Position Title: GIS Data Management Steward – AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements

Site Location: Indiana Dunes National Park, 1100 N. Mineral Springs Road, Porter IN 46304

Application Due: July 3, 2026

Terms of Service:

• Start Date: 10/5/2026
• End Date: 3/19/2027
• 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.

Indiana Dunes National Park is located at the southern tip of Lake Michigan approximately 50 miles southeast of Chicago, Illinois. At 15,000 acres, the park contains 15 miles of shoreline and over 50 miles of trails. Small towns, lakefront communities, natural areas, farms and industry surround the park. An abundance of cultural and recreational activities are available year-round. The area has weather typical of the Midwest, with temperatures normally ranging from 0 degrees in the winter to 90 degrees in the summer. The park is a hotspot where a rich mosaic of habitats are home to over 1,100 native plant species.

Indiana Dunes National Park (INDU) has one of the most varied landscapes in the country, despite decades of fragmentation and disturbance. To protect and restore this unique place, the parks natural resource management team has a robust ecological restoration program and has been recording restoration actions in GIS for over 20 years. We are seeking a GIS Steward to join our team in Northwest Indiana to provide crucial data management support. The Steward’s service will improve existing, and develop new, geographic information systems (GIS) and database management systems used to document and inform future land management efforts at INDU and throughout the Great Lakes Watershed.

Multiple parks and park partners throughout the Great Lakes Basin are involved in a GLRI (Great Lakes Restoration Initiative) funded pollinator habitat restoration project. The Steward will develop methodologies and a more standardized approach to gathering, analyzing, managing, and sharing data to facilitate data tracking and final GLRI reporting of GIS data from multiple partners and parks. The applicant should be prepared and willing to develop and communicate a workflow model and best practices for data collection and management as a product of this project.

The Steward will also develop a GIS-based photo monitoring program to record long-term change of restoration areas. Existing photo point locations and related images will be georeferenced and integrated to improve data access.

There will be an opportunity to utilize existing GIS data and images to develop outreach and educational material to share restoration success stories with the public through tools like ArcGIS StoryMaps.

This position will enhance the incumbent's proficiency in key NPS GIS Competencies, including Coordination and Communication, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, Technology Application, and Data Management and Metadata.

Limited field service may include visiting restoration sites in and outside of the park for project orientation purposes and to assist partners in recording spatial location of restoration efforts. Opportunities will also be available to contribute to other GIS projects as they arise.

Description of Duties:

Duties of the GIS Steward position include, but are not limited to the following:

• Design geodatabase for the GLRI funded Pollinator Restoration Dataset
• Integrate existing Pollinator Restoration geospatial data into newly developed geodatabase
• Design spatially referenced photo monitoring data management system and integrate existing data into system
• Ensure compatibility of existing geospatial data in existing datasets
• Data Workflow Development. Develop and document efficient data management workflows and best practices for geospatial data creation, management, access, and sharing, promoting data consistency, and improve usability
• Update metadata and data themes in INDU Restoration Datasets
• GIS Support and Project Assistance. Provide user support for INDU Natural Resource Management Team and Great Lakes Research Education Center, gaining varied experience
• Team Collaboration. Actively participate in meetings and other team-oriented events and discussions, contributing to a collaborative work environment
  
  

Eligibility 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.

Position Qualifications

Ideal candidates will possess a solid foundation in GIS principles and data management practices, along with demonstrated proficiency in Esri products including ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, and Collector. Experience with geodatabase design principles, spatial data standards, and metadata creation is highly desired.

Strong attention to detail, excellent communication skills, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively are essential. While subject matter experts will provide support, initiative and self-direction are key to success in this position. The Steward should be comfortable working independently to research GIS methodologies and establish workflows. Knowledge of ecological restoration and experience with both ArcGIS Pro and QGIS is desirable.

Applicants who have successfully completed a minimum of 2 years of higher education (post high-school) with a concentration in GIS, will be strongly considered. Prior to starting this position, a federal government security background clearance will be required.

Although planned project work will be conducted in a climate-controlled office at INDU Headquarters, opportunities for field work may become available. This would involve hiking off trail in rugged conditions in a variety of weather conditions. Candidates should be comfortable working in upland and/or wetland habitats should the opportunity for field work become available.

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 $280 per week.
• Housing Provided

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:

Laura Brennan; 219-387-6877; laura_a_brennan@nps.gov

Program Contact information: James Gasaway, jgasaway@conservationlegacy.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.