Museum Support Member - Pipestone National Monument

Museum Support Member - Pipestone National Monument

Summary:

American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS), is seeking 1 Member to contribute to a museum collections rehousing project alongside NPS Staff.

For more information about ACE, please visit our website at: usaconservation [dot] org.

Start Date: October 6, 2025

End Date: March 21, 2026*

*a 24-week minimum commitment is required *

Location Details/Description: Pipestone National Monument (Pipestone, MN)

Pipestone National Monument, located in southwestern Minnesota, was established in 1937 to protect the sacred pipestone quarries where Indigenous peoples have gathered for over 3,000 years to quarry the soft red stone used to create ceremonial pipes. This site remains an active cultural and spiritual landscape, where Native Americans can continue to quarry for pipestone today. The park itself features a visitor center with interpretive exhibits, cultural demonstrations, a short trail system, and scenic prairie landscapes with Sioux Quartzite cliffs, a waterfall, and native wildlife.

This position will be based full-time at Pipestone National Monument in Pipestone, MN, with limited to no expected travel for work responsibilities. The community features locally owned shops, coffee houses, and essential amenities, including grocery stores, dining options, and recreational opportunities in nearby city parks and nature areas.

For more information, please visit their NPS website.

Position Overview:

This position will directly support the Cultural Resources Division at Pipestone National Monument by assisting in the rehousing, documentation, and preservation of the museum collection, following a complete remodel of the collection storage facility. This position will help implement DOI Museum Care Standards and new cultural protocols into curatorial practices, including the rehousing of approximately 150 ceremonial pipes, as a direct result from input from Tribal partners. This position will engage in tasks such as unpacking collections items, conducting object condition assessments, and cataloging and updating records in the Museum Collections Management System (MCMS).

The duties of this position provide critical support that will help meet the unmet need for the park's collections management, especially after the storage remodel. This opportunity provides a unique chance to work at a culturally rich NPS site while gaining hands-on experience in museum collections care, cultural resources management, and intertribal relationship building in a supportive, community-oriented setting.

This individual placement is meant to facilitate professional development and promotes exposure to land management agencies and networking with professionals. This could include gaining experience in different conservation fields and shadowing different work groups.

Schedule: Mon-Fri, 8:00am - 4:30pm CST.

Position Benefits

Living Allowance: The ACE Member is expected to contribute ~40 hours/week and will receive a living allowance of $700/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 at: usaconservation [dot] org.

Housing: Housing is the responsibility of the member and not provided by ACE or the NPS. A $1,200/month housing allowance is available for reimbursement (6 months total).

Travel Allowance: ACE members will have access to up to $1,000 to be used for eligible travel expenses and must be approved by ACE staff prior to purchase.

Provided Training/Orientation: ACE members will receive position specific training and an orientation outlining ACE policies and procedures, clear guidance on prohibited activities, and networks for support.

Qualifications

Required:

• Members must be a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident, as required by U.S. government contracts
• Willing and able to represent ACE and the partner organization in a professional, positive, and enthusiastic manner.
• Ability to be both self-directed/work alone, and be a positive, contributing member of a group.
• A valid driver's license and an insurable driving record (documentation to be provided upon request).
• Willing to undergo and must pass the required criminal history checks
• Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
• ACE Members will need to complete bi-weekly timesheets, beginning of term feedback forms, end of term evaluations and for longer terms, a mid-term evaluation.
• Member may not participate in any prohibited activities as listed in the Member Service Agreement.
• To learn more about eligibility requirements, please visit our website at: usaconservation [dot] org.

Preferred:

• Competitive applicants for this position can hold or be pursuing a Bachelor's degree and/or have relevant experience in subject areas such as Indigenous/Native American Studies, Anthropology, Archaeology, Museum Studies, History, Historic Preservation, Cultural Resource Management, or other related fields of study.
• Ability and willingness to learn new skills, and foster a sensitivity to Indigenous culture.
• Deep interest in Indigenous history and museum studies.

Physical Demands, Work Environment and Working Conditions:

• Physical Demands: Requires frequent sitting, standing, walking, hiking, carrying, using hands to handle or feel, reaching with hands and arms, talking and hearing. Manual dexterity required for use of various tools, computer keyboard/mouse and other office equipment. Required to stoop, kneel, climb stairs, and/or crouch.
• Vision Requirements: Requires close, distance, peripheral and depth perception vision as well as the ability to focus.
• Weight Lifted or Force Exerted: Frequently moves up to 25 lbs., ability to move up to 50 pounds.
• Environmental: Mainly indoor, office environment conditions; indoor air quality is good and temperature is controlled.
• Noise Environment: Moderate noise such as in a business office with equipment and light traffic.
• Travel: This position may require domestic travel.

Environmental Conditions/Hazards: The ACE member(s) may encounter environmental conditions/hazards including extreme heat or cold, rocky or icy terrain, biting insects, and potentially dangerous wildlife. The member is expected to conduct duties in a safe and orderly manner so as not to endanger self, fellow staff/members or resources.

Vehicle and Equipment Use/Safety: If a vehicle is required for the accomplishment of the duties, one will be provided by the NPS or ACE. Any tools required for the accomplishment of the duties will be provided by the NPS. Use of personal protective equipment (PPE), typically provided by the NPS, will be mandatory for any activity that requires it. Strict adherence to the NPS and ACE equipment training, certification and safety protocols is required.

To Apply: Please submit your resume, a cover letter demonstrating your interest and experience, and contact information for three professional/academic references to ACE's online application page for this position on our website at: usaconservation [dot] org. Early consideration will be given as applications are received. This position may close at any time. If you have any questions regarding this position, please feel free to contact ACE Program Manager, Andrew Garcia.

ACE values an inclusive workforce - if you meet at least 70 percent of the qualifications, we want to hear from you!ACE participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information when you are hired to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.

EEO: Employment with ACE is based upon ability, qualifications, attitude, and job-related factors. Every qualified employee or applicant has the same opportunity for recruitment, hire, training, transfer, promotion, compensation, demotion, termination, benefits, employee activities, and general treatment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender, national origin, pregnancy, ancestry, citizenship status, genetic information (including of a family member), veteran or military status, age, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, medical condition, marital or parental status, political affiliation, ethnicity, hair texture or style, arrest record, caste, hereditary status, endogamy, or any other classification protected by applicable local, state, or federal law.