Summary: American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the National Park Service, is seeking one member to contribute to projects alongside Historic Preservation Training Center Staff.

For more information about ACE, please visit our website.

Start Date: January 13, 2025

Estimated End Date: December 18, 2025

*a 49 week minimum commitment is required *

Location Details/Description: The Historic Preservation Training Center (HPTC) of the National Park Service is a centralized department dedicated to the safe preservation and maintenance of national park and partner facilities by demonstrating outstanding leadership, delivering quality preservation services, and providing preservation education. HPTC leverages its breadth of historic preservation projects to teach the guiding principles of historic preservation and preservation trade skills. HPTC is home to the Facility Workforce Career Academy (FWCA) that provides training to NPS employees and the public as well as hosts several national-level internship programs related to facility management and historic preservation. This position will work with the Youth Programs team.

The Historic Preservation Training Center is headquartered in Frederick, Maryland. This position is preferred to be in-person for those within commuting distance of Frederick, or can be negotiated to be remote.

For more information about the Historic Preservation Training Center, please visit the NPS website.

Position Overview: This position will assist in the coordination and development of  HPTC internship and youth/young adult programs including the Traditional Trades Advancement Program, Build Up Technical Internship Program, and more. Some travel and evening/weekend work may occur but will be minimal/negotiable. The position will be responsible for planning and carrying out the work independently, coordinating with others as necessary, making decisions on routine problems, and referring complex matters to supervisor with recommended solutions in the following areas (estimated breakdown):

Program Administration (30%) Promote and support HPTC initiatives and help execute 2025 program goals.

• Work with Youth Program Specialist to monitor completion of various program aspects of young adult and veteran program participants.
• Provide assistance with the tracking of project information such as funding, completion reports, project and partner contacts, annual program trends.
• Learn how to draft and monitor financial assistance agreements and program budgets
• Assists with program planning such as cost modeling, scheduling, advertisement, training, execution, and evaluation.
• Help to maintain NPS external partner relationship growth and management.
• Research and recommend program adjustments and improvements based on internal program data and external industry/organization standards and activities.
• Use problem solving and creative thinking skills to recommend ideas for continual improvement and development of existing programs.

Training (20%) Help plan, design, and execute training and professional development opportunities for interns including improving access to information and networks both to interns themselves and their supervisors.

• Coordinates effort to synchronize, consolidate, and market trainings offered by FWCA Internship Programs
• Design and deliver virtual and in-person trainings to site mentors and interns on topics such as federal resumes, special hiring authorities and using USAJOBS.gov

Program Support (20%): Promote and strengthen HPTC initiatives.

• Assist with program communications and record keeping (e.g., attend meetings, take notes, keep web pages updated, respond to external correspondence, etc.)
• Provide assistance with preparing for and executing in-person events (e.g., tabling, trainings, meetings, etc.)
• Work with HPTC and Program Staff to assist with the coordination of material logistics (e.g., keeping inventory and shipping training materials, participant program supplies, etc.)

Communications (15%): Communicate HPTC mission goals and objectives through programmatic and partner correspondences and reports.

• Compose program-related letters, memos, and correspondence as needed.
• Compile information to assist with the creation of reports for project supervisors and HPTC leadership team.
• Receive mentorship in the coordination of collaborative replies to correspondences and reports. This will include relaying instructions to staff, collecting information, preparing replies, and consolidating/coordinating submission of information.
• Assist in the creation of additional communication products as necessary.

Training/Professional Development (10-15%) of the position will be focused solely on individual professional development (training, skill development, working with other NPS departments in individual's interests, etc.)

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.

Schedule: Monday to Friday with 8 hour workdays

Position Benefits

Living Allowance: The ACE Member is expected to contribute ~40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $840/week to offset the costs of food and incidental expenses, dispersed bi-weekly.

Public Land Corps Hiring Authority: Members serving under this agreement may be eligible for a federal hiring authority upon completion of their term of service and 640 hours of service. If the duration of a PLC-eligible term is not long enough for Members to accrue 640 hours of service (~16 weeks), the total hours served at the completion of the term may be eligible to be combined with hours accrued from another PLC-eligible term to meet the 640 hours requirement. PLC projects also include specific eligibility requirements such as age (You must be between the ages of 16 and 30. Some agencies also interpret these guidelines to include veterans up to age 35) and citizenship. Please contact ACE staff with questions about eligibility, or view general eligibility information on our website.

Provided Training/Orientation: ACE members will receive position specific training and an orientation outlining ACE policies and procedures, clear guidance on prohibited activities, and networks for support.

Professional Development Stipend: $1,000 is available to be used for pre-approved professional development purposes.

Qualifications

Required:

• Members must be a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident, as required by U.S. government cooperative agreements.
• 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 and must pass the required criminal history checks
• Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
• ACE Members will need to complete bi-weekly timesheets, beginning of term feedback forms, end of term evaluations and for longer terms, a mid-term evaluation.
• Members may not participate in any prohibited activities as listed in the Member Service Agreement.
• To learn more about eligibility requirements, please visit our website located on our Indeed homepage.

Preferred:

• Competitive applicants for this position can hold or be pursuing a minimum of an undergraduate degree in Public Administration, Curriculum Development, Adult Education, Training and Development, Historic Preservation, Social Science, Parks and Recreation, Communications, Youth and Community Development, Social Work, Human Services, or Organizational Psychology/Management and/or have relevant experience in subject areas such as youth programs, workforce development, historic preservation, public administration, program administration, training, and curriculum development.
• Ability and willingness to travel for work outside of the local Frederick area on occasion.
• Experience in Microsoft Suite applications (sharepoint, teams).
• Experience with remote work.
• Deep interest in working for a public lands management agency in a management/behind the scenes capacity.

Physical Demands, Work Environment and Working Conditions:

• Physical Demands: Requires frequent sitting, standing, walking, carrying, using hands to handle or feel, reaching with hands and arms, talking and hearing. Manual dexterity required for use of various tools, computer keyboard/mouse and other office equipment. Required to stoop, kneel, climb stairs, and/or crouch.
• Vision Requirements: Requires close, distance, peripheral and depth perception vision as well as the ability to focus.
• Weight Lifted or Force Exerted: Frequently moves up to 15 lbs., ability to move up to 30 pounds.
• Environmental: Mainly indoor, office environment conditions.
• Noise Environment: Moderate noise such as in a business office with equipment and light traffic.
• Travel: This position may require domestic travel.

Environmental Conditions/Hazards: The member is expected to conduct duties in a safe and orderly manner so as not to endanger self, fellow staff/members or resources.

Vehicle and Equipment Use/Safety: If a vehicle is required for the accomplishment of the duties, one will be provided by the NPS or ACE. Any tools required for the accomplishment of the duties will be provided by the NPS. Use of personal protective equipment (PPE), typically provided by the NPS, will be mandatory for any activity that requires it. Strict adherence to NPS and ACE equipment training, certification and safety protocols is required.