National Parks 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.

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 this year's program will be announced in February.

Position Description
Net Impact and the National Park Service seek top graduate students who are currently enrolled in business, public policy, environmental management, public administration, and related programs for the prestigious Business Plan Internship (BPI) program. Candidates should have strong analytical and project management skills, an interest in consulting, strategic planning and public sector management, and the desire to contribute to the future of our national parks by improving the parks' operational and financial health.

This competitive 11-week internship program runs June through August and begins with an intense and structured week-long NPS operations orientation onsite in a national park. Each summer consultant will be matched with a fellow student, and this consultant team will work for the next ten weeks at a designated park or program office that will be the team's client for the summer. In 2012, the program will begin on Saturday, June 2 and end on Friday, August 17.

Over the course of the internship, each summer consultant team works closely with park management to conduct strategy and financial analyses. The position is extremely multifaceted; as a consultant, you may have the opportunity to:

• Analyze current resource allocations in the context of near-term and longer term park priorities.
• Perform specialty analyses on high impact opportunities to improve park operations. Examples include determining the most efficient fleet structure, developing a cost-benefit analysis of expanding a volunteer program, conducting a life-cycle costing exercise for different types of equipment, optimizing revenue from fee operations and evaluating the costs, benefits, and effectiveness of various partnerships.
• Develop management and financial 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).
• Develop projections for staffing and financial requirements to support park priorities.
• Work with management and field staff to evaluate park programs and operations.
• Facilitate discussions to determine strategic park or program priorities.

At the end of the internship, the summer consultant teams present their findings to park management. Teams develop a business plan or formal report (e.g., marketing plan, commercial services strategy, fleet management plan) to present project findings. Often these reports are open 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, support and supervision provided by NPS staff in Washington, DC.

Both first and second-year graduate students are encouraged to apply.

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 2 - August 17, 2012)
• A valid US driver's license
• Consulting, government or nonprofit experience preferred
  

Benefits and Compensation
Summer consultants receive a weekly stipend of $725. 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 travel.

Each park provides housing and office space. Utility costs are typically included. A vehicle for local use is also provided for the team to share.


How to Apply
Follow this link for detailed application instructions: BPI 2012 Description and Application Instructions.

Please note, your application must include the following:

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

Applications will be accepted through the close of business on January 15, 2012. Applying early is recommended. We will not consider incomplete applications, and we will acknowledge receiving your application.

Sample Work Products
The following are examples of NPS business plans and specialty projects completed by National Park Business Plan and Consulting Interns.

• Chickasaw National Recreation Area Commercial Services Strategy, Fiscal Year 2008 (pdf)
• Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Business Plan, Fiscal Year 2005 (pdf)
• Channel Islands National Park Business Plan, Fiscal Year 2004 (pdf)

A Day in the Life
While there is no "standard day" for a summer consultant, click here to learn a bit about one consultant's experience working at Assateague Island National Seashore.

Summer consultants have worked at parks throughout the country, including:

• Arches National Park, Utah
• Assateague Island National Seashore, Maryland/Virginia
• Boston National Historical Park, Massachusetts
• Canyonlands National Park, Utah
• City of Rocks National Reserve, Idaho
• Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
• Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, Kentucky
• Fort Donelson and Stones River National Battlefields, Tennessee
• Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona/Utah
• Golden Gate National Recreation Area, California
• Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, Hawai`i
• Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas
• Hovenweep National Monument, Utah
• Kaloko Honokohau and Pu'uhonua o n>Hōnaunau National Historical Parks, Hawaii
• NPS Commercial Services program, Washington, DC
• Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore, Michigan
• Point Reyes National Seashore, California
• Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site, Hawai`i
• San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, California
• Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, California
• Valley Forge National Historical Park, Pennsylvania
• Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota
• Yosemite National Park, California
  

Frequently Asked Questions
Application Process

• When do you begin accepting applications, and what is the deadline?
  We will begin accepting applications in November, with a deadline of January 15, 2012.
• Can I apply for a specific park or project?
  You cannot apply for a specific project. Final assignments are made after the summer consulting class is filled (after all employment offers have been accepted). Project assignments are made on the basis of students' relevant experience, park/program needs, and student preferences.
• Where will you conduct interviews?
  We generally conduct in-person interviews in the Chicago, Boston, DC, San Francisco, Ann Arbor, Austin, and the Raleigh-Durham areas, though the list changes from year to year based on applications. Check with your career services office to see whether we will be interviewing at your school. We will conduct phone interviews with exceptional candidates who are not able to interview in person.
  

Summer Consultant Profile

• How many summer consultants will you hire?
  We generally hire up to 15 summer consultants, but the final program class size will depend on the number and type of participating national parks.
• Who are my fellow summer consultants?
  We hire graduate students from leading business, public policy, and environmental management schools. Each consulting class has a slightly different mix of educational backgrounds and skill sets to support the unique needs of the summer's participating parks. Summer consultants usually come to the internship with between three and five years of professional experience in consulting, financial management, nonprofit management and other related fields. In general, 50 percent or more of the summer consulting class is made up of MBAs with the rest a combination of graduate students in public administration, public policy and environmental management programs. Summer consultants are assigned to projects in teams of two or three, depending on the size and complexity of the park or program.
  

Internship Logistics

• Is attendance at training required?
  Yes, attendance at training is required. During that week, we give you the information and tools you will need to get started when you arrive at your park. You'll get to know your fellow consultants and some of your park staff and will learn the basics of park operations. We familiarize you with the methodology of business planning in the National Park Service and introduce you to some of the resources you will use throughout the summer to develop strategies and perform analyses. Orientation is typically planned in or near a national park, so we also have a lot of fun getting out and exploring.
  
  For students on the quarter system, we realize that exams might conflict with orientation.
  
  Students are usually able to arrange to take exams early, and we have also proctored exams for students at orientation.
• Can I leave the internship early?
  Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate applicants who are unavailable for all 11 weeks of the program. We ask a lot of our summer consultant teams. The time frame is tight and each consulting team member must share equally in the effort to complete a high-quality product.
• Does the National Park Service provide housing?
  Yes, each park provides housing and office space. Summer consultants generally live in (if the park has housing) or nearby the park.
  

Career Opportunities

• Are there full-time job opportunities with the National Park Service after I complete the internship?
  Yes, there are definitely opportunities in the National Park Service. While there is no automatic conversion from the program to a full-time position after graduation, there are a number of programs such as the Presidential Management Fellows Program and Student Career Experience Program that the National Park Service uses to hire BPI alums into appropriate positions. We work closely with interested summer consultants from the time they are hired to help identify the best route to a full-time position and match them with the right opportunities. BPI alums are working in the NPS as management analysts, budget officers, division chiefs, concessions analysts and managers, program managers, and a park superintendent.
• What do BPI alums do after graduation?
  Of the approximate 200 BPI alums, about 10 percent took positions with the National Park Service after graduation, and another 10 percent took positions with related nonprofits. Twenty percent go on to positions in the government or nonprofit sector. Another 25 percent take consulting positions and the rest go on to various positions with the private sector.
  

More Information

• Can I speak with a past participant of the BPI internship program?
  Yes, we can make arrangements for you to speak with a program alum.
  

For More Information

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