Traditional Trades Advancement Program (TTAP) – Historic Preservation Corps Member – Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park

Summary

American Conservation Experience, a nonprofit Conservation Corps, in partnership with the National Park
Service, is seeking members to contribute to historic preservation projects alongside NPS staff.
For more information about ACE, please visit our website.

Start Date: January 11, 2027
Estimated End Date: July 9, 2027
*A 26-week minimum commitment is required.

Location Details/Description:
Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park (FOSU), located in coastal South Carolina,
preserves historic fortifications that span more than 200 years of American coastal defense history. The
park includes Fort Sumter, located on an island in Charleston Harbor, and Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's
Island, along with other historically significant sites.

The park offers a unique opportunity to learn about historic preservation through hands-on projects
involving historic structures, monuments, masonry, metalwork, and other cultural resources.
For more information about Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park, please visit the NPS
website.

Position Overview:
TTAP members will work alongside National Park Service staff on a variety of historic preservation
projects throughout Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park. The program is designed to
provide a high-quality, hands-on learning experience that develops the next generation of historic
preservation professionals.
Members will gain practical experience in traditional preservation trades, including carpentry, painting,
masonry, metalwork, and monument care. Projects will support the park's backlog of historic preservation
needs and provide opportunities to develop a broad range of technical skills.

Potential projects include:
● Brick repointing at Fort Moultrie and Fort Sumter.
● Concrete spalling repair and weatherproofing at Fort Sumter.
● Historic cannon and monument conservation at Fort Moultrie.
● Historic metal preservation at Fort Moultrie.
● Preservation of wood windows at the Battery Jasper Generator Building.
● Painting exterior surfaces at the Harbor Entrance Command Post at Fort Moultrie.
Members will receive project-specific instruction and mentorship to ensure work is completed safely and
proficiently. Hazard assessments will be conducted with members as part of the learning process,
providing opportunities to develop skills in hazard identification and workplace safety.

This individual placement is intended to facilitate professional development and promote exposure to land
management agencies and networking with professionals. Members will gain hands-on experience in
historic preservation while learning from experienced NPS staff and other preservation professionals.

Schedule: Full-time (40 hours/week). Specific work hours and days will be determined by the park.

Position Benefits

Living Allowance: The ACE Member is expected to contribute ~40 hours/week and will receive a living
allowance of $800/week to offset the costs of food and incidental expenses, dispersed bi-weekly.

Housing Stipend: Members will receive a housing stipend of $1,000 to help offset housing expenses.

Training/Travel Reimbursement: Each ACE member will have up to $1,500 to spend on eligible
training/travel expenses

Professional Development Reimbursement: Each ACE member will have up to $1,000 to spend on
eligible professional development expenses

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 (approximately 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-hour requirement.

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

This position is part of the Public Land Corps Hiring Authority. Members serving under this
agreement must meet PLC eligibility requirements to be considered for this position. Members may be
eligible for a federal hiring authority upon completion of their term of service and 640 hours of service.
PLC eligibility requirements include age and citizenship criteria. Applicants generally must be between the
ages of 16 and 30, with certain exceptions for veterans up to age 35, depending on agency interpretation.
Please contact ACE staff with questions about eligibility.

Provided Training/Orientation:
ACE members will receive position-specific training and an orientation outlining ACE policies and
procedures, prohibited activities, and available support networks.
Training will include hands-on instruction in traditional preservation trades and project-specific
techniques. Additional safety training will cover basic shop safety, power tool safety, and scaffolding and
ladder safety. Members will participate in hazard assessments as part of their mentorship and receive
additional safety instruction, including operational leadership training, from the park's South Carolina zone
safety manager.

Qualifications

Required:

● Willing and able to represent ACE and the partner organization in a professional, positive, and
enthusiastic manner.
● Ability to work independently 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). Members must be 21 or older to drive due to ACE's insurance and liability requirements.
● Willing to undergo and pass the required criminal history checks.
● Ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.
● ACE members must complete biweekly timesheets, beginning-of-term feedback forms, end-of-
term evaluations, and, for longer terms, a midterm evaluation.
● Members may not participate in any prohibited activities as listed in the Member Service
Agreement.
● To learn more about eligibility requirements, please visit our website.

Preferred:
● Applicants who hold or are pursuing a high school diploma or GED.
● Interest in historic preservation, traditional trades, carpentry, masonry, painting, metalwork, or
monument conservation.
● Ability and willingness to work collaboratively.
● Interest in developing hands-on skills in historic preservation and cultural resource management.
● Willingness to learn new techniques and follow established safety procedures.

Physical Demands, Work Environment, and Working Conditions
● Physical Demands: Requires frequent sitting, standing, walking, carrying, using hands to handle
or feel, reaching with hands and arms, talking, and hearing. Manual dexterity is required for the
use of various hand and power tools, computer keyboards/mice, and other equipment. May
require stooping, kneeling, climbing ladders or stairs, and crouching.
● 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 15 pounds, with the ability to move up
to 40 pounds.
● Environmental: Work will take place in indoor and outdoor settings, including historic structures
and coastal environments. Conditions may change frequently, requiring work under varying
weather conditions and temperatures.
● Noise Environment: May involve moderate to high noise levels from power tools and other
equipment, as well as moderate noise levels in indoor workspaces.
● Travel: This position may require domestic travel.

Environmental Conditions/Hazards:
ACE members may encounter environmental conditions and hazards, including extreme heat or cold,
uneven or rocky terrain, coastal weather, biting insects, and potentially dangerous wildlife. Members may
also work around historic structures, masonry materials, hand and power tools, ladders, and scaffolding.
Members are expected to conduct all duties safely and responsibly to avoid endangering themselves,
fellow staff and members, or park resources.

Vehicle and Equipment Use/Safety:
If a vehicle is required to accomplish position duties, one will be provided by NPS or ACE. Tools and
equipment required for assigned projects will be provided by NPS. Personal protective equipment (PPE),
typically provided by NPS, must be used for any activity requiring it. Strict adherence to 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 or academic references through ACE's online application page for this
position on our website. 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 EPIC NPS Member Manager, Vanessa Rogan.

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 enrolled in a program to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.

EEO: Employment or service with ACE is based upon ability, qualifications, attitude, and job-related
factors. Every qualified employee, member, 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, age, sex, creed, national origin, pregnancy,
ancestry, citizenship status, genetic information, veteran or military status, physical or mental disability,
sexual orientation, 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.