Build Up Intern – NPS HPTC Build Up National Cemetery Investment Initiative Planning Associate – Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation – AmeriCorps

Position Title:  NPS HPTC Build Up National Cemetery Investment Initiative Planning Associate – Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation – AmeriCorps

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements

Site Location: Hybrid – Lowell, MA or Philadelphia, PA

Terms of Service:

• Start Date: February 2026
• End Date: February 2027
• AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 1700 hours (52-week term)

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.

STE in partnership with the National Park Service and Historic Preservation Training Center are seeking a service member with an interest in historic preservation, landscape architecture, and/or horticulture to be part of the National Cemetery Investment Initiative team. The National Cemetery Investment Initiative is a multi-year plan to preserve and protect the 14 national cemeteries managed by the National Park Service.

The Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation, a program of the National Park Service, is eagerly seeking a Planning Associate (Conservation Legacy Service Member) to support the National Cemetery Investment Initiative, a multi-year effort to preserve, restore and steward the fourteen national cemeteries managed by the National Park Service. Do you have education and/or experience in landscape architecture, historic preservation, or horticulture? An interest in public historic site management? In this role you will work side by side with NPS staff supporting the development of Preservation Maintenance Plans for four National Cemeteries in the northeastern United States dating to the Civil War. You’ll receive on the job training in cultural landscape management and National Park Service operations, and you’ll contribute skills in technical writing, design development, field inventory, horticultural best practices, and/or document layout using Adobe InDesign.

Description of Duties:

• Archival and field research by working with Olmsted Center staff to study the physical history of the landscape
• Fieldwork at National Cemetery/cemeteries alongside the NPS landscape architects and planners to inventory and field check existing conditions maps (GIS) and make recommendations for improvements, possibly including production of design development details and project cost estimation.
• Technical writing and editing of Preservation Maintenance Plans
• Creation of graphics, maps, and technical guidance aiding in preservation of site features.
• Document layout of 150+ page documents using an Adobe InDesign template

Qualifications:

• Must be 18-30 years of age, maximum 35 for Veterans with DD-214.
• 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 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.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Landscape Architecture, Historic Preservation, Horticulture, or related field.
• Knowledge and experience in Adobe InDesign.
• Agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check.
• Willingness to learn and work as part of a team.
• Ability to follow oral and written instructions.
• Technical writing and editing skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Interest in historic site management, design of public landscapes, cultural resource management, historic landscapes, public history, and/or military history
• Demonstrated interest/experience in public site management, historic preservation or landscape architecture preferred.
• Experience with research and writing, Adobe Suite, specifically InDesign, and GIS a plus.

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 to Friday, but exact service schedules may vary. A half hour lunch break will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service.
• Members must be available to serve full-time for the entirety of the 52-week term.
• Members may be required to participate in national, state, or local service projects or events as part of their service term.

Orientation and Training:

• Members will receive an orientation that includes training on AmeriCorps prohibited and unallowable activities.
• Training and Mentorship in NPS operations, historic preservation, and cultural landscape management.
• Opportunities to attend NPS Preservation Horticulture training or Historic Preservation Fundamentals Training.

Benefits:

• Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $7,395
• Living Allowance of $700 per week.
• Additional Benefit of $300 per week.
• Public Lands Corps Hiring Authority
• Professional development stipend.
• Healthcare Coverage if Eligible
• Childcare Coverage if Eligible
• 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:

Kevin Record

Program Coordinator, STE

krecord@conservationlegacy.org

(681) 666-3621

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.