Crew Leader I-EBCI Conservation Corps

Position Title: Crew Leader I - EBCI Conservation Corps

Conservation Legacy Program: Conservation Corps North Carolina

Site Location: Cherokee, NC

Terms of Service:

• Training: 05/26/2025-05/30/2025
• Start Date: 06/02/2025
• End Date: 07/25/2025

Priority Application Date: April 15th, 2025

Purpose:

The mission of 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 partnering with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) Department of Agriculture & Natural Resources to have a crew who is, is dedicated to preserving and fostering generational stewardship through the inclusion of traditional ecological knowledge.

The Crew Leader I 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.

Description of Duties:

The Crew Leader I 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 Monday – Friday, 8 hour work days, plus occasional overtime. Crew Leaders may also be required to come into the office to complete administrative duties and check-ins with program staff.

The Indigenous Conservation Corps crews consists of 3-5 EBCI crew members and 1 crew leader who provide project expertise, mentorship, training, and support for the success of all participants. The crew will typically meet in Cherokee, NC at the beginning of each workday. Crews will work on a daily schedule, working ten-hour days with three days off per week. The day starts with a stretch circle and safety meeting and includes two fifteen-minute breaks and a half hour break for lunch.

Projects take place across southwest North Carolina, including work with the USDA Forest Service and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) Tribe. During their time in the field, Crew Members work outdoors in all types of weather conditions, performing manual labor related to environmental conservation and restoration projects. These hands-on projects include public access improvements, trail construction and maintenance, forest management, habitat restoration, invasive species treatments, heritage work related to ancestral lands, disaster relief, fire & fuels reduction, and much more. The focus of this program is to equip crew members with job skills related to conservation. Crew members will also receive cultural enrichment through learning Tribal management practices and history related to natural resources. Most projects require hiking out to remote work sites for the day with tools, equipment, and day pack.

The Crew Leader I 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.

Leadership & Mentorship

• Mentor crew members by provide valuable feedback, give opportunities for growth, delegating responsibilities, and encouraging 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, crew, & 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 credit card for purchases.

• Track and submit credit card receipts for all expenses every month.

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 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 4 -hour work week including managing projects and programmatic policies and integrity.

• 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.

• 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.

• Wilderness medical certifications such as Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness First Responder, or Outdoor Emergency Care.

• Sense of humor, spirit of adventure, and desire to make a positive difference and promote leadership in others.

Physical Requirements:

Conservation Legacy is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to perform essential functions. Some positions may require periodic overnight travel, non-traditional 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. Ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.

Time Requirements:

• Typically, this position is expected to serve Monday to Friday, but exact service schedules may vary. A half hour lunch break will not be counted towards AmeriCorps service
• This is a seasonal position; Crew Leaders are asked to fully commit to the experience, expectations, and timeline.

Orientation and Training:

• Crew Leaders will be trained starting May 26th-May 30th 2025 prior to crew’s start date.

Benefits:

• Wage $20-25 per hour, depending on prior experience and certifications, plus overtime
• Health Insurance (eligible 60 days after start date)
• Professional Development
• S212 Chainsaw Certification
• Basic First Aid/CPR Certification

Evaluation and Reporting:

Reporting requirements include, but are not limited to, bi-weekly timesheets and accomplishment tracking.

Supervisor Name and Contact Information:

Conservation Corps North Carolina Contact information:

Diquan Edmonds & Stephanie Dunton

dedmonds@conservationlegacy.org & sdunton@conservationlegacy.org

To apply: submit an application with a resume attached. Cover letters are optional.

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. This program is available to all, without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or expression, political affiliation, marital or parental status, genetic information, and military service. Where a significant portion of the population eligible to be served needs services or information in a language other than English, the recipient shall take reasonable steps to provide written material of the type ordinarily available to the public in appropriate languages.

We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.