TITLE: AmeriCorps Crew Leader 

POSITION DATES: Start Date: September 14th

REPORTS TO: OPERATIONS COORDINATOR                      

COMPENSATION: 450.00/ WEEK + AmeriCorps Education Award Upon Successful Completion

LOCATION: Charlotte, NC                               

STATUS: Full-time/Seasonal/Temporary

CONSERVATION CORPS NORTH CAROLINA:  

The mission of the Conservation Corps North Carolina (CCNC) is to empower young adults through meaningful outdoor work that benefits North Carolina’s land and water and creates healthy communities.   

CCNC is a program of Conservation Legacy that partners with ACC and public land managers in North Carolina.

CCNC engages motivated young adults (ages 16-27) to complete challenging and impactful conservation service projects throughout the region. Projects may include trail construction & maintenance, habitat improvement, hazard fuel reduction, and ecological restoration.  Crews may also complete technical and/or specialized projects depending on project partner needs, including disaster relief if the opportunity arises.

POSITION SUMMARY: 

This is an exciting opportunity to lead an AmeriCorps conservation crew with the Conservation Corps North Carolina. This crew will partner with Mecklenburg county to accomplish meaningful projects to support trail construction and ecological health.

The AmeriCorps Crew Leader (ACL) is responsible for facilitating a positive Crew Member experience. This position will be working with a Staff Crew Leader who is responsible for the direct supervision of the crew. The ACL is a full partner in the crew’s leadership, helping to communicate directions, projects specifications and constructive criticism throughout the term.  This position requires open dialog with the Staff Crew Leader; helping them to manage projects, project partners communications, overall logistics, and crew assignments.  

It means more than just showing up and doing the work, it means setting an example of how to work hard with great enthusiasm through all kinds of conditions while practicing good judgement and safety. It means facilitating learning experience for Crew Members, both formally and informally.  This position may require additional participation time outside of standard project and crew hours. 

POSITION DETAILS:

This position is the result of an exciting partnership between CCNC and Mecklenburg county, and will be based in Charlotte, NC. This position will involve field-based manual labor including the facilitation and leadership of a youth conservation crew. The staff crew leader will be:

• Working under the direction of Mecklenburg county and CCNC, serves as AmeriCorps crew leader assisting in coordination of the Mecklenburg County Day Crew in the completion of trail maintenance, habitat improvement, visitor access improvements, and ecological restoration.
•  Provide mentorship, guidance and support to the Mecklenburg county day crew encouraging member development, hands-on skills development, and high quality and quantity project accomplishment for the City of Charlotte.

Crews will complete conservation service projects in the field Monday - Friday and return home each evening. Members will be responsible for their own transportation to and from the office. Members will need to bring a daypack/backpack with rain gear, plenty of drinking water, snacks, and a lunch each day. Crew members have Saturday and Sunday off. 

The crew will have the opportunity to understand the value of hard work, the contributions their work will make to public lands, and the need to focus on safety and excellence in all aspects of the project. 

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES, FUNCTIONS & COMPETENCIES:

As an AmeriCorps program participant, work effectively as member of crew; perform heavy manual labor related to environmental conservation and restoration projects; work outdoors in all types of weather and successfully adapts to various climates; camps overnight outdoors in wilderness areas near work sites for short or extended periods of time; effectively learn and apply new environmental conservation and restoration skills and outdoor living skills; actively participate in environmental education activities; practice appropriate safety procedures in all tasks assigned; use, maintain and repair hand and power tools as necessary. 

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 ACL and 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, ACL, members, and CCNC 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 CCNC’s vans or large vehicles with trailers.

ADMINISTRATION  

• Manage crew Medical History Forms and incident documentation in conjunction with the Staff Crew Leader

ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS: 

• Learn, practice, and teach ‘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 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.

GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS:  

To qualify, you must be between the ages of 18 and 29, and a US citizen that has received a high school diploma or GED. All offers of employment are conditional upon completion of an acceptable check of the National Sex Offender Public Registry and federal criminal background check. Must be eligible to receive an AmeriCorps Education Award. 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Must be able to demonstrate strong project management skills.
• 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 hold current Wilderness First Aid Certification with CPR/ AED.
• Must have a clean driving record (insurable by CCNC) and a current driver’s license.
• Willingness to deploy and a Disaster Response.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Experience with CCNC or another Conservation Corps.
• Technical trail building and maintenance experience.
• Background with experiential and/ or environmental education. 
• Facilitation and team-building experience with diverse groups of people. 
• Strong conflict resolution skills.
• Experience with Disaster Responses.
• Forest Service chainsaw certifications.
• Wilderness First Responder Certification with CPR/AED.

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 particular position.

PARTICIPATION AND EXPEDITION BEHAVIOR:

• Work effectively as a member of a team despite potentially stressful and difficult conditions. This may require problem solving on an interpersonal or group level as well as a willingness to accept differences.
• Contribute to a safe learning environment; no harassment of others for any reason.
• Willingness and ability to complete all aspects of the program including conservation projects, education, training and national service. Members must commit to participating in all crew/team activities, including service days in local communities where applicable.
• Effectively communicate ideas and concerns as they arise directly to supervisors, colleagues and organization staff.
• Have the cognitive ability to learn necessary skills and apply them to effectively carry out the service work requirements
• Appropriately represent the Program and AmeriCorps to the public and project partners at all times.

 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.

 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.

TO APPLY: 

• Complete the Application, upload cover letter and resume.
• Any questions can be addressed to:

Andy Sommerville

Field Program Coordinator

(919)-622-5772

Raleigh, NC

asommerville@conservationlegacy.org

Required Skills Required Experience

REQUIRED EDUCATION

Following are the minimum requirements to teach all EMS courses (EMS 121, 122, 123, 124, 126, 130, 170, 180)

MINIMUM REQUIRED*:

• A related associates (or relevant current industry license or certification) and 4000 verified occupational/industry hours within 5 years;
• OR, a related Bachelor’s or any Master’s degree with 18 discipline related credits and 4000 verified occupational/industry hours within 5 years.
• *CAAHEP Accreditation requires experience in emergency medicine (pre-hospital) and teaching experience. State of Colorado EMY Registration Certification is required of all faculty and instructor hires.

RELATED DEGREE, CREDENTIAL, AND/OR OCCUPATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN: Emergency Medical Care, Colorado EMT Registration Certification, or Paramedic

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE

• A minimum of two (2) years or 4000 hours of recent or current experience in clinical emergency medicine: pre-hospital care experience is strongly recommended

REQUIRED LICENSES

• EMT/Paramedic certification (Colorado at minimum, National Registry and Colorado preferred).