2025 GIS Summer Internship

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Oak Spring Garden Foundation (OSGF) is a 501(c)3 private operating foundation based on a 700-acre estate in Upperville, Virginia with a mission to perpetuate and share Rachel Lambert Mellon’s home, garden, estate and Library to serve the public interest. The Foundation is dedicated to inspiring and facilitating scholarship and public dialogue on the history and future of plants, including the culture of gardens and landscapes and the importance of plants for human well-being. For additional information, please visit www.osgf.org.

OSGF is seeking one GIS Intern for Summer 2025 to support the continued development and deployment of our GIS system. The intern will work closely with the GIS Data Systems Manager and the Biodiversity Conservation Team (BCT) to collect and verify geospatial data, manage datasets, and build GIS applications like Dashboards, StoryMaps, Sites, and Experience Builder to communicate data effectively. GIS activities at OSGF span a wide range of projects, including land management, conservation, infrastructure mapping, and digitizing records. Fieldwork will be a significant part of the internship, involving working outdoors in summer conditions. While the intern will primarily collaborate with the GIS and Biodiversity Conservation teams, they will also work with other departments on an as-needed basis to support cross-departmental initiatives. This internship provides mentorship, practical experience, and the opportunity to contribute to impactful geospatial projects across the foundation.

Schedule: Full-time, fixed term position – Monday through Friday (40 hours a week), with some flexibility in hours to facilitate participating in programmatic activities during evenings and weekends.

Pay Rate: $20/hour and paid holidays.

Start Date: May/early June 2025 through August/early September 2025 – depending on the availability of the successful applicant.

Location: Upperville, VA; The Oak Spring Garden estate is located in rural northern Virginia, 15 minutes from the nearest town. Having access to a car is desirable, but not essential.

Working Conditions: Must be flexible and willing to work in a variety of settings, including outside in the Virginia summer, and occasional evenings and weekends.

To Apply: To be considered for this internship, please email a resume, a short cover letter outlining your interest and qualifications, and two professional references (name and contact details) to hr@osgf.org with the subject line “2025 GIS Internship”. We will begin reviewing applications on a rolling basis and will continue until the position is filled.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• The ideal candidate will have a background in GIS and experience with ArcGIS Pro, particularly in data engineering, visualizations, editing, and basic scripting using Arcade or Python.
• Familiarity with Esri tools such as Field Maps, Enterprise, Dashboards, and StoryMaps, as well as experience collecting field data, is highly valued.
• Experience with drones, multispectral data, and GNSS/RTK units is strongly desired.
• Undergraduate degree completed or in progress from an accredited academic institution or minimum of two-years’ relevant experience. Local high school students with a driver’s license and reliable transportation are also encouraged to apply.
• Ability to meet the physical requirements of bending, standing for long periods of time, lifting at least 50 pounds, handling wildlife, stretching, working with sharp objects, and undertaking monitoring and surveys outdoors year-round.
• Comfortable working outside, in varied weather conditions (including extreme heat and cold; and exposure to stinging and biting insects and animals) and in a rural setting.
• Must be able to legally work in the United
• Must have a valid driver’s Position may require operation of an OSGF vehicle or farm machinery.
• Must have reliable transportation to and from OSGF

SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

• Strong computer and data management literacy, including familiarity with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and other common software tools.
• Must be able to work independently and also as a part of a team.
• Good time-management and organizational skills.
• Strong attention to detail, and the ability to take initiative are essential, as the intern will interact with multiple teams and contribute to a variety of projects.
• Strong oral communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively, and with empathy, with staff, residents, guests and the public.
• Strong commitment to fostering a respectful, culturally-diverse and inclusive work environment.
• Strong commitment to sustainability and ethical environmental stewardship.
• Strong commitment to the obligations of a private operating foundation to deliver public benefits, to make a positive public contribution and to work for a better society.

TO APPLY

To be considered for this internship, please email a resume, a short cover letter outlining your interest and qualifications, and two professional references (name and contact details) to hr@osgf.org with the subject line “2025 GIS Internship”. We will begin reviewing applications on a rolling basis and will continue until the position is filled.

If available, applicants are also welcome—but not required—to submit a portfolio of relevant work to support their application.

Oak Spring Garden Foundation is an equal opportunity organization and will not allow discrimination based upon age, ancestry, disability, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, race, religious belief, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, political belief, or veteran status.