Junior Ranger Crew Lead

It’s a great time to join the City of Boulder!

Application Deadline:

March 17, 2025

Compensation Details:

Full Pay Range

17.78 - 24.88

Generally, the hiring range is from the minimum up to 80% of the range.This is a full-time hourly position.

Scheduled Weekly Hours:

40

Benefit Eligibility Group:

Seasonal Traditional

Locate the Benefit Eligibility Group value on the Employee Benefit Eligibility document to identify the benefits offered for this job.

Job Description Summary:

Junior Ranger Crew Leads work with co-leader(s) and Assistant Crew Leads to teach, mentor, and supervise teams of youth ages 14-17 on OSMP lands each summer. They build functional teams, complete trail maintenance and land restoration projects, and support youth stewardship and job skill development. This is a dynamic job that requires a lot of physical and emotional energy, but the rewards are incredible.

This posting is for three similar, but slightly different Junior Ranger Crew Lead positions:

Trails Crew Lead – leads a team of 10 Junior Rangers to complete primarily trail maintenance projects

Youth Ranger Crew Lead – supports professional Ranger-Naturalists in leading a team of 12 Youth Rangers through various skills-based trainings in natural resource management and customer service while exploring career paths in conservation

Roving Crew Lead – supports crews in the field wherever needed; sometimes serves as Project Lead for a particularly complex project or helps out with office tasks.

Job Description:

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Facilitating Crews & Project Management (40%)

• Co-leads a 10-member Junior Ranger youth team, completing natural resource projects such as trail maintenance and construction, forestry, vegetation management, and ecological restoration. 

• Responsible for the transportation and general management of the team including safety (physical and mental/emotional), supervision, project management, discipline, and evaluation.  

• Works cooperatively with OSMP staff project sponsors to carry out site-specific work plans.

• Organizes work within the group to maximize safety, project completion, team development, and individual contribution.  

• Keeps accurate records on each Junior Ranger team member, which includes documentation of hours worked, incident reports, progress reports and evaluations. 

Training and Developing Others (30%)

• Facilitates development crew members and Assistant Crew Leads and cultivates a positive team environment.

• Integrates learning opportunities into project timeline to help youth members develop stewardship awareness.

• Supports the leadership, growth & development of Junior Rangers & co-leaders on site.  

• Plans and facilitates environmental education lessons and team building activities.

• Provides task instruction as needed.

Safety & Professionalism (20%)

• Knows and complies with all policies, including safety best practices. Participates in professional trainings and development; and adheres to attendance and workplace attire policies.

• Takes proper safety precautions, anticipates unsafe circumstances, acts accordingly to prevent accidents and injuries. Uses all proper safety equipment.

• Reports and takes personal responsibility for all accidents, damage to city property, and/or policy infractions.

Supporting Peers as a Team Player (10%)

• Coordinates team tasks and daily operations with co-leaders. Provides opportunities for co-leaders to practice weaker skills and collaboratively develop each other’s leadership skills.

• Actively builds knowledge base and seeks professional development in order to support team with environmental education and team building activities.

• Openly shares successes and challenges to support team learning and individual growth.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Ability and desire to work with high schoolers (ages 14-17) and young adults (ages 18 )

• Ability to work with individuals from diverse ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds in a fair, supportive, and cooperative manner

• Ability to perform risk and hazard analysis and implement proper safety controls; ability to judge weather conditions. Adheres to department and program policies in regard to safety.

• Ability to problem solve and make sound decisions by recognizing needs, assessing possible methods to meet needs, and acting on solutions.

• Ability to hike, carry tools, and move heavy objects (such as large rocks) on uneven terrain for extended periods of time in all weather.

• Ability to write and speak effectively and courteously to communicate ideas with youth, parents, community members.

• Ability to report and take personal responsibility for all accidents, damage to city property, and/or policy infractions.

• Skill in Leading Others with Emotional Intelligence – identifying the best people for the job, and noticing, interpreting, and anticipating others’ concerns and feelings, and communicating empathetically in response.

• Knowledge of and compliance with all policies, including safety best practices.

• Skill in Teamwork - demonstrating interest, skill, and success in getting groups to learn to work together. Understanding the interests and concerns of others and able and willing to share and receive information. Working effectively as a member and leader of formal and informal teams. 

• Skill in Instructing and Mentoring - Teaching someone how to do something. Demonstrating commitment to mentoring others, answering questions, and providing a safe space to learn.

• Skill in Flexibility, Humility, and Adaptability: Openness to different and new ways of doing things; willingness to modify one’s preferred way of doing things. Responsive to feedback; coachable. Able to function effectively when directions or priorities change quickly.

• Have and maintain an acceptable background check including criminal history.

• Must be 19 years or older by program start date

• Valid drivers' license and an acceptable motor vehicle record. You will be responsible for driving minors.

• FOR YOUTH RANGER CREW LEAD: Willingness to be fingerprinted and obtain a Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) awareness certification within the first 3 weeks of being hired.   

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Ability to carefully plan activities, tasks, and projects; follow established procedures; and maintain accurate records.

• Knowledge of and ability to identify basic trail elements and structures, and explain why the structures are used.

• Knowledge of positive youth development principles and leadership styles.

• Skill in Project Management - familiar with coordinating events or projects that involve many variables including time, people, resources, guidelines/specifications, and responding to unexpected or additional elements. Ensuring that information is complete and accurate; and agreements are fulfilled. Attention to detail is crucial.

• Skill in Taking Initiative - Identifying what needs to be done and doing it before being asked or before the situation requires it. Completes work in a timely and consistent manner.

• Current Wilderness First Aid (WFA) (Free Wilderness First Aid (WFA) class offered during Team Leader training).

• Prior experience or training in Mental Health first aid, support and referral to a professional.

• Creative. Ability to adapt prior knowledge, methods, concepts, or models to new applications; and the ability to devise new approaches to make improvements or solve problems. 

• Desire to use past trails and team knowledge of Junior Ranger program to model and teach new team members (graduates of the Junior Ranger Program).

• Bilingual and biliterate English/Spanish

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• At least three years of experience regularly operating a vehicle by yourself (do not count Driver’s Permit hours)

• High School Diploma or equivalent

• At least two months of experience teaching or supervising middle or high school aged youth

• At least two months of experience in trail maintenance, environmental education, or natural resource management

• Prior experience working collaboratively as part of a team and making joint decisions where all voices are heard

• Standard First Aid and Adult CPR certification

SUPERVISION:

Supervision Received: Volunteerism and Service-Learning Senior Program Manager

Supervision Exercised: None

WORKING CONDITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS    

Physical and mental effort: Physical ability to perform a wide range of physical and manual tasks in an outdoor environment in all weather conditions including lifting, hiking, carrying heavy tools or large rocks, walking on rough terrain and kneeling. 

Work environment: Work takes place in a field setting. Responsible for safety of self and others, materials, and equipment. Takes proper safety precautions to prevent accidents. Ability to work some nights and weekends.   

Machines and equipment used: Computer, cell phone, vehicles including 12 passenger vans, a range of relevant and appropriate tools and equipment such as hand tools, power tools, power wheelbarrows, and

Additional Job Description:

The City of Boulder is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected statute. For individuals with disabilities who would like to request an accommodation, please send a request to riskmanagement@bouldercolorado.gov.