Summary
American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), is seeking one member to contribute to data management support consisting of GIS and scripting to assist in supporting data management applications for tracking invasive species which is part of the management actions tools and related science projects.

For more information about ACE, please visit our website.

Start Date: February 2025 (flexible)
Estimated End Date: November 2025
*a 40 week minimum commitment is required, approximately 1600 hours*

Location Details/Description: Remote. The GIS and Data Management support team member will work from their own home/space.  This team member will be part of the Southwest Region team which covers 45+ National Wildlife Refuges in Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.  The team member will work directly with a remotely based large team in a virtual environment that uses ArcGIS Online, remote desktop for GIS software, and Azure. 

For more information about USFWS, please visit the USFWS website.

Position Overview: The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. This position will help FWS realize that mission.

The member will provide Data Management support consisting of GIS and scripting to assist in supporting data management applications for tracking invasive species. This includes:

•  Assisting with the Management Actions data management system, the data archiving system, and assisting invasive strike teams and refuges with field data collection apps to track invasive species.
• Assist with data transfers/backups into Azure cloud environment
• Working on projects to incorporate invasive species data into planning and biology projects and reports.  This may include building data management applications using tools such as ArcGIS Experience Builder, dashboards, and working with PowerBI applications.
• Use of scripting like Arcade, Python, RMarkdown, Workflowr etc. to help refine tools through scripting.
• Assisting with training ISST and IS programs on these data management tools.
• Helping other staff in Refuges for creating custom field data collection maps.
• Learning about Arcade and Experience Builder through online trainings offered through ESRI and help with training others on these tools.
• Learning about Digital Object Identifiers for tracking datasets that are released publicly.
• Learning about FAIR data standards and connection metadata, and help provide training to others on these standards.
• Research ISO data standards and test systems for biodiversity data releases.

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: Duties will primarily be carried out Monday - Friday.  Bi-weekly totals should not exceed 80 hours.  A flexible work schedule may be required, which could involve work performed outside of normal work hours including on weekends and/or holidays.  Time off may be granted and requests should be directed to ACE and the FWS for approval.

Position Benefits

Living Allowance: The ACE Member is expected to contribute ~40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $720/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 and citizenship. Please contact ACE staff with questions about eligibility, or view general eligibility information on our website.

Housing: Housing is the responsibility of the member and not provided by ACE or FWS.

Gear Reimbursement: ACE members will have up to $200 to spend on eligible gear purchases. Eligible gear for this position includes, an external monitor, keyboard or mouse, computer hubs or stations, external hard drive, or other related electronic or home office needs, and must be approved by ACE staff prior to purchase. 

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. Specific training may include mandatory FWS IT security training, applicable FWS data and records management training, and ESRI virtual training (as-needed).

Scholarship Funding Opportunity:  The selected candidate(s) for this position will be eligible to apply for ACE’s Access and Inclusion Scholarship. This is a $500 scholarship  which is intended to make participation in ACE positions more accessible to individuals who are underrepresented in the conservation field. Scholarship recipients will be able to allocate this funding to financial need(s) of their choosing. A limited number of scholarships are available. 

Required:

• Members must be a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident, as required by 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 and must pass the required two-part criminal history check.
• 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. 
• Member may not participate in any prohibited activities as listed in the Member Service Agreement.
• To learn more about eligibility requirements, please visit our website. 
• Ability and willingness to think critically.
• Deep interest in problem solving, interest in understanding how data fits into the larger science picture, supports evidence based decisions, and public data releases as part of the data lifecycle..
• Good organizational skills (documenting processes, data management, and file management).
• Good communication skills (ability to summarize complex geospatial information orally and in writing, ability to effectively communicate with staff and partners from an interdisciplinary background and with different levels of management experience). 
• Familiarity using ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online with Field Maps or Survey123, R, python, and GIT.

Preferred:

• Competitive applicants for this position can hold a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree and/or have relevant experience in subject areas such as ArcGIS Online, ArcPro, geospatial data management.
• Proficiency in ArcPro and AGOL is required to create and maintain GIS data in accordance with federal requirements.
• Proficiency  in R, python, and GIT
• Experience in writing stepwise “how-to” documents. 

Physical Demands, Work Environment and Working Conditions: 

• Physical Demands: Manual dexterity required for use of computer keyboard/mouse and other office equipment.
• 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 5 lbs., ability to move up to 10 pounds.
• Environmental: Mainly indoor, office environment conditions; indoor air quality is good and temperature is controlled.
• Noise Environment: Moderate noise such as in a business office with equipment and light traffic.
• Travel: This position does not require unique travel.

Environmental Conditions/Hazards:  The ACE member(s) may encounter 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 FWS or ACE.  Any tools required for the accomplishment of the duties will be provided by the FWS. Use of personal protective equipment (PPE), typically provided by the FWS, will be mandatory for any activity that requires it.  Strict adherence to FWS and ACE equipment training, certification and safety protocols is required.