Job: Adult Crew Leader

Job Description

Job Type: Seasonal Full time, Weekly

Wage: $720-$800/wk 

Location: Salida, CO.

Job Description:

Dates: April 1st, 2024 – Late October or early November 2024 (depending on weather project availability)

Benefits: 10 days of Paid Time Off; 1 paid week off in May between leader season and summer member season and 1 paid week off in August between summer member season and summer fall season, plus 4 additional days of flexible paid time off. Health benefits eligible. Food provided while in the field. Uniforms are also provided. USFS-recognized S-212 Chainsaw training, Cross-cut training, Restorative Justice Training, Trauma-Informed Care Training, QPR training, other development opportunities.

Housing: While on hitch, SCC-Los Valles will be securing a camping location for crew leaders and members while on hitch. Crew leaders and members will be required to secure their own housing while off hitch. 

Southwest Conservation Corps (SCC) is a non-profit, AmeriCorps-affiliated organization, whose mission is to Engage future leaders who protect, restore, and enhance our nation’s lands through community-based service. The SCC Los Valles (LV) office is located on the ancestral lands of the Ute people, who continue to survive and thrive on these lands today. The SCC LV office is in Salida, Colorado with satellite operations in Alamosa, CO. SCC LV serves the Arkansas River Valley and the San Luis Valley: the two valleys, or los valles. The SCC Los Valles Adult Program engages motivated young adults, ages 18 - 30, to complete challenging and impactful conservation and service projects. Projects may include, trail construction maintenance, habitat improvement, invasive species mitigation, hazardous fuels reduction, habitat restoration, and local environmental service projects. Crews may also complete technical and/or specialized projects depending on project partner needs, including disaster relief if the opportunity arises.

Position Summary: 

The Adult Program Crew Leader at SCC Los Valles is responsible for overseeing a crew of 8: crews consist of 6 members, 1 Crew Leader in Development (CLDP), and the crew leader. Crews work in front and backcountry locations in all weather conditions. Standard schedule consists of 8 days on-hitch and 6 days off with some exception. On-hitch, crews camps together, prepare all meals together, and work together as a group to complete all projects and chores. SCC does not provide accommodations off-hitch and Crew Leaders will be responsible for their own accommodations during that time. Crew Leaders will lead crews in completing technical conservation projects while instilling interpersonal skills and leadership skills. Crew leaders will also be responsible for leading crews in environmental stewardship, risk management, trauma-informed care, and restorative justice.

At SCC Los Valles, we hold that social equity and environmental justice are the responsibility of all. We will be running the following crews during the 2024 season, please be ready to speak to your preferences and how you will support them during your interview:

• Leaders of Color crew – An affinity crew for QTBIPOC individuals with a focus on technical skills and certifications
• Women’s+ Saw crew – An affinity crew for Trans, Non-binary, and Cis women individuals with a focus on chainsaw skills development
• Veteran Fire crew – A post 9/11 veteran crew which focuses on fuel reduction and fire mitigation on public land
• Chainsaw crews – A crew for young adults that works primarily in front country settings, focusing on sustainable forestry, fuels reduction, or invasive species removal (with the potential to use herbicide)
• Conservation/Trail crews – A crew for young adults that works in both backcountry and front country settings, focusing on trails and a variety of conservation work

Required Skills

Responsibilities & Core Competencies:

 Leadership & Mentorship

•   Embody equity, ensure inclusion, and embrace diversity (equity, inclusion, and diversity) within the corps. This includes but is not limited to:
• Lead and participate in Land Acknowledgements that recognize Indigenous communities who have historically and continue to steward the Los Valles region
• Employ a restorative justice approach to disciplinary incidents
• Facilitate and engage in environmental education that includes the fraught history of public lands in the United States
• Employ a trauma-informed approach to building crew dynamics and addressing interpersonal conflict
• Be accountable to ensuring the SCC Los Valles community centers the experiences of members of historically marginalized populations, including Black, Indigenous, Queer, Trans and Women of Color (QTBIPOC), and young adults with systems-involvement
• Foster 21st century work skills in corps members, i.e.: collaboration teamwork, creativity imagination, critical thinking, problem-solving, flexibility adaptability
• Model strong communication and conflict transformation skills
• Mentor Crew Leader in Development (CLDP) in their growth in leadership, facilitation, and supervisory skills

Project Management & Implementation 

• Instruct, train motivate a crew to complete high quality technical conservation projects
• Implement a 10-hour workday and ensure professionalism is maintained at camp
• Delegate project work camp chores
• Effectively coordinate logistics with project partners, co-leader, SCC staff   

Risk Management 

• Analyze, manage, and inform on hazardous conditions and crew health
• Exhibit strong situational awareness at worksite and campsite  
• Transport crew and equipment safely in SCC’s vans and large SUVs with trailers   

Administrative Skills 

• Meet all deadlines for documentation, i.e., timesheets, evaluations, incident reports, etc
• Record all project related outcomes and deliverables 
• Manage food budget and credit card for purchases, providing receipts for all purchases

Required Experience

Minimum Qualifications: 

• Outdoor leadership experience with youth and/or young adults
• Physically fit and able to work 40-50 hr work weeks 
• High School diploma or GED certificate 
• Must hold current/relevant medical certification (WFR, WEMT, or OEC) with CPR/AED 
• Must be 21, or have had a driver’s license for 3 consecutive years with a clean driving record (insurable by SCC), and a current driver’s license
• For leading crews with a chainsaw component (LOC and W+): ability to test out at a B-level in chainsaw during crew leader training season

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Experience with SCC or other conservation corps
• Experience supervising a team or managing a classroom
• Experience working with trauma-impacted communities

Essential Functions: 

• Frequently required to walk, hike, sit, talk and listen 
• Required to use hands to operate objects and tools, and to reach with hands and arms 
• Regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds 
• Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision and the ability to focus 
• Required to drive an SCC vehicle 
• Enforce all SCC policies
• SCC is a substance free work environment. All must refrain from the use of tobacco products, vaping, alcohol, and drugs while in the program 

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions   

Conservation Legacy 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, transfers, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

To Apply:  For SCC Los Valles, equity is a core value. To put power behind this statement, we prioritize and encourage opportunities for Black, Indigenous, Queer, and Trans, Women of Color (QTBIPOC). Interested candidates are strongly encouraged to apply through our website. For inquiries, contact Brittany LeTendre, SCC Los Valles Adult Program Manager, and [email protected]. 

**Disclaimer: The duties and responsibilities described above are not a comprehensive list and additional tasks may be assigned to the employee, time to time; the scope of the job may change as necessitated by business demands. Click “View Application” below for more detail on this specific job.