Employer: National Park Service

Description:National Park Business Plan and Consulting Interns (summer consultants) promote the long-term health of our national parks by developing and improving financial planning and management tools at the park or program level. The Business Plan Internship (BPI) program is a joint effort of the National Park Service and our non-profit partner, the Student Conservation Association. The National Park Service provides program management and subject matter expertise, while the Student Conservation Association provides administrative and logistical support.

Up to 15 summer consultants are selected from top graduate schools of business, public policy, environmental management, and related fields to work as two- or three-person teams at national parks across the country. The parks participating in summer 2010 will be announced in January 2010.

We are looking for students currently enrolled in graduate programs of business, public policy, environmental management, public administration, and related fields who want to help improve the financial and operational health of their national parks. The 11-week internship program runs June through August and begins with a week-long orientation training in a national park, followed by 10 weeks at the student’s park assignment. In
2010, the program will begin on Saturday, June 5 and end on Friday, August 21.

Over the course of the internship, each summer consultant team works closely with park or program management to conduct financial and strategy analyses. Tasks may include:

• Working with park staff to evaluate park programs and operations.
• Facilitating discussions to determine strategic park or program priorities.
• Analyzing current resource allocations in the context of near-term park priorities.
• Developing financial and management strategies to accomplish park goals.
Examples include identifying and evaluating partnership opportunities with local
nonprofits, developing strategies to increase the park’s budgetary or in-kind
resources (e.g., increase donations, expand volunteer recruitment, secure grant or
project funding), reducing park operating costs, and creating marketing strategies
for a park or specific program (e.g., a park’s educational programs).
• Projecting staffing and financial requirements to support park priorities.
• Performing specialty analyses to improve park operations. Examples include
determining the most efficient fleet structure, developing a cost-benefit analysis
for use of volunteers, conducting a life-cycle costing exercise for different types
of equipment, optimizing revenue from fee operations and evaluating bookstore
operations.
At the end of the program, the summer consultant teams present their findings to park
management. Teams often develop a business plan or formal report (e.g., marketing plan,
commercial services strategy) to present project findings to the public, although some teams
produce deliverables for internal management use only.
Each summer consultant team reports directly to his or her park’s senior management, with project management and supervision provided by NPS staff in Washington, DC. Both first and second-year graduate students are encouraged to apply.

Location:

Qualifications: • US citizen or permanent resident • At least two years of professional work experience • Excellent time management/project management and analytical skills • Superb oral and written communication skills, including presentation skills • Flexible work style and ability to work in a team • Understanding of and commitment to the mission of the National Park Service • Availability for all program dates (June 5 – August 21, 2010) • A valid US driver’s license • Consulting, government or nonprofit experience preferred

Misc:

Documents: Your application must include the following:

• Cover letter
• Resume
• Writing sample
• Names and contact information for at least two references

Writing samples should be two to five pages and may be from any area of work. Applicant must be the primary author of the document. Writing samples have included graduate admissions essays, policy memos, and case studies.

Please be aware that references may be contacted after interviews without prior notification from the NPS Business Management Group. Please inform your references that they may be contacted after the interview. Applicants will be notified regarding the status of their application the week of January 25, 2010. The National Park Service will conduct interviews at universities across the country beginning in early February. We will conduct phone interviews with applicants who are unable to interview in person. Positions are offered on a rolling basis. Final park assignments will not be made until all employment offers have been accepted. Park assignments will be based on summer consultants’ relevant experience and unique park or project needs, making every effort to accommodate developmental goals and personal preferences.

Applications will be accepted through the close of business on January 15, 2010. Applying early is recommended. We will not consider incomplete applications, and we will acknowledge receiving your application.

Send application materials via e-mail to:

Rita Corliss, Student Conservation Association
ATTN: Business Plan Internship Application
BPI@thesca.org
Visit www.nps.gov/consultinginternship for additional information

Address:

Website:

Salary: Summer consultants receive a weekly stipend of $725

Benefits: The program covers transportation to the BPI orientation training at the start of the program, to the park assignment, and from the park to the consultant’s school at the end of the summer. Summer consultants are also reimbursed for any work-related trave

Deadline: January 15, 2010