GIS Support Steward – AmeriCorps 

Position Title: GIS Support Steward – AmeriCorps  

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements 

Site Location: Colonial National Historical Park,Yorktown, VA 23690 

 Terms of Service: 

Start Date: 06/01/2026 

End Date: 11/13/2026 

AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 675 Hours  

 Purpose: 

Stewards Individual Placements (Stewards), a program of Conservation Legacy, provides individuals with AmeriCorps service and career internship 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 NPS GIS office is hosting a cohort of GIS stewards. 

Colonial National Historical Park is located in the Virginia Tidewater Region between the James and York Rivers, and is approximately 3 hours south of Washington, DC. The park, consisting of 8,677 acres, administers two of the most historically significant sites in English North America: Historic Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America in 1607; and Yorktown Battlefield, the final major battle of the American Revolutionary War in 1781. These two sites represent the beginning and end of English colonial America and are connected by the 23-mile scenic Colonial Parkway. Colonial NHP has a variety of natural resources including extensive wetlands, forest, fields, shorelines and streams, as well as rare, threatened and endangered plants and animals. The nearby cities of Williamsburg, Newport News, and Hampton offer a wide variety of rental units and residences for sale or rent, as well as other municipal services, including schools and colleges. 

We seek a GIS Steward to work with Resource Stewardship and Science staff at COLO to improve and manage existing geospatial data for place names, create new databases from legacy data, develop workflow standards and protocols, develop and create GIS spatial projects, and assist with collecting spatial data in the field. The opportunity will include both data management and field data collection. 

By the end of this experience, the incumbent can expect to have increased proficiency levels for the following NPS GIS Competencies: Coordination and Communication, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, Technology Application, Information Quality Assurance, and Data Management and Metadata. 

Occasional travel may be possible. Park housing may be available. Successful completion of this opportunity will provide the steward with eligibility for the Public Land Corps (PLC) Non-Competitive Hiring Authority. 

  
Description of Duties: 

Integrate existing geospatial data into established national and regional spatial data standards 

Establish data editing workflows and best practices for place names data 

Develop standard operating guidelines for data creation, management, access, and sharing 

Using existing and newly collected data to develop maps for internal and external communications 

Participate in weekly GIS Team meetings and other team-oriented events and discussions 

Participate in weekly Cohort meetings led by NPS GIS Stewards Program support staff 

Design a capstone presentation for the NPS GIS community at the position conclusion 

  
Requirements: 

United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien 

At least 18 years of age 

Has received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate; or has not dropped out of elementary or 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 

Agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check. 

Preferred Qualifications 

The ideal candidate for this position will have experience creating and managing geospatial data files. Proficiency with ESRI software is required. Knowledge of geodatabase design principles, experience with spatial data standards and metadata are preferred. Familiarity with archeological survey methods and techniques may be helpful. This position requires attention to detail and the ability to serve independently while serving with subject matter experts as needed. Travel to Park headquarters in remote communities via boat or small plane will be required.  

Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident. Applicants must also be enrolled at an institution of higher education or within two years post-graduation. Applicants who have obtained or are pursuing a GIS degree or certificate and/or with GIS professional experience are preferred. Prior to starting this position, a federal government security background clearance will be required. 

Our Commitment: 

Conservation Legacy is committed to the full consideration of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential job functions. Physical requirements may include periodic overnight travel, non-traditional work 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. The ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.    

 Time Requirements: 

Typically, this position is expected to serve 40 hours per week, but exact service schedules may vary. A half hour lunch break will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service  

Member may be required to participate in national, state, or local service projects or events as part of their service term.  

Orientation and Training: 

Member will receive an orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities. 

 Benefits: 

Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $2,817.14 

Living Allowance of $600 per week. 

Additional Benefit of $320 per week. 

Loan forbearance if Eligible 

Interest Payments if Eligible  

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. 

Supervisor Name and Contact Information: 

Program Contact information: stewardssupport@conservationlegacy.org 

Service Site Contact Information: dlscheid@nps.gov  

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 reasonable accommodations due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.