Title: Strike Team - Staff Crew Leader II

Conservation Legacy Program: Southeast Conservation Corps

Reports to: Program Coordinator, Program Director

Site Location: Crew will be based out of Chattanooga, TN, camping in backcountry and frontcountry; serving in various locations across the greater Southeast Region.

Terms of Service:

• Start Date: 08/18/25
• End Date: 11/21/25

Status: Seasonal, Full-time, Exempt

Wages: $925-1,125/week, depending on prior experience and certifications, paid biweekly

Health Benefits: Medical benefit options may be available for individuals serving 6 months or longer

Other Benefits: Public Land Corps Hiring Authority Certificate (upon successful completion of hours), Food & transportation provided while in the field overnight, uniform shirts, personal protective equipment, and other developmental opportunities as available

Crew Structure: 1 Crew Leader, 3 Crew Members

Purpose — About Southeast Conservation Corps (SECC):
Empowering youth and adults to cultivate compassion, responsibility and life skills through community service, hard work and land stewardship.

SECC, a program of Conservation Legacy, is a non-profit AmeriCorps program. We engage youth (age 15-17) and young adults (ages 18-30, up to 35 for veterans) in service projects on public lands throughout the Southeast. Our AmeriCorps positions provide impactful educational and service opportunities that benefit both communities and landscapes. SECC’s participants reflect the population of the Southeast region, including youth, graduates, veterans, and individuals from various ethnic and economic backgrounds.

SECC collaborates with land management agencies such as the United States Forest Service, National Park Service, State Parks, local municipalities, and non-profits to host day and camping crews. Our projects vary but include trail construction and maintenance, restoration of natural areas, invasive species removal, fire fuels reduction, fencing, herbicide applications, and more. Most projects involve strenuous manual labor and require hiking to and from the project sites daily, carrying tools and day packs.

SECC camping crews serve in frontcountry and backcountry locations, often in challenging weather conditions. While hitch schedules vary by project and location, they typically follow a 9-day on, 5-day off pattern, with 10-hour shifts and scheduled breaks throughout the day. While we aim to maintain consistency, flexibility is expected as schedules, times, and project locations are subject to change based on project needs.

SECC is an independent, non-residential program, and crew members are responsible for securing their own housing when not in the field. On-hitch, crews manage camp chores and prepare all their own meals, with evenings often including group discussions. Members must provide their own personal outdoor gear (e.g., tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, day pack, multi-day pack, work pants, hiking/work boots), while SECC provides group camp equipment, tools, protective gear and transportation between SECC Office and project sites.

Description of Duties — Position Summary

Position Summary:

The Crew Leader II position is an opportunity to make a difference in young peoples’ lives while completing conservation projects on public and private lands. Leaders will be mentors, educators, and facilitators for young adults, working to promote the health and resiliency of our land, air, and water.

Standard schedule generally consists of 9 days on-hitch (out in the field as a crew unit) and 5 days off with some exceptions. Workdays follow a 10-hour shift with scheduled time for breaks. While the staff at SECC work 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. Crew Leaders may also be required to come in for an additional day each hitch cycle to complete administrative duties and check-ins with program staff. On-hitch, crews camp together, prepare all meals together, and work together as a group to complete all projects and chores.

The Crew Leader II position requires patience, a consistently positive mental attitude, mentorship, technical aptitude, focus on efficiency, and a high level of competence in the outdoors. It also involves an administration role, where weekly paperwork is due in a timely manner to supervisors. Finally, crew leaders must exhibit the ability to effectively work on diverse teams and those from a variety of populations and communities.

Service Project:

Southeast Conservation Corps (SECC) Strike Team has partnered with a range of land managers across the Southeast, including the U.S. Forest Service at Bankhead National Forest, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in South Carolina, and Tennessee State Parks. This multi-agency initiative is rooted in a shared commitment to restoring land integrity, enhancing visitor experiences, and preparing young adults for careers in conservation.

Crews should anticipate some hitches in rugged backcountry conditions and will be camping in remote, primitive settings to complete essential conservation projects.

