Title: Conservation Corps New Mexico-Senior Program Director
Starting Salary Range: The starting salary for this position will be in the $79,500 - $88,815 range, depending on experience, education, and skills relevant to the position. Please note that the indicated starting salary range describes the range for an incumbent in this position. Most new staff generally start at the beginning of the range’s percentage to ensure internal salary equity.
Location: Las Cruces, NM, Not Remote Eligible.
Status: Full-Time, Exempt
Benefit Eligible: Health, Vision, Dental, Short/Long-Term Disability, Basic Life Retirement, Paid Time Off per Personnel Policies, Supplemental benefits including critical care, pet insurance, supplemental life, and others.
Reports to: Executive Director
Posting Period: Please apply before 5/3/2026
Conservation Legacy is a nationwide non-profit. The Corps programs within the organization engage participants in diverse conservation and community projects that serve public and private lands. These projects provide opportunities for personal and professional development and strive toward a high priority of needs for public land managers and community partners. Through the mission of engaging future leaders who protect, restore, and enhance our nation’s lands through community-based service; Conservation Legacy works toward a world with healthy lands, air, and water; thriving people and resilient communities.
Program Summary: Conservation Corps New Mexico (CCNM) is based in Las Cruces, NM and operates conservation service programs across New Mexico that empower individuals to positively impact their lives, their communities, and the environment. Conservation Corps New Mexico (CCNM) is a program of the non-profit service organization, Conservation Legacy, that is built on the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) that operated from 1933 – 1942. CCNM is focused on connecting youth, young adults, and protected military veterans with conservation service work projects on public lands. While serving with CCNM, members receive training on job skills, conflict resolution, leadership, teamwork, and environmental stewardship. Programs are developed using a step ladder approach to provide a progression of skill development based on a member’s needs. Members receive a weekly living allowance, training, and an AmeriCorps Education Award (for qualifying individuals). CCNM is its own brand within Conservation Legacy, and operates with support from Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps.
The Senior Program Director is the leader for CCNM staff and operations based out of the Las Cruces, NM, office. The Director both develops funding for and manages all CCNM operations through a coordinated and collaborative staff structure. The Director’s focus is to create and maintain quality, safe, highly effective operational programming for youth and young adults while developing and sustaining project partnerships with traditional public land management agencies, local municipal agencies, community partners as well as developing and sustaining other funding sources to ensure the success of the Corps’ mission. CCNM is rooted in the community it serves in Southern NM. The position supervises and mentors various operations staff. This position will require extensive travel in southern New Mexico for partnership development.
Outcomes & Functions of Position:
Leadership
- Identify and develop annual objectives to sustain and enhance the outcomes of CCNM’s Mission as well as Conservation Legacy’s Strategic Plan.
- Demonstrate and lead on the development and implementation of high-quality programming to achieve positive member experiences and exceptional project accomplishments, as well as excellent community relations and networking.
- Take a leadership role within the regional community, proactively managing and developing community relations, partnerships, projects and funding.
- Lead the Las Cruces staff and office, setting appropriate workplace culture, modeling professionalism and effective communication and facilitating needed collaboration between staff and programs.
- Develop and implement strategy and tactics to meet the goals of Conservation Legacy’s strategic plan at the programmatic level.
- Foster an environment for staff to innovate ideas and efficiencies that will lead the region and corps toward higher quality programming and member outcomes.
- Leads Las Cruces program staff to effectively achieve programmatic and organizational outcomes related to their positions, their corps, and the organization.
- Foster an environment of personal understanding and problem-solving to stay aligned with changing internal and external environment, for staff within the region.
- Successfully engages, leads, and supports an inclusive work environment for all within the organization and communities we serve, especially those of underrepresented populations.
Management
- Supervise, mentor and evaluate multiple operational and administrative staff including, but not limited to, the Program Directors, Program Coordinator, and Administrative Specialist.
- Ensure that all staff members are following business and operational support policies and protocols of CCNM and Conservation Legacy.
- Organize staff to meet the needs of the Las Cruces programs understanding our different program models (Veterans Fire Corps, Adult Camping Crews, High School Crews and Community Crews, Small Teams, Individual Placements and other single identity crews) as well as new emerging models to meet the needs of partnering agencies.
- Oversee the professional development and performance evaluation of all CCNM staff.
- Serve as the primary contact with Conservation Legacy Central Office for operational matters for the Las Cruces office.
- Support and encourage staff to engage with strategic organization initiatives not limited to working groups.
- Develop, manage, and refine a robust On Call system to provide field support and emergency response to CCNM participants and staff.
