Job Listing
🔗Preservation Architect (National Fund for Sacred Places)
Website National Trust for Historic Preservation
For more than 70 years, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has led the movement to save America’s historic places. A privately funded nonprofit organization, we work to save America's historic sites; tell the full American story through programs like our African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund; build stronger communities, and invest in preservation's future.
This is a 2-year grant-funded position. While the position is posted as full-time (35 hours/week), there is flexibility to consider part-time candidates, with salary pro-rated based on a percentage of time worked. There may also be some flexibility of level and salary based on experience.
The National Fund for Sacred Places (“National Fund”) is a program of Partners for Sacred Places in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Through the National Fund, Partners for Sacred Places provides planning grants, technical assistance, and capacity-building support, while the National Trust provides preservation expertise and matching capital grants up to $250,000 to help congregations restore and preserve historic places of worship. The Preservation Architect helps to review applications, train and provide technical assistance to congregations in the program, review proposed work for compliance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, and review completed projects to ensure adherence to grant conditions.
The Preservation Architect is an excellent communicator who enjoys working as part of an interdisciplinary team. The Preservation Architect has a working familiarity with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, the process of architectural planning and design, and the construction process. This position requires the ability to communicate preservation and architecture-related concepts and expectations in an engaging way to “non-preservationists,” and strong interpersonal skills in order to build long-term relationships with grantees.
The Preservation Architect is teamwork oriented and actively collaborates with the National Fund team internally and externally (particularly Partners for Sacred Places), and with grantees, colleagues, partners, and allies.
Proximity to the National Trust DC headquarters or other Trust locations is a plus, but candidates from anywhere in the US will be considered for remote work.
Duties:
Working with the National Fund team, and under the supervision of the Senior Field Director, the Preservation Architect is responsible for:
Review of Grant Candidates
- Review Letters of Intent (LOIs) and applications for participation in the National Fund for Sacred Places program, with a special focus on analyzing proposed rehabilitation and restoration project scopes.
- Work with National Fund for Sacred Places program manager (Senior Field Director), program coordinator, and grants staff, along with staff from Partners for Sacred Places, in reviewing LOIs and applications and preparing evaluations
- Participate in grant review and selection meetings with National Trust and Partners for Sacred Places staff
- Help identify potential participants for the National Fund, encourage applications and advise applicants during the LOI/application process
Training
- Present “Project Planning 101”-type educational content at annual National Fund training for a new cohort of grantees
- Present architectural and project planning training sessions and/or webinars for other program participants as needed
- Using learnings from the National Fund, develop and present educational content for a broader preservation audience, as opportunities arise (I.e., PastForward Conference, Preservation Leadership Forum)
Technical Assistance
- Provide technical assistance to congregations in the National Fund program, utilizing expertise in the architectural design and construction process to advocate for quality use of design services and help streamline the process from design to construction.
- Work with congregations to understand their specific building(s), project(s), needs, and programs, and assist them in finding the best design team to turn their concepts into reality
- Advise congregations and their consultants on issues including:
- How to develop and disseminate an RFP, identify and vet architects, engineers, or artisans with historic preservation experience
- How to review contracts, conditions assessments, feasibility study reports, bids, etc
- Grantees’ proposed scope of work
- Interpretation of the Secretary of Interior’s Standards
- Best practices in architecture and project planning, working with contractors, etc.
- Meet with congregations’ design teams to advise on completing program requirements for the National Fund for Sacred Places within the trajectory of their design process
- Work with congregations in a regular capacity (1:1) to coach them through the architectural design and construction process
- Provide technical resources to congregations such as articles or example documents
Capital Grants
- Provide technical assistance to congregations as they develop their capital project plans and prepare their Capital Grant submissions for National Trust/Partners for Sacred Places approval
- Review all Capital Grant submissions, paying special attention to all planning documents, drawings, schedules, and other material relating to the proposed scope of work to be funded by the National Fund for Sacred Places.
- Participate as part of the National Fund team in monitoring the progress of capital projects and reviewing final reports.
