Title: Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps- Albuquerque Fire Crew Leader

Reports to: Program Coordinator/Manager

Location/s: ABQ Office- 7851 C 2nd St SW, Albuquerque, NM, 87105

Status: Seasonal, Full-time, Camping Program

Dates: 6/15/26 through 4/23/27

Wages:

• $700/week during Crew Leader Development Program training (prior to crew members starting), exempt
• $925-1125/week, depending on prior experience and certifications, exempt. **May fluctuate base off of 3 week winter break**

Benefits: Health insurance, PTO, sick leave

Training: Potential trainings offered include: Wilderness First Aid, Chainsaw Training, Trails Training, and Crew Leader Development Program. ALCC may provide further trainings dependent on crew needs. S-130, S190, S-212, and WCT will be provided by ALCC.

IS-700, ICS-100, L-180 will need to be completed before 6/15/26 (See outline in position summary)

Housing: not available

Application closes: June 1, 2026

Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps (ALCC) engages motivated young adults, ages 17 - 30, to complete challenging and impactful conservation and service projects throughout the western United States. Projects may include trail construction & maintenance, habitat improvement, hazardous fuels reduction, re-vegetation, historic preservation, and local environmental service projects. ALCC provides opportunities for members to learn about and connect with the environment, issues surrounding conservation, and local Indigenous values.

ALCC crews work in a variety of National Parks, National Forests, and other public areas. Selected members are placed on a crew which will then collaborate to perform project work. ALCC is a non-residential program and does not offer housing. Gear and equipment rental is available upon request.

Position Summary:

The Fire Crew Leader 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 8 days on-hitch (out in the field as a crew unit) and 6 days off with some exceptions. 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 Fire Crew Leader 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 dynamic teams and those from a variety of communities.

The crew will assist the Forest Service to address wildfire risk on National Forest System lands. Some projects may include fuels reduction, prescribed burning, silvicultural activities, facilities and infrastructure maintenance, and restoration/reforestation efforts. All fire crew participants (including members and leaders) will obtain their Firefighter Type 2 (FFT2) upon successful completion of required training courses. Courses needing to be obtained by start date listed above includes: IS-700 National Incident Management System, ICS-100 Incident Command System, and L-180 Human Factors in the Wildland Fire Service. All participants selected for the crew (including waitlist) will need to complete eMedical-Health Screening process and Casual Hire (AD) paperwork with the Forest Service. Once cleared, ALCC/Forest Service will provide Arduous-Work Capacity Test (WCT), S-130 Firefighter Training, S-190 Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior, Wilderness First Aid, and S-212 Chainsaw Training. All certificates can be uploaded in application or send to Amber Chapo at achapo@conservationlegacy.org.

Responsibilities:

Leadership & Mentorship

• Mentor members: provide valuable 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: 16 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.
• Valid Driver’s License and Insurable Driving Record per Personnel Policies.
• Must be able to pass the organization’s criminal history check requirements.

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.
• Technical trails, Crosscut or Chainsaw experience.
• Sense of humor, spirit of adventure, and desire to make a positive difference and promote leadership in others.
• Familiarity working in Indigenous communities

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.

Other Considerations:

Ideal candidate will have a flexible schedule and be willing to alternate between hitch (Tuesday - Tuesday, 8 days camping - 6 days off) and day work (Monday - Friday, 7AM - 3:30PM) schedules throughout the season.

Any questions can be addressed to:

Amber Chapo- Program Manager

email: achapo@conservationlegacy.org

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.