Community Volunteer Ambassador - San Francisco Maritime Natural Historic Park

PLEASE NOTE: Applicants will need to apply here: https://form.jotform.com/StewardsIPP/cva-member-application-winter-2025 Application form requires a resume, cover letter, professional references. 

Position Title:  Community Volunteer Ambassador – San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park - AmeriCorps 

Conservation Legacy Program: Stewards Individual Placements 

Site Location:  San Francisco, CA 

Application Timeline: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. First review will occur in early November. Final deadline is Sunday, December 8, 2024. 

Terms of Service: 

Start Date: Tuesday, January 21, 2025 

End Date: Friday, December 19, 2025 

AmeriCorps Slot Classification: 1700 Hour  

 Purpose: 

Stewards Individual Placements, a program of Conservation Legacy, provides individuals with service and career opportunities to strengthen communities and preserve our natural resources. The Community Volunteer Ambassador (CVA) Program combines the strength of a national leader in conservation service with the National Park Service to train a diverse group of emerging leaders to assist park units in building lasting connections to communities.  

The Community Volunteer Ambassador (CVA) at San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park is a dynamic opportunity to have a pivotal role in fostering community engagement and interpreting and preserving maritime heritage. As a CVA, they will serve as a liaison between the park and the local community, sharing the rich maritime history with visitors and residents alike. This role offers a unique opportunity to connect with the park's mission, enrich the visitor experience, and play a key role in conserving San Francisco's maritime legacy. Responsibilities will include supporting the park’s volunteer program and work with other staff and interns to support a diversity of projects.  

Site Description  

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, established in 1988, uses a fleet of National Historic Landmark (NHL) vessels, over 100 historic small craft, a six million item museum collection, a maritime museum, a visitor center, and a public research center to preserve and interpret the history and achievements of seafaring Americans, and of the Nation's maritime heritage, especially on the Pacific Coast. Visitors can board turn-of-the-century ships, tour the museum and learn traditional arts -- like boatbuilding and woodworking. The 50-acre park, located at the west end of Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco offers educational, music and craft programs for all ages, and provides unique opportunities for docents, interns and volunteers to learn more about the nation's rich maritime heritage.  

About the park’s volunteer program: Volunteers help to present the natural and cultural resources of the nation's only 'floating' national park to a diverse visitor population and to preserve these unique resources for future generations. Existing and new volunteers are encouraged to get involved in the variety of programs offered including but not limited to: Ships Maintenance, Exhibit Construction, Interpretation & Education, Museum Management, Landscape Maintenance, Graphic Arts, Steam Engineering, Sailing, Music, and Library and Archival Collections.  

Description of Duties: 

Work closely with their supervisor and other park staff to plan, develop, recruit, and train a team of long-term volunteers to help supervise and direct episodic volunteer work days.  

 Assist in supporting program development, recruitment, communications and public relations of the park’s various volunteer programs.  

 Support in increasing the diversity of the park’s volunteer base by collaborating with park and cooperating association staff to identify, plan, recruit for and conduct volunteer opportunities to reach youth and underrepresented populations in the Bay Area. In doing so, the CVA intern will be routinely engaging youth, and potentially seniors and people with disabilities, on a recurring basis.  

 Support in assisting visitor services, participating in education and outreach programs, and contributing to the overall preservation of historic ships and exhibits.  

Qualifications: 

Values collaboration and performs well within a team.  

Communicates openly, honestly, and often to maintain trust and transparency.  

Performs independently, is self-motivated, takes initiative with an understanding of the bigger picture and broader goals, and is willing to ask for help or clarification when needed.  

Is highly service-minded and empathetic of those they serve (volunteers, park and cooperating association staff, public).  

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  

Agrees to provide information to establish eligibility and to complete a National Service Criminal History Check.  

Participate in the CVA National Early Service Training in March 2025 (date TBD) 

Be 18-30 years old at time of service (veterans up to 35 years old) 

Must be over 21 years old or have had license for at least 3 years to be insured in this position 

Be able to provide proof of a driver’s license and complete a MVR check 

 Preferred Qualifications:  

Some experience in creating and leading teams to accomplish identified goals  

1 year of customer service experience (customers being either internal or external)  

Some experience in event planning and coordination  

Some experience in marketing and public relations  

Physical Requirements: 

Conservation Legacy is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential functions. Some positions may require periodic overnight travel, non-traditional 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. Ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager. 

 Time Requirements: 

This position is expected to serve a 40-hours each week, but exact service schedules may vary and will be set by host site.  

Lunch break will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service hours.  

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. 

Week-long, in-person training on NPS volunteer program management and leadership skills. 

Year-long continuum of learning supporting professional development 

$1,200 in Professional Development Funds   

Additional Information: 

The CVA opportunity at San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park will provide an unique and diverse, professional development experience. Collaborative projects across the multitude of disciplines at the park will connect and expose the CVA to different career opportunities in conservation, historic preservation, stewardship, and leadership while being part of a diverse and active urban waterfront setting of San Francisco and the greater SF Bay Area! The position will present opportunities to collaborate with our park partner and cooperating association, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Association as well as other nearby park units including East Bay Parks such as Rosie the Riveter National Historical Park and Port Chicago Naval Magazine National, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and Point Reyes National Seashore. The position will also have the unique opportunity to be part of planning and development efforts as it relates to the park's Legacy Restoration Fund projects through the Great American Outdoors Act.  

Benefits:  

Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $7,395 

Living Allowance of $600 per week. 

Additional Benefit of $150 per week, if housing is not provided. 

Healthcare Coverage  

Childcare Coverage  

Loan forbearance  

Interest Payments  

$1,200 in Professional Development funds for training, networking, conferences, and/or travel.  

Networking opportunities within the National Park Service and partnering organizations 

Public Land Corps Hiring Authority 

Week-long in-person training at NPS site with travel/meal expenses covered. 

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. 

How to Apply 

Please visit Community Volunteer Ambassador (cvainternships.org) to review “Member Positions” by region and find instructions on how to apply.  

The CVA position will start on Tuesday, January 21, and run for 48 weeks until Friday, December 19, 2025.  

PLEASE NOTE: Applicants will need to apply here: https://form.jotform.com/StewardsIPP/cva-member-application-winter-2025 Application form requires a resume, cover letter, professional references.  

Please ensure your cover letter addresses how your experience aligns with the CVA program, your experience working with diverse populations, and position details for this park/position. You may submit one application for multiple positions by selecting all sites you are interested in. 

Applications Deadline 

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. First review will occur in early November. Final deadline is Sunday, December 8, 2024. 

For Application Questions: 

Please contact James Gasaway, Program Director at jgasaway@conservationlegacy.org  

Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage members of diverse groups to apply. This program is available to all, without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or expression, political affiliation, marital or parental status, genetic information, and military service. Where a significant portion of the population eligible to be served needs services or information in a language other than English, the recipient shall take reasonable steps to provide written material of the type ordinarily available to the public in appropriate languages. 

We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with AmeriCorps requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.