Position Title: BIA Water Resources Technician - AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements -BIA WaterCorps Program

Site Location: Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources’ Water Management Branch. Physical address: Navajo Route 12, NTUA Road, Building 2793, Fort Defiance, AZ 86504.

Application Timeline: Preference given to applicants who submit applications by April 24th. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and position will close when filled.

Terms of Service:

• Ideal Start Date: May 25, 2026

• End Date: October 23, 2026

• AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 675 Hour Slot, 22 weeks (must serve full duration of term)

Purpose:

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 partners with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to facilitate the WaterCorps Program to provide opportunities to federally enrolled Tribal Members seeking to gain experience in the water resources field. This WaterCorps position will be hosted at the Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources’ Water Management Branch and will host a BIA Water Resources Technician.

The BIA Water Resources Technician is an AmeriCorps position that will focus on projects to gather field data that will quantify and characterize the water resources on the Navajo Nation.

The BIA Water Resources Technician program supports the importance that the data collected and analyzed provides information that the Navajo Nation and other stakeholders use to support natural resources management decisions.

Description of Duties:

• Projects require field investigations and data collection over rough terrain in all weather conditions
• Field projects to collect topographic and bathymetric surveying data to model lakes on the Navajo Nation to quantify storage
• Field projects to collect crop inventory data of Navajo Nation irrigated farms along the San Juan River in New Mexico
• Collect precipitation, stream gauging, and snow survey data to assist the Navajo Nation in water monitoring and inventory
• Completing data analysis using ArcGIS and other programs

Qualifications:

• Possess a valid state driver’s license with a good driving history
• A strong interest in a career in natural resource conservation science
• Must be a member of a Federally recognized Indian Tribe, Band, or Village; Alaska Native; or meet one of the following descriptions:

o Persons who possess at least one-half degree Indian blood derived from Tribes Indigenous to the United States.

o Descendants of Members of Federally recognized Indian Tribes, Bands or Communities who were residing on any Indian Reservation on June 1, 1934 – shown by following instructions in the BIA Form 4432.

• 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.
• Agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete National Service Criminal History Checks for Conservation Legacy and the host site.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Applicants with an interest in water resources
• Ability to completing projects outside over rough terrain in all weather conditions
• Applicants with an interest in working with geospatial data

Additional Position and Community Information:

• The Navajo Nation is 27,000 square miles that extend into Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. The fieldwork covers the high desert, the mountain ranges, and along streams and rivers across the Navajo Nation
• The office is located in Fort Defiance, AZ on the Navajo Nation which has limited housing. Given the vast area, it is rural with possible long hours of driving and occasional overnight stays
• There is access to medical care in Fort Defiance at the Fort Defiance Indian Health Care and other Indian Health Services throughout the Navajo Nation
• There are two grocery stores locally, and a 30-minute drive to Gallup, New Mexico to find additional grocery stores, restaurants and access to health care
• It is important that the member has personal transportation to get to the office in Fort Defiance, AZ

How to Apply:

Find position in table at: https://secure.entertimeonline.com/ta/conservationlegacy.careers?ShowJob=705201986 Open position, review full position description and click apply.

In addition to your resume, please submit a one-page cover letter highlighting why you are interested in this position and how your background and experience will help you succeed in this position. You will also need to upload a copy of your Tribal ID or Certificate of Indian Blood showing that you are enrolled in a federally recognized Indian Tribe, Band, or Village; or Alaska Native.

Please do not apply if you are not a federally enrolled Tribal member.

If selected to be a BIA Water Resources Technician at the Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources’ Water Management Branch, an additional Navajo Nation application will need to be submitted for volunteer service with the Navajo Nation.

Supervisor/Mentor Name and Contact Information:

· Service Site Contact information: Ryan T. Barton at ryanbarton@navajo-nsn.gov

· Program Contact information: Emma savely emma@conservationlegacy.org

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 full time each week, but exact service schedules may vary according to project needs. Lunch breaks will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service hours. The selected candidate may not serve less than full time on a consistent basis.
• 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 program expectations and AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
• Sexual Harassment Awareness and Prevention Training
• Basic Water Rescue
• Boat Safety
• Wilderness First Aid
• Defensive Driving

Benefits:

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $3,697 (pre-tax)
• Living Allowance of $600.00 per week (pre-tax)
• Additional Benefit of $100.00 per week (pre-tax)
• Healthcare Coverage (opt in)
• Childcare Coverage (opt in)
• Student Loan forbearance if Eligible (administered by MyAmeriCorps, directly)
• Interest Payments if Eligible (administered through MyAmeriCorps, directly)

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.

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.