TITLE: AMERICORPS ASSISTANT CREW LEADER (ACL) – ADULT CAMPING CREW – FALL 2020
REPORTS TO: Crew Leader, Field Program Coordinator
LOCATION: Crew will be based out of Chattanooga, TN, camping and working in regional National Parks, National Forests, and Local Non-Profit Lands.
START/END DATE: September 28 – November 18, 2020.
STATUS: Seasonal, Full-time, Exempt
WAGES: $400/week, paid biweekly. A $1,289.95 AmeriCorps Education Award upon successful completion of the program.
HEALTH BENEFITS: Not Health Benefit Eligible
BENEFITS: Food provided while in the field, uniforms, personal protective equipment. Other development opportunities as available (Wilderness First Aid, USFS MTDC Chainsaw and/or Crosscut Saw Certification, Herbicide Handling and Application, etc.)
CREW STRUCTURE: 1 Staff Crew Leader, 1 Crew Leader Development Position (CLDP), 6 Crew Members
SOUTHEAST CONSERVATION CORPS:
EMPOWERING YOUNG ADULTS TO CULTIVATE COMPASSION, RESPONSIBILITY, AND GRIT THROUGH COMMUNITY SERVICE, HARD WORK, AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP.
Southeast Conservation Corps (SECC), a program of Conservation Legacy, is a non-profit, AmeriCorps-affiliated organization. The SECC selects young adults, ages 18-30, to complete conservation work projects on public lands throughout the Southeast. SECC programs encourage environmental stewardship, foster community partnerships, and emphasize experiential learning. SECC serves a diverse population that is representative of the Southeast, including youth, graduates, veterans, and a cross-section of ethnicities and income levels. SECC is also an active member of the AmeriCorps Disaster Response Team (A-DRT), and as such, selected crews may be deployed on Disaster response projects for up to 30 days.
Crews work in frontcountry and backcountry locations in all types of weather conditions. Schedules may vary, but generally are 9 days on and 5 days off. Depending on project work and location, other schedule variations may be implemented. While the staff at SECC works to provide consistency throughout the season, personal flexibility is expected and should be prepared for when entering the term as schedules, times, and work locations are subject to change per project needs.
Assistant Crew Leaders are responsible for finding and attaining their own housing when not in the field. Crews prepare all their own meals and work together as a group to complete all necessary chores. Community/camp chores will be completed every evening, with many evenings including group discussions on conservation and/or corps related topics.
POSITION SUMMARY:
Southeast Conservation Corps’ Crew Leader Development Position (CLDP) performs many roles and is instrumental in our program’s success. The developmental position is multi-faceted and demanding, but with opportunity for enormous rewards. Successful candidates will demonstrate resourcefulness, effective communication skills, excellent judgement, maturity, initiative, professionalism, and the desire to devote themselves to a crew experience where the needs of others are placed above oneself. The Assistant Crew Leader position requires mentorship, patience, technical aptitude, focus on efficiency, and a high level of comfort in the outdoors.
This position will be coached and mentored by an SECC Staff Crew Leader. CLDPs are responsible for maintaining SECC’s high standards for technical work and hands-on member growth, managing projects and implementing feedback among crew members. The CLDP is a key development opportunity designed to identify and overcome challenges in leadership through a hands-on leadership role in conjunction with close mentorship from the Staff Crew Leader. Qualified candidates will identify growth plans and assist the Staff Crew Leader in administrative functions.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
- Commitment to modeling and enforcing all COVID-19 Safety Policies and Procedures
- Willingness to commit fully to the program and its mission.
- Leadership experience with youth or young adults.
- Excellent organizational & communication skills
- Strong time-management skills and ability to work independently as well as with others
- Ability to effectively and efficiently manage all aspects of crew life and production within a 40-50-hour work week.
- Flexibility, adaptability and capacity to work in a fluid, changing work environment
- Willingness to learn and be a part of a dynamic community of peer leaders.
- Must be adaptive, patient and able to maintain a positive perspective throughout.
- Technical trail construction and maintenance experience
- Physically fit and able to work long days in adverse conditions
- Experience with backpacking, wilderness living and travel, LNT principles
- High School diploma or GED certificate
- Must be 21, have a clean driving record (insurable by SECC) and a current driver’s license.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Experience with SECC or other conservation corps or youth corps
- Experience with experiential and/or environmental education
- Facilitation and team-building experience with diverse groups of people
- Desire to work on a variety of conservation-based projects.
