Collections Intern Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Start/End Dates: November 2, 2026 - October 15, 2027 (50 Weeks)
Compensation: $640  per week, plus park housing, round-trip travel assistance to the site, and gear support. Medical insurance is available upon request.
Application Due: September 4, 2026

Environment for the Americas in partnership with Golden Gate National Recreation Area Museum seeks to engage young professionals in resource management careers. To participate, you must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or legal resident

• Be between the ages of 18 - 30 (35 if a veteran)

• Undergo a background check if selected

• Have a valid driver’s license to operate a government vehicle

• Have access to a personal vehicle, which is recommended for this position

Position Description: 

The Golden Gate National Recreation Area  (GGNRA) Museum Program is seeking a Musem Archives Intern to assist with the numerous responsibilities associated with maintaining the park’s large and wide-ranging collection. Working as part of a dedicated team, the intern will have the opportunity to learn about and participate in a highly diverse work environment alongside other museum professionals.  

This internship will include learning and implementing professional standards for museum care, maintenance, and management. The incumbent will gain knowledge of the requirements and policies the NPS must follow to acquire and process objects into the permanent museum collection. Outreach opportunities will demonstrate how museum and archival collections are used to interpret and preserve the park’s history, as well as how the Museum Program motivates the public and park staff to continue researching their own interests in history.

This internship will be primarily onsite with some virtual work that may be completed from home under certain circumstances.

Responsibilities:

• Collections Management

  • Conduct inventories of items and update collections records with current data

  • Assist with environmental and Integrated Pest Management duties

  • Learn the fundamentals of rehousing and storing various materials appropriately based on their condition 

• Outreach

• Collaborate with park and museum staff to develop temporary and long-term exhibits 

• Participate in outreach events such as open houses, park events that include small exhibits, and staff orientations 

• Learn the processes for making collections available and accessible to the public through various media and methods 

• Support archives staff by investigating patrons’ research questions and fulfilling copy and scan requests

• Museum Program Projects

• Assist with the cataloging and processing of collections to make them available for research 

• Perform background research on current or potential collection items, as requested 

• Work with museum staff to ensure that all elements of the collections are documented properly and according to professional standards 

• Become familiar with the National Park Service (NPS) policies regarding museum collections 

• Contribute to group projects including transcribing handwritten documents to improve accessibility and auditing oral histories for accuracy and standardization 

Qualifications:

• Coursework or a major in History, Archival Studies, Museum Studies, or a related field.

• Enthusiasm for working with a dedicated team to maintain museum standards

• Desire to learn and develop skills in preservation

• High attention to detail 

• Ability to work independently after receiving direction

• Adaptable to changing situations and able to solve problems effectively

• Energetic and self-motivated

• Customer service skills

• Good communication skills and respect for others

• Knowledge of basic Microsoft Office and photo editing software
  

Physical Requirements and Work Conditions:

• The work schedule will primarily be  Monday – Friday. Virtual projects may be completed at the intern's discretion.

• Must be comfortable with prolonged sitting and standing

• Must be comfortable climbing ladders to retrieve collections, as necessary

• Ability to lift, carry, and position items weighing up to 50 pounds 

• Ability to move or lift potentially heavy or awkward objects

• Will work primarily indoors, often in areas with no natural light

• May work with potentially dangerous collections containing biological contamination such as mold, insects, or vermin, requiring the use of provided protective dust masks and/or clothing 

About the site: 

The Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA), headquartered in San Francisco, California, is a destination for both locals and international visitors, with its sweeping vistas, immense biological diversity, and unique cultural resources. With over 19 million visitors annually and more than 80,000 acres of land, the GGNRA is the largest urban national park in the country. 

Housing:

Housing is bunkhouse-style at Fort Cronkhite, Marin Headlands, in Marin County. Housing is rustic. Each intern has a private bedroom with shared common areas. Each housing unit can accommodate ~ 8 people. Housing is walking distance to the main office and other facilities. There are no stores or other conveniences within the park, but they are located nearby in the town of Sausalito and City of San Francisco.

About the Museum Program and Site:

The GGNRA museum collections exist to document and support the history of the sites within the GGNRA. The collection held at the park is one of the largest in the NPS and contains millions of items representing centuries of human history and many elements of the natural world. Collections feature military themes and include materials from the Spanish-American War, Coast Artillery defenses, and soldier life. Other items in the collection are related to the many sites and activities that are in the park such as Alcatraz, Land's End, the Cliff House, the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, and the operations and management of the GGNRA. 

The Museum Program, within the Cultural Resources Division, cares for and maintains these items, ensuring they will be available for future generations. The primary work location for this internship is the Museum Program facility, located in a historic cavalry stable in the Presidio of San Francisco—a former U.S. Army installation that is now part of the National Park System—with stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay.  Public transportation is available.

This position earns 2000 hours towards PLC.

Public Land Corps Non-Competitive Hiring Authority (PLC)
The Public Land Corps Non-Competitive Hiring Authority is a special hiring authority available to qualifying interns. The intern must be between the ages of 18 and 30 years old, inclusive, or a veteran up to age 35 and complete 640 hours of work on an appropriate conservation project to be eligible for this hiring authority. Upon successful completion of the PLC project(s), the intern is eligible for two years to be hired non-competitively into a federal seasonal, term, or permanent position. The applicant must apply to a PLC-eligible position advertised on USAJobs.gov and selected off a non-competitive certificate of eligibility. For more information, see DOI Personnel Bulletins 11-02 , 12-13, and 17-03.

EEO Statement

Environment for the Americas provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.