Hydrology Assistant - AmeriCorps

POSITION DETAILS

Position Title: Hydrology Assistant - AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements

Site Location: Death Valley National Park, Death Valley, California

Can this position be fully remote: No

Number of positions available: 1

TERMS OF SERVICE

Duration: 52 Weeks (not flexible)

Flexible Start Date: Yes

Start Date: 01/12/2026

End Date: 01/11/2027

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 $600.00 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).
• For 52-week-long positions only:
  • Healthcare Coverage (opt in)
  • Childcare 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 Hydrology Assistant is an AmeriCorps position. This position supports the Death Valley National Park Strategic Plan to protect natural resources, specifically the management and research of the park's hydrologic, geologic, and air resources. This information will be used to support management decisions regarding specific resource concerns, including preventing off-road driving and repairing damage, addressing illegal marijuana grow sites, and protecting water resources and endangered species (especially Devils Hole pupfish).

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

The Death Valley hydrology program has an extensive monitoring network across the park's 3.4 million acres, and along critical groundwater flowpaths to the park. The hydrology program is also responsible for the park's air quality monitoring, off-highway vehicle (OHV) prevention and soil restoration, and represents the park in all physical science matters. Death Valley Hydrology is expanding its monitoring program to provide better spatial coverage, and to respond to increasing threats to water resources from environmental change and groundwater pumping. Longer and more detailed records of measurements allow park managers to more conclusively and convincingly demonstrate causal relationships between system perturbations (e.g. decreased recharge and/or increased pumping) and responses observed at monitoring sites. These data are also used to identify trends that will inform management decisions in Death Valley National Park. The SIP participant will assist the Death Valley NP hydrology program at all levels; from measurements and data retrieval, calibration and maintenance of equipment, to data analysis and report writing. Duties will also include GPS mapping of wetland and riparian areas that are expanding as a result of spring restoration efforts, as well as repeat photo points and vegetation monitoring. The SIP participant will experience a wide variety of activities related to park water, air and geologic resources management. The supervisor/mentor will encourage the SIP to develop a research project in their sub-discipline of interest. Projects should be designed to assess the changing hydrologic, meteorologic, geologic, or air quality conditions in Death Valley NP. Opportunities exist for cross-training in other programs, including ecology, botany, planning/compliance, and interpretation/education as the SIP participant's interest and time allows.

KEYWORDS: Springs mapping, water monitoring, soil restoration, physical science, meteorologic data

DELIVERABLES

Outcomes will include the data and field measurements collected as part of monitoring activities. The SIP will assist in the production of reports including: summaries of the settings, maps, descriptions of monitoring procedures and equipment, time-series graphs, explanations of trends and their potential causes, and some statistical analysis. The participant will also prepare riparian area maps using GPS and GIS. If the participant undertakes a solo project, they will be encouraged to present their research in a park staff meeting or conference.

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 NPS site location.
• The applicant must be available to participate for 52 Weeks in order to be considered and participate.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Suitable candidates will have at least two years of coursework leading to a degree in physical science. Ideal candidates will be recent graduates in physical science. All candidates should have at least one course in GIS, and the strongest candidates will have experience mapping natural features using GPS and GIS including ArcGIS online.

ADDITIONAL POSITION AND COMMUNITY INFORMATION

POSITION SETTING

Death Valley NP is located in the Mojave Desert of southeastern California, within the Basin and range physiographic province of the western US. Spring and Fall conditions are warm, with typical highs in the 80s and 90s. Winters are very mild. Expect extremely hot conditions (120+) during the summer. Approximately 70% of the service will take place in a temperature-controlled office, and approximately 30% will take place outdoors. Death Valley is characterized by hot summer temperatures and rugged terrain. Field projects may occur off-trail, on uneven and steep ground. The park can experience extreme winds (gusts regularly reaching 30-50mph) year-round, but especially in the spring season. The quantity of field projects completed by the SIP participant will depend on their level of interest and ability to engage with the elements. The project location is approximately 60 miles from the nearest grocery stores in Pahrump, NV, and 120 miles from the nearest metro area, Las Vegas, NV.

VEHICLE AND DRIVER’S 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. The SIP participant will occupy a room in shared furnished housing, which will be either a dorm building or a house. Common areas are the living room, dining room, laundry room, and kitchen. Bathroom may be shared with one person of the same gender. Kitchens have limited pots and pans, bakeware, dishes, cups, flatware, utensils, and dish towels. Bedding or linens, cleaning products, trash bags, and paper goods are not supplied. Housing is less than two miles away from the office.

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 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: https://www.scientistsinparks.org/.

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

• This position is expected to serve full time each week, but exact service schedules may vary.
• Lunch breaks 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

• Orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
• Pertinent training from the NPS site location throughout the term of service.
• Free professional development webinars led by Conservation Legacy staff.

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 Death Valley National Park will host a Hydrology 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!”