Energy Rehab Project Development Member - Grand Canyon National Park - Build Up Technical Internship Program

Location: Grand Canyon Village

Summary

American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the National Park Service, is seeking one member to contribute to energy conservation projects alongside NPS Staff.

About Build Up Technical Internship Program:
This position is part of the Build Up Technical Internship Program facilitated by the Historic Preservation Training Center. The Build Up Technical Internship Program is working to expand the National Park Service workforce while addressing critical maintenance needs by providing professional experiences in technical fields to students and recent graduates.

For more information about the Build Up Technical Internship Program, please visit the NPS website.

For more information about ACE, please visit our website.

Start Date:

May 2026

Estimated End Date:
July / August 2026 (12 - 16 weeks after start date)

* a 12-week minimum commitment is required
* Location Details/

Description:

Grand Canyon National Park in Northern Arizona encompasses more than 1.2 million acres, including 278 miles (447 km) of the Colorado River and adjacent uplands. Located on the ancestral homeland of 11 Associated Tribes, Grand Canyon is one of the most spectacular examples of erosion and geologic exposure anywhere in the world and offers incomparable vistas above and below the canyon rim.

There are multiple aquifer systems throughout the park, as part of a larger regional aquifer system, that create unique springs and riparian areas in the canyon.

The duty station for this position is South Rim, Grand Canyon Arizona.

For more information about Grand Canyon National Park, please visit the NPS website.

Position Overview:

To protect and preserve the natural and cultural resources within Grand Canyon National Park, its Facility Management Division is planning intentional rehabilitation of structures to preserve its historical structures and reduce operating costs through energy conservation. The intern position would develop detailed plans (construction documents and cost estimates) for energy efficiency upgrades to buildings. This will implement audit findings in order to comply with the Energy Security and Independence Act.

After a thorough investigation of the buildings, the intern would identify, price, and design potential solutions such as insulating materials, roofing, windows, doors, and HVAC systems. Most of these are historic structures so present the unique opportunity to work with historic architects, cultural resource managers, engineers, and users for identifying viable solutions to the energy challenges.

This individual placement is meant to facilitate professional development and promotes exposure to land management agencies and networking with professionals. This could include shadowing and learning from other engineers and presenting work to leadership.

NPS is seeking to add mechanical engineers to their staff to manage a multitude of buildings with HVAC as well as the water distribution system. Throughout internship, information will be provided on the federal hiring process and navigating USAjobs to identify opportunities.

Schedule:

Monday through Friday, 7am to 4pm. Occasional weekend work or travel may be necessary to inspect buildings without disrupting operations.

Position Benefits

Living Allowance:
The ACE Member is expected to contribute ~40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $1,000/week to offset the costs of food and incidental expenses, dispersed bi-weekly.

Public Land Corps Hiring Authority:
Members serving under this agreement may be eligible for a federal hiring authority upon completion of their term of service and 640 hours of service. If the duration of a PLC-eligible term is not long enough for Members to accrue 640 hours of service (~16 weeks), the total hours served at the completion of the term may be eligible to be combined with hours accrued from another PLC-eligible term to meet the 640 hours requirement.

PLC projects also include specific eligibility requirements such as age and citizenship. Please contact ACE staff with questions about eligibility, or view general eligibility information on our website.

Direct Hire Authority:
This position is classified as a DHA (Direct Hire Authority) Internship. DHA positions target exceptional, current upper-level undergraduate or graduate students who are interested in pursuing careers with the NPS. DHA positions will be rigorous internships that develop the participant's technical and creative thinking abilities, leadership skills, and problem-solving capabilities.

After successful completion of the internship and all DHA program requirements, and after graduation from the member's degree program, the member will be eligible to receive DHA non-competitive hiring eligibility.

Housing:
Park housing is available for a cost ($600/month on average).

Provided Training/Orientation: ACE members will receive position-specific training and an orientation outlining ACE policies and procedures, clear guidance on prohibited…