GIS Assistant - AmeriCorps

POSITION DETAILS

Position Title : GIS Assistant - AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program : Stewards Individual Placements

Site Location : Southeast Region Office, Atlanta, Georgia

Can this position be fully remote : No - Must be within commuting distance to office location.

Number of positions available : 1

TERMS OF SERVICE

Duration : 52 Weeks (not flexible)

Flexible Start Date : Yes

Start Date : 01 / 19 / 2026

End Date : 01 / 18 / 2027

AmeriCorps Slot Classification : 1700 hours - this is the minimum number of hours the selected candidate must serve.

BENEFITS

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $7,395.00 upon successful completion of position.
• Living Allowance of $700.00 per week.
• Relocation Allowance of $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).

Healthcare Coverage (opt in)

APPLICATION TIMELINE

The position will close after receiving 60 applications, or at 11 : 59 p.m. EDT on Sunday, 12 October, 2025, whichever occurs first. The review of applications will begin after Sunday, 12 October, 2025. Preference given to applicants who submit applications before Sunday, 12 October, 2025.

PURPOSE

This GIS Assistant is an AmeriCorps position. This project promotes automated data compilation, visualization and dissemination, which ultimately provides managers with up-to-date information about status and spread of priority invasive plant species within and around park boundaries. Developing tools that promote invasive plants information synthesis and sharing allows park managers to respond to these threats in their parks in a more timely and strategic active manner, and will assist park managers with prioritizing management actions to promote and conserve forest and plant resources.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Invasive plant infestations are a serious problem in many southeast region national park units, and controlling their spread is a high priority for park managers. Strategically managing invasive plant infestations requires knowing what invasive plant species occur where. But getting that information can be cumbersome, requiring staff to compile and evaluate recent invasive plant sightings from sources including park monitoring data, opportunistic sightings by staff, and citizen science platforms (e.g., iNaturalist). Most parks do not have the capacity to annually assemble the necessary information for strategic allocation of invasive plant management efforts. This is the problem we seek to address with the proposed SIP position project. The SIP SIP participant will serve with park scientists, the SE Region Inventory & Monitoring Division (IMD), and regional Invasive Plants Management Teams (IPMTs) to continue development of a web-based dashboard that automatically pulls newly reported invasive plant sightings from agency, park, and citizen science databases. The dashboard will map invasive plant sightings in relation to park cultural resources, recent or planned management actions (e.g., controlled burns, IPMT activities), and other relevant park information. The dashboard will also summarize key trends in invasive plant sightings in each park, so park managers can serve with IPMTs to strategically plan invasive plant control and treatment actions. Specific responsibilities of the SIP SIP participant will include : researching sources of invasive plant sightings data within and around national park units; serving with park and regional (fire, IMD, and IPMT) staff to identify high priority invasive species and park resources / activities to map; serving with regional GIS and data science specialists to build a web-based invasive plants dashboard.

KEYWORDS : Data science, GIS, invasive plants, citizen science, web dashboard

DELIVERABLES

The deliverable from this project will be a web-based dashboard that park managers, IPMT, and other NPS resource staff can readily access to understand the current state of priority invasive plant threats within and around SE region park units. The dashboard will summarize park-specific indicators of invasive plant trends, such as new detections of a priority invasive species in areas without prior (known) encroachment, areas of greatest increase in priority invasive plant detections, and species with the greatest number of new detections.

QUALIFICATIONS

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Candidates must have a strong data science background (e.g., prior experience managing and synthesizing large data sets) and prior GIS experience. Candidates must demonstrate good oral and written communication skills. A background in natural resources especially in the areas of botany or vegetation monitoring would be helpful but is not required. Prior experience using R and creating data dashboards is preferred, but not required.

ADDITIONAL POSITION AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION

POSITION SETTING

This is position can be completed with a hybrid schedule within commuting distance of Atlanta, GA

VEHICLE AND DRIVER'S LICENSE REQUIREMENTS

HOUSING

Park housing is NOT available. The SIP participant will be responsible for finding housing in the nearby area.

HOW TO APPLY

Apply online, all Scientists in Parks positions are listed at : 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 :

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

ORIENTATION 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.

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 Southeast Region Office will host a GIS Assistant.

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 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!"