Position Title: Build Up Park Cultural Resources Assistant—Rock Creek Park
Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements
Site Location: Washington, DC
Terms of Service:
- Start Date: 7/13/2026, preference given to applications received by 6/1/2026
- Term Length: 26-weeks
Purpose:
Stewards Individual Placements (STE) provides individuals with service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources. Participants work with federal agencies, tribal governments, and nonprofits building institutional capacity, developing community relationships, and supporting ecosystem health.
The Historic Preservation Training Center (HPTC) utilizes historic preservation projects as the main vehicle for teaching preservation philosophy and building crafts, technology, and project management skills. HPTC’s Build Up Technical Internship Program offers technical internships in fields like engineering, architecture, and project management. Interns work on large-scale projects with NPS teams nationwide.
STE in partnership with HPTC are seeking a service member to serve as a Park Cultural Resources Assistant at Rock Creek Park. Rock Creek Park administers 2,749 acres within the District of Columbia and is both an individual unit of the national park system as well as an administrative unit that oversees numerous park sites and resources beyond the original core of Rock Creek Park. The park administers a total of 99 areas, which include the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway, the Old Stone House, part of the Civil War Defenses of Washington (CWDW), Dumbarton Oaks Park, Meridian Hill Park, and Glover Archbold Park.
The successful member will assist the Cultural Resources Program Manager and other Resource Management staff as needed on projects within Rock Creek Park. This in-person training opportunity will be located in Washington, D.C. and includes a combination of in-person office work and field work.
Based on the subject matter expertise of the successful candidate, the internship may involve a number of different tasks to support the Cultural Resources program at Rock Creek Park. Project work may involve completion of limited historical research using park collections to facilitate planned and ongoing park projects; assistance with condition updates for cultural landscapes and archeological resources listed in the Cultural Resources Inventory System (CRIS); site visits and field work to document existing conditions with photographs and maps to support resource protection; work related to park museum collections; and performing other duties as assigned. This opportunity will allow the member to learn about and participate in an NPS park Cultural Resources Management program by working directly with Federal cultural resource professionals in the NPS.
Description of Duties:
- Assist the Cultural Resources Program Manager with condition updates to resources listed in the Cultural Resources Inventory System (CRIS), which may include park cultural landscapes and/or archeological resources.
- Assist the Cultural Resources Program Manager and Rock Creek Park Interpretation and Education staff to develop and implement a numbering system for an education collection housed at the Old Stone House in Georgetown.
- Assist the Cultural Resources Program Manager with developing the museum collections section of the park structural fire management plan in accordance with NPS policies.
- Perform limited historical research as needed to support park compliance and project work.
Qualifications:
- United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien
- Must be 18-30 years of age, maximum 35 for Veterans with DD-214
- 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.
- The ideal candidate will either be pursuing a graduate degree or recently completed their graduate degree in archeology, history, historic preservation, museum studies, or a related field.
- Training and knowledge of at least one of the following cultural resources disciplines is required: historic preservation, cultural landscapes, museum collections, archeological resources, and historic buildings and structures.
- Strong writing, research, and organizational skills is required. Writing samples may be required of candidates if interviewed.
- Experience with Microsoft Office products is required.
- Knowledge of the National Register of Historic Places is preferred.
- Working knowledge of ArcGIS Pro and GNSS (GPS) equipment is preferred as well as graphics programs such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
- Other requirements include a valid driver’s license and the ability to drive independently, if needed, to project locations administered by Rock Creek Park.
- Applicants should be available to work 40 hours per week
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 Monday through Friday, 40 hours/week but exact service schedules may vary.
Member may be required to participate in national, state, or local service projects or events as part of their service term.
Benefits:
- Pay Rate: $25/hr, Eligible for Overtime
- Healthcare Coverage if Eligible
- Exposure to key government systems and processes via on-the-job training.
- $1000 Professional Development Stipend
- Public Lands Corps Hiring Authority Eligibility
Evaluation and Reporting:
As a Stewards 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:
Kevin Record
Stewards Program Manager
681.666.3621
krecord@conservationlegacy.org
www.stewardslegacy.org
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.
