibility of some evening work for night sky research.

Position Description:
The social science member will assist the park social scientist in interdisciplinary projects focused on understanding visitor experience and use patterns in Grand Teton National Park. Duties will include surveying visitors in face-to-face interviews, resource impact and trail use monitoring, data management, conducting analysis on preliminary results, and draft report writing. The member will work both inside and outside, with the majority of the work being in an outdoor setting, sometimes in inclement weather. Longer hikes (4 miles one-way) with more than 2,000 feet elevation gain will sometimes be necessary to access backcountry sampling sites.

This individual placement is meant to facilitate professional development and promotes exposure to land management agencies and networking with professionals. This could include gaining experience in different conservation fields and shadowing different work groups.

Skills and Experience: An important reminder, all skills needed for this position will be trained on the job. A good attitude, curiosity for learning, and a willingness to work hard contributing to the team are the only prerequisites to finding success.

Essential skills: Ability to work alone and in a group; Clear communication both written and verbal; Willingness to hike long distances and be outside all day; Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.

Additional skills that are helpful: Familiarity with GIS/mapping and statistics; being flexible and adaptable to changes in tasks for the day (i.e. sometimes we have to quickly address equipment failures and rearrange our day).

Skills that members will gain from this position: An understanding of the importance of social science in National Parks and other public lands; surveying and monitoring techniques and protocols, how social science data fits into decision making, data management practices.

Physical Demands, Work Environment, and Working Conditions:
Please use this information to determine personal ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.

Physical Demands: Work requires some physical effort and can involve extensive periods of standing and walking, in some cases over rough surfaces or inclines outdoors, and carrying backpacks or other loads up to 50 pounds.

Weight Lifted or Force Exerted: Moving up to 50 pounds

Vision Requirements: Requires close, distance, peripheral and depth perception vision as well as the ability to focus.

Environmental: Work takes place both in indoor and outdoor settings.Work can include moderate risks or discomforts that require safety precautions (e.g., exposure to extreme temperatures, climates, rough terrain, wild animals, pests, and insects.)Travel: no overnight travel, travel within the park will occur regularly

Additional Benefits:
AmeriCorps: This position may be eligible for a 450-hour AmeriCorps Education Award (~$1718.25) upon successful completion of service hours. Additional enrollment steps are required.

Public Land Corps Hiring Authority: Members serving under this agreement may be eligible for a hiring authority upon completion of their term of service. PLC projects are subject to specific eligibility requirements such as age and citizenship. If you do not meet the eligibility requirements for the PLC, you are still eligible to apply for the NPS Academy position with ACE. Please contact ACE staff with questions about eligibility.

Outdoor Perks: As an ACE EPIC member, you will be eligible to receive pro deals which include deep discounts on outdoor gear providing 30 - 50% off retail prices on 100s of established outdoor gear brands.

ACE Requirements:

• Members must be US citizen or Permanent Resident, as required to comply with U.S. government contracts
• Willing and able to represent ACE and the partner organization in a professional, positive, and enthusiastic manner.
• Ability to be both self-directed/work alone, and be a positive, contributing member of a group.
• A valid driver's license and an insurable driving record (documentation to be provided upon request).
• Willing to undergo a criminal background check.
• Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
• ACE Members must verify that they are fully vaccinated for Covid-19 or have requested and been granted a medical or religious exemption to vaccination by the time they start their term.
• To learn more about eligibility requirements, please visit our website here.

To Apply: Please submit your resume, a cover letter demonstrating your interest in the position and the NPS Academy program, as well as contact information for three references to the online application page for this position here: https://usaconservation.applicantpool.com/jobs/?keywords=academy. Early consideration will be given as applications are received. This position may close at any time but will close by January 10th at the latest. If you have any questions regarding this position please feel free to contact ACE EPIC NPS Academy Program Manager, Deidra Goodwin at dgoodwin@usaconservation.org.

EEO: American Conservation Experience provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, American Conservation Experience complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities.

Current Openings for 2023 NPS Academy Visitor Use and Experience Social Science Member Grand Teton National Park Jobs at American Conservation Experience - EPIC