- Participate in in-person and/or virtual site visits as needed throughout the capital project process, and specifically at the completion of each grant-funded project, to ensure work was performed appropriately and collect lessons learned for future congregations
Program Administration and General NTHP Support
- Assist with logistical management of the National Fund for Sacred Places program, including:
- Maintaining files and sharing information about the status of technical assistance provided to congregations in the program
- Using, and helping to refine, systems and processes with program partner Partners for Sacred Places
- Participating in regular team meetings with Partners for Sacred Places and National Trust staff working on the National Fund program
- Participate actively in regular National Trust staff team, department, and divisional meetings
- Help develop and produce content, for review by the Senior Field Director, to share best practices and success stories of National Fund participants via various communications platforms
- Maintaining an in-depth knowledge of all aspects of the National Fund program and of other preservation-related programs of the National Trust
- The Preservation Architect will complete other duties as assigned
-
NCPE Internships: Eligibility & How to Apply
Eligibility
To be eligible, applicants must be currently enrolled in a degree-seeking academic program or recently graduated (within the past 12 months) and be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident. Interns are not eligible to work more than 1200 hours total in the program; previous interns must stay within this overall limit. The length of an internship can vary from 10 to 30 weeks if full time (40 hours per week) or longer if on a part-time schedule. If selected, the exact starting date will be determined by you and the NPS supervisor. The stipend rate is $15.00 or $17.00 per hour unless otherwise listed.
The successful candidate is responsible for finding and paying for travel to and housing at the internship location; some exceptions apply. The supervising office may be able to assist in locating housing but it is ultimately up to the individual accepting the internship to find accommodation.
The National Council requires all interns working in-person at Federal facilities and/or with Federal employees receive the Covid-19 vaccination. Please be advised that you may also be required to wear a mask, depending on the protocols adopted by your work site. Also be aware that, due to Government-wide security requirements, a background check will be required if you are selected for a position. This will include providing information about recent housing and employment history. The position supervisor will have more information about these requirements and procedures at the time of hiring. You may direct any questions to NCPE's Internship Program Director, Julee Johnson, at manager@preservenet.org.
Please note that interns are not NCPE or NPS employees. Stipends are academic awards and taxes are not withheld, nor are social security contributions made on your behalf. These funds may be taxable, however, so consult a tax preparation professional if you have questions.
How to Apply
You may review NCPE's internship opportunities during the Summer and Winter application rounds without registering. Use the search function to find listings by location, keyword, or area of interest/category. Once you identify one or more positions of interest, there is a 3-step application process.
Step 1: Click on the Apply for Job button, then select Universal Application. Click on Register to create a User Account, which requires a username and email. A link will be sent to you from manager@preservenet.org to create a password. We suggest that you add this email to your safe senders list so you don't miss receiving this important link. You will be instructed to Log In to Preservenet using your user name or email and password, which will take you back to the Universal Application.
Step 2: The Universal Application is required to apply for all NCPE internships. You fill out this form only once. In addition to contact information, educational status, work history, and experience, it requires two attachments: (1) the 2 most recent years of academic transcripts. These may be unofficial transcripts if official versions are unavailable. PDF only. (2) a resume or CV (curriculum vitae). Please limit to a maximum of 4 pages; 2 pages preferred. May be .doc, .docx or PDF. This form may be saved as a draft and completed later. Use the link provided to return to the form.
Step 3: Once you submit the Universal Application, you may browse and apply for NCPE internships using the link provided. Complete the application process by clicking on the Apply for job button found at each internship listing and upload the required Essay. Use the essay to explain why you are applying for an internship, including how your interest areas will benefit the National Park Service (NPS) and how the internship will further your studies and career goals. Be as specific as possible; there is a 400-word maximum length. Submit the essay to finish the application for that position. You may apply for a maximum of 6 internships during this application round. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!
Once the deadline for submission has passed, NPS supervisors will review the applications and may contact candidates for a phone interview. Candidates who are not selected will be notified. Please allow about 4 weeks after the deadline before inquiring about the status of your application.
Quick Tips on How to Apply
#1 If you feel you need to bolster your resume or expand your knowledge base in a certain area, consider offering research assistance to an authority at your university and/or design a 1-credit reading course with an eminent scholar or practitioner.
#2 "Experience" is more than paid work. It is any activity that gives you the knowledge and ability to do something well. So include in the Universal Application all relevant research projects, academic extracurricular activities, and volunteer interests to show your initiative, leadership, and competency.
#3 Proofread everything. The qualification most sought after for any job or internship is strong communication skills so start off on the right foot with no spelling or grammatical errors in your application.
Logging in with a Registered User Account and completing the Universal Application is required to apply for NCPE Internships. Please visit the Universal Application page to register for an account and complete the form. After logging in and completing the form, refreshing this listing will display the Job Application to apply online.