Position Title: GIS Data Management Steward – AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements

Site Location: Mesa Verde National Park, Cortez, CO 81330

Application Due: July 3, 2026

Terms of Service:

• Start Date: October 5, 2026
• End Date: January 22, 2027
• AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 450-Hour Slot

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.

Located in southwest Colorado, Mesa Verde National Park is dedicated to the preservation of the natural and cultural landscapes, homes, and villages of the Ancestral Puebloan people who lived and farmed there for over 800 years. The park comprises 53,000 acres on south sloping cuestas of pinyon-juniper woodlands intersected by valleys and deep canyons. The park is most famous for the alcove cliff-dwellings with standing Ancestral Pueblo architecture.

The Park’s Cultural Resources operation is seeking an enterprising GIS Data Management Steward to learn and support the post-processing of terrestrial LiDAR data of this unique cultural-architectural resource.

Description of Duties:

• Learn how to process terrestrial lidar scan data of cliff-dwelling architecture, such as point cloud classification and registration.
• Learn to process LiDAR point cloud data into a variety of cartographic and architectural products such CAD vector line work maps, and raster surface elevations. Apply the learned skills to produce final products.
• Write Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), document best practices and efficient data processing and editing workflows.
• Assist GIS Specialist with a variety of other park-wide GIS tasks, including high-accuracy geospatial data collection and processing.
• Participate in the weekly NPS-GIS Steward Cohort meetings.
• Design a capstone project presentation to be presented to fellow GIS-Steward cohort and interested NPS personnel.

Requirements:

• United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien
• Applicants must be between ages of 18-30 years old, or up to 35 for veteran, based on Public Land Corps Act of 1993 authorizing this AmeriCorps opportunity.
• 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 candidate should have a good base of GIS skills and knowledge of ESRI applications including ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online web-mapping. The candidate should be enterprising and resourceful in using online tutorials to learn independently Trimble Business Center and/or Real Works programs and document workflows from point cloud to vector CAD and other deliverables. Candidates should be detail-oriented, have strong writing and communication skills, and demonstrate initiative.

The ideal candidate would have knowledge and skills working with LiDAR data, preferably with Trimble Business Center and/or Real Works, and AutoCAD. However, as these are rare skills, the next preferred candidate would be someone determined to learn these programs from online tutorials and possibly in-person custom training.

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 $1,956.35
• Living Allowance of $600 per week.
• Additional Benefit of $200 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: James Gasaway, jgasaway@conservationlegacy.org

Service Site Contact Information: Sheldon Baker, Sheldon_Baker@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.