Project and Program Development and Management
- Develop and maintain project partner relationships with an aim toward sustainability and leveraging to new project opportunities.
- Leads a high-quality of programming for positive member experience and exceptional project accomplishments, solidified by successful outcomes related to strategic plan goals and specific corps-relate goals.
- Completes timely project reporting to support invoicing and agreement requirements in compliance with Conservation Legacy policies and procedures.
- Oversees successful and innovative grant identification, coordination, development, writing, and reporting in support of existing and emerging program models and staff capacity.
- Oversee and complete project agreements/task orders, database, pre-site visits, project scheduling, evaluation systems, and project specifications.
- Engage in project related community collaboration and shared resourcing.
- Develop programming to implement the Conservation Legacy Strategic Plan goals.
- Track emerging opportunities and develop program models to meet community needs and organizational goals.
- Ensure an emphasis on safety through prioritizing risk management across all programming by following policies and procedures; while providing leadership and supporting other staff to influence organizational policies around risk management.
Financial
- Prepare and manage an annual CCNM budget with assistance from ALCC Executive Director as a part of the CCNM and Conservation Legacy annual budget development and management processes, including annual reforecasts as required.
- Develop project budgets and complete federal agency financial documents.
- Write and manage grants to support specific projects and strategic initiatives, with support from Support Staff Teams.
- Maintain program systems to ensure responsible spending and financial reporting by all staff members.
- Prepare and review financial reports and monitor program expenses to ensure responsible budget management; adjust spending or revisions as needed.
- Develop and sustain partnerships to maintain adequate revenue streams to support programming with support from Executive Director.
Marketing and Communications
- Assure the Corps vision, programs and services are consistently presented in a strong, positive image in service area.
- Enhance CCNM visibility in service area.
- Promote CCNM as well as Conservation Legacy mission, programs and achievements.
Organizational Advocacy
- Successfully engages, leads and supports a positive work environment for all within the organization and the communities we serve.
- Leads and/or participates in organizational-wide teams, projects and initiatives that support the work of the Strategic Plans goals.
- Reports any potential complaints within the organization as identified in the Personnel Policy Manual.
- Assists or leads other responsibilities, as assigned.
Our Commitment:
Conservation Legacy is committed to the full consideration of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential job functions. Physical requirements may include periodic overnight travel, non-traditional work hours, ability to move across varied terrain, use program-specific tools and a range of technology on an infrequent or frequent basis. Exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. The ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. 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.
Qualifications:
- Minimum of 6 years leadership and management experience in non-profit organizations and/or corps operations.
- 3 years budget management experience.
- Demonstrated ability in working collaboratively and effectively with partners and external stakeholders and an ability to develop and maintain customer service-oriented relationships with funders, fee for service project partners, and community members.
- The ability to interact credibly and diplomatically with all stakeholders and at all levels in the organization and the external community – tailoring communication effectively for different groups and stakeholders.
- An open, inclusive, team-oriented work style and ability to collaborate with both senior leadership team and operational staff at all locations.
- Experience with influencing diverse groups of employees to achieve common goals.
- Flexibility, adaptability and capacity to work in a fluid, changing work environment.
- The ability to carry out assigned work independently or with minimal supervision.
- The ability to communicate effectively, manage complexity cultivate innovation, drive and influence results of oneself and others.
- Ability to work well with others and to seek assistance when needed to carry out assignments.
- Proficient in all Microsoft Office Suite applications and ability to manage information in an organizational database.
- Ability to keep others, in remote locations, accountable to expectations.
- Valid Driver’s License and Insurable Driving Record.
- Must be able to pass the organization’s criminal history check requirements.
Preferred Qualifications:
- 5 years recent Corps or youth development organization experience.
- 3-5 years grant writing and management experience.
- Strong Microsoft Excel proficiency.
- Community coalition experience, and ideally at a leadership level.
- Previous program and leadership experience with a conservation youth corps.
- Familiarity with Southern New Mexico communities.
- Bachelor’s Degree or higher preferred.
- Previous hands-on conservation skills experience in trail work, chainsaw operations, ecological monitoring, forestry, fuels mitigation, and/or wildland fire.
- Business acumen, entrepreneurship.
- Outdoor leadership experience and/or education.
- Experience leading Conservation Legacy programs, members or administrative systems.
Other Competencies Desired for this Position’s Success: Manage Complexity, Resourceful, Effectively Communicate, Cultivate Innovation, Drive and/or Influence Results, Plans & Aligns.
Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, 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 accommodations due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.
