What are the responsibilities and job description for the Crew Leader I - Trailblazer Youth Crew position at Conservation Legacy?
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 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.
Projects take place in the greater Charlottesville area, working with local land managers, as well as a 3-day experience in Shenandoah National Park. During their time in the field, crew leaders work outdoors in all types of weather conditions, performing heavy manual