- Strong conflict resolution skills
- Current and relevant certification in Wilderness Medicine (WFA, WAFA, WFR)
- Willingness and/or experience in Disaster Response
- Chainsaw experience in a professional setting
- Relevant Bachelor’s Degree
- Sense of humor, spirit of adventure, and desire to make a positive difference and promote leadership in others
PARTICIPANT ESSENTIAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
Essential eligibility requirements for the program must be met. If you are unable to meet certain requirements, we may be able to assist you with some modification unless it alters the fundamental nature of the program, compromises the health and safety of participants or staff, or places an undue financial or administrative burden on the organization. These requirements are written the same for all positions and therefore may not apply directly to your position.
- Frequently required to walk, hike, sit and talk or listen
- Required to use hands to operate objects, tools or controls, 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 SECC vehicle
- Must be able to speak, understand, read and write English
- Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions
REQUIRED SKILLS:
LEADERSHIP & MENTORSHIP
- Manage, supervise, and lead the day-to-day details of project work.
- Implement skills training on worksite and facilitate intentional discussions via informal lessons to contribute to the crew’s personal growth and group dynamics
- Promote individual corps member development and a healthy, supportive community
- Develop plan for personal and professional growth under mentorship of Staff Crew Lead.
- Must be willing to follow and enforce all SECC policies, maintain professional boundaries, and appropriately represent Southeast Conservation Corps.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT & IMPLEMENTATION
- Train and motivate a crew of six to eight young adults to complete conservation projects efficiently on public lands
- Delegate project work & investment among crew
- Manage on-the-ground quality and quantity of project work
- Think critically to resolve issues and solve problems
- Communicate effectively & coordinate logistics with project partners, Staff Crew Leader, & SECC staff
SAFETY & RISK MANAGEMENT
- Monitor, manage, and promote the crew’s physical and emotional safety on and off the work site
- Exhibit strong situational awareness & promote a culture of safety
- Transport crew and equipment safely in SECC’s vans or large vehicles with trailers
- Monitor, manage, and promote all COVID-19 Safety Policies and Procedures, including use of cloth masks, regular handwashing, wellness checks, and regular tool and vehicle sanitization
ADMINISTRATION
- As delegated by Staff Crew Leader, complete professional documentation of time sheets, daily and weekly reports, corps member and peer evaluations, disciplinary action forms, incident reports, etc., and submit in a timely manner
- Responsible for all project related outcomes and deliverables
SAFETY AND JUDGMENT:
- Effectively communicate danger to others in the form of either a warning of danger others may be encountering or a notification of personal distress, injury or need for assistance. You must be able to do so at a distance of up to 50 meters and in conditions with limited visibility or loud background noise such as darkness or high winds.
- Effectively perceive, understand and follow direction by others so that you will be able to successfully execute appropriate and perhaps unfamiliar techniques to manage hazards. These directions may be given before the hazard is encountered or may need to be given during exposure to the hazard.
- Stay alert and focused for several hours at a time while traveling and working in varied weather conditions.
- Perceive and comprehend significant and apparent hazards, including those hazards previously identified by others.
- Respond appropriately to stress or crises.
- If taking prescription medications, participants must be able to maintain proper dosage by self-medicating without assistance from others.
- Monitor, manage, and promote the crew’s physical and emotional safety on and off the work site.
- Exhibit strong situational awareness & promote a culture of safety
- Transport crew and equipment safely in SECC’s vans or large SUVs with trailers.
ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS:
- Learn and practice ‘Leave no Trace’ techniques.
OUTDOOR SKILLS AND FITNESS (WHERE APPROPRIATE):
- Learn and safely perform fundamental outdoor living/travel and work skills as appropriate to the project. Additionally, remain adequately hydrated, fed, and properly dressed so as to remain generally healthy and safe, avoiding environmental injuries.
- Live in a physically demanding, possibly remote environment for an uninterrupted period of up to several weeks. Conditions of this environment may vary significantly and may include severe and/or trying weather. The remoteness is such that it may require at a minimum one hour, but perhaps in excess of 12 hours, to reach the nearest advanced medical care.
SUBSTANCE FREE
In accordance to a drug free workplace, alcohol and drugs are prohibited while participating in AmeriCorps and program activities and while on organization property.
THIS PROGRAM IS AVAILABLE TO ALL ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS, WITHOUT REGARD TO RACE, COLOR, NATIONAL ORIGIN, DISABILITY, AGE, SEX, POLITICAL AFFILIATION, SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR RELIGION.
TO APPLY:
- Complete the Application, upload cover letter and resume.
- Any questions can be addressed to:
James Gasaway
Field Program Coordinator
423-994-3151
Chattanooga, TN
jgasaway@conservationlegacy.org
Required Skills
Required Experience