Members of the Strike Team should expect a wide array of land management projects. During their time in the field, crew members camp overnight and serve outdoors in all weather conditions, performing heavy manual labor related to environmental conservation and restoration projects. Most projects require hiking out to project sites for the day with tools, equipment, and a day pack. Projects can include the following, but are not limited to:

• Brush and log out trail corridors.
• Mitigate drainage issues through water diversion methods, stepping stones, and natural surface improvements.
• Repair creek crossings and eroded segments to enhance trail navigability and reduce sedimentation.
• Decommission and obscure unauthorized user-created trails.
• Timber step installation
• Trail tread repair and widening
• Stone stair improvements or installation
• Community Service

Responsibilities:

Leadership & Mentorship

• Provide valuable crew member feedback, give opportunities for growth, delegate responsibilities, and encourage technical and leadership skill development.
• 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 safe, healthy, cohesive, other-centered and team-oriented community.
• Follow and enforce all policies, maintain professional boundaries, and appropriately represent the program. This includes creating a substance free work environment, refraining from the use of tobacco products, alcohol, and drugs while involved in the program.

Project Management & Implementation

• Train, motivate and supervise a crew of young adults to efficiently complete tasks and objectives outlined in conservation projects, while working long hours and managing high quality of work and crew morale.
• Think critically to resolve issues and solve problems, requesting assistance or help when needed.
• Communicate & coordinate logistics with project partners, Assistant Crew Leader (or Crew Leader in Development), & staff

Safety & Risk Management

• Monitor, manage, and promote the holistic health of the crew, including physical and emotional (intimidation free community environment) safety.
• Exhibit strong situational awareness & promote a culture of safety.
• Transport crew and equipment safely in organizational vans or large SUVs with trailers in accordance with CL Driver policy.
• Manage and document incidents in the field and activate incident response system, if needed, per Conservation Legacy policy.

Administration

• Thorough documentation of crew hours, accomplishments, disciplinary actions taken, and incident response according to Conservation Legacy policy and procedure
• Manage food budget and credit card for purchases.
• Track and submit credit card receipts for all expenses every month.

Camp Management

• Oversee, manage, and assign camp chores (or camp tasks).
• Monitor and manage crew community needs in camp.
• Instruct crew in how to create a safe, hygienic, and tidy camp environment while mitigating crew caused impacts to campsites, practicing minimum impact camping techniques.
• Maintain all program policies and procedures in camp environment.
• Leading a camping crew is an intensive commitment requiring a continuous physical presence. Leaders must remain physically present, and cognitively and emotionally available to support community and individual crew member needs.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Full commitment to the program and its mission.
• Understanding of and experience with the mission and field management considerations of conservation corps and public land agencies.
• Leadership, management, and supervisory experience with youth or young adults.
• Must hold current advanced medical certification (for backcountry crews: 80 hours Wilderness First Responder with CPR/AED or higher; for front country crews: 24 hours Wilderness First Aid with CPR/AED or higher) or be willing to receive certification prior to start date.
• Ability to effectively manage all aspects of crew life and production within a 40-50+-hour work week including managing projects, camping, and programmatic policies and integrity throughout.
• Flexibility, adaptability, and capacity to work in a fluid, changing work environment.
• Willingness to participate in community-building activities and solution-oriented problem solving with peer leaders.
• Able to work long days in adverse conditions.
• Must be able to speak, understand and write English.
• High School diploma or GED certificate.
• Must over the age of 21 or have possessed a driver’s license for 3 or years more without any restrictions (to pass minimum insurability requirements for crew transport driving duties).

Preferred Qualifications or a Strong Desire to Grow in the Following:

• Experience with experiential and/or environmental education.
• Experience with backpacking, wilderness living and travel.
• Facilitation and team-building experience with diverse groups of people.
• Time-management skills and ability to work independently as well as with others.
• Strong conflict resolution skills.
• Sense of humor, spirit of adventure, and desire to make a positive difference and promote leadership in others.
• 1-2 years’ experience with SECC, other conservation corps or youth corps
• Facilitation and team-building experience with diverse groups of people
• Desire to work on a variety of conservation-based projects
• Experience with Disaster Response

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:

Carlyle Grundon

Program Coordinator

Cgrundon@conservationlegacy.org

Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage members of diverse groups to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, political affiliation, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.