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Job Description
Position Title:
Geohazards Assistant -
AmeriCorps Conservation Legacy Program:
Stewards Individual Placements Site Location:
Mount Rainier National Park, Longmire, WA 98397
Application Timeline:
Preference given to applicants that submit application by 7/13/2026
Terms of Service:
Start Date:
8/24/2026
End Date:
7/23/2027
AmeriCorps Slot Classification:
1700 Hours, 48 weeks
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 , develop community relationships, and support ecosystem health. Stewards in partnership with the Mount Rainier National Park Imminent Threats Program will host two Geohazards Assistants. The Geohazards Assistant is an AmeriCorps position that will support ongoing efforts by the Mount Rainier Imminent Threats Program to assess geomorphic processes across multiple physical and temporal scales. Under the supervision of the Imminent Threats Lead, the Geohazards Assistant will examine changing trends in river and glacier resources, and their responses for the advancement of geologic hazard and resource monitoring at Mount Rainier National Park. Their presence supports the professional wellbeing of their colleagues through the completion of critical milestones, and the communal support both felt by the Geohazards Assistants and provided back to the workplace of Mount Rainier. New eyes and fresh enthusiasm are the bedrock of the resources division of Mount Rainier National Park, consistently bringing in new ideas and ensuring specialists maintain our love of the work. The Geohazards Assistants will contribute to high-priority projects that deliver long-term improvements to park infrastructure, resource management, and visitor access. Projects in process by the Imminent Threats Program often contribute directly to generational restoration of critical infrastructure, ensuring physical access to remarkable public land experiences while restoring historic character cherished by the American public. Continued improvements to scientific methods and our understanding of Park resources leads to compounding improvements to the health and character of managed resources, ease of Park operations, and quality of visitor experiences.
Description of Duties:
Instrumenting rivers to measure processes and assess risk -
The Nisqually River Seismic Array:
Essential functions and responsibilities: Collaborate with supervisor and other division staff on field schedules on a regular basis Support deployment, maintenance, and removals of modular seismic sensors on the Nisqually River within Mount Rainier Conduct periodic data downloads and sensor calibrations Store, manage, and prepare seismic data for use Assess, interpret, and carry out further analysis of seismic data in the context of river monitoring (fluvial seismology) Documentation of work and communication of results to support publications and conference attendance
RFID/BLE
tracer study to quantify sediment flux, particle size distribution, and transport paths: Essential functions and responsibilities: Collaborate with supervisor on timelines of projects and deployment of sensors Support the creation of active-RFID embedded "smart rocks" Assist in the deployment and data collection of the "smart rocks" in the Nisqually River Manage datasets, prepare data for use, and assess analysis potential of data collected Analyze data for bedload sediment transport parameters (rate of travel, path of travel, advection/dispersion, total flux estimates) Geospatial inventory of Mount Rainier river and glacier resources: Essential functions and responsibilities: Sourcing, downloading, and preparing GIS data relevant to mapping Mount Rainier glacier or river resources (LiDAR, NAIP, Structure-from-Motion, Sentinel) Interpretation and mapping of river or glacier resources to produce polygons in ArcGIS Pro or QGIS Field validation of difficult to interpret sites Continuous collaboration with supervisor to determine appropriate interpretations and maintain mapping standards Opportunities for later-stage data analysis and statistical assessment Management of large/complex datasets in formats usable by others, and documentation to ensure repeatability Support adaptive management of Mount Rainier drinking water supplies: Essential functions and responsibilities: Assist in determining appropriate schedules for field support during limited windows of availability Install pressure/conductivity loggers in remote streams feeding park water supplies Perform in-stream flow measurements to support sensor deployments Collate, store, and assess streamflow data and sensor readings to produce discharge rating curves Support monitoring and study of Mount Rainier rivers: Essential functions and responsibilities: Assist in the deployment and maintenance of in-water stream monitoring equipment, cameras, dataloggers, and data telemetry Perform regular velocity-area and sodium-dilution discharge measurements at select locations as field conditions allow Perform field sediment sampling (pebble counts) to improve our understanding of sediment transport at different sites Data management, analysis, and communication of results
Qualifications:
United States citizen, United States national, or a lawful permanent resident alien. Valid driver's license and clear driving record to operate a government vehicle. 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 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. Bachelors degree in Geology, Environmental Science, Physics, Mathematics, Engineering, or other Science-Technology-Engineering-Mathematics discipline. Agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check.
Preferred Qualifications:
Proficiency and interest in use of code-based solutions, particularly in Python 3 Experience with seismic sensors and seismic data analysis Interest/experience with assembling custom electronics to support scientific projects Willingness to learn new methods and support new projects Experience in research programs or graduate education is beneficial Basic computer skills and writing proficiency Collaborative mindset, capable of completing activities both independently on specialized tasks or in groups for larger project efforts Additional Position and Community Information Housing may be located either six miles within the park at Longmire, or nine miles outside the park at Tahoma Woods. There is 20-30 minute drive from Longmire to the nearest services in Ashford (gas, post office, rudimentary food provisions). Additional services and more complete gas stations can be found in Eatonville (50 minutes) and Packwood (40 minutes). Nearest standard medical services are 50-90 minutes. Park housing is filled with a mixture of seasonal and partner employees from most work groups. Longmire often has upwards of 30 staff living in the district in summer months. Staffing shrinks in September, and dwindles to a single digit number in the winter. Park housing consists of a shared room with shared kitchen, bath, and laundry facilities. Cookware and dishes are not supplied. Cell phone reception may be poor or nonexistent in most areas of the park. Pets are not allowed in park housing units without special exemption. Century Link wireless internet can be installed within a seasonal housing unit at the tenant's personal expense. Road are nicely scenic, but are also slow and have variable conditions in inclement weather. Winter driving requires chains to be in the vehicle from November-May inside the park boundary. Park housing communities are all rural by nature, but come with excellent access to recreation opportunities both inside Mount Rainier National Park and in the neighboring small communities. We strongly recommend applicants have access to a personal vehicle for the duration of their term with Mount Rainier due to the distance to amenities and general remoteness of housing, especially in winter.
Benefits:
Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $7,395.00 Living Allowance of $700.00 per week. Additional Benefit of $160.00 per week. Healthcare Coverage Student Loan forbearance if Eligible (administered by MyAmeriCorps, directly) Interest Payments if Eligible (administered through MyAmeriCorps, directly) How to Apply Apply on-line at: https://stewardslegacy.org/open-positions. 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.
Application Timeline:
Preference given to applicants who submit applications by July 13th, 2026. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Supervisor Name and Contact Information:
Program Contact information: Cassie Sebas, csebas@conservationlegacy.
org Service Site Contact information:
Taylor Kenyon, Taylor_Kenyon@nps.gov; Scott Beason, Scott_Beason@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.
Additional Details 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:
This position is expected to serve 40 hours each week, but exact service schedules may vary according to project needs. Lunch breaks and days off will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service hour accumulation. 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. NPS Operational Leadership Backcountry travel, radio communications, and operational safety standards Site orientation to key areas within the park, and history of Mount Rainier Streamflow measurement using velocity-area and sodium-dilution techniques Assembly of technical equipment for remote sensing and stream gaging activities Fluvial geomorphology theory, and relevance to public resource management Time-lapse camera assembly and maintenance Use of geophysical sensing methods like Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and seismic refraction Scientific writing and public communication of science Additional trainings may be recommended by the Geohazards Assistant as time and funding allow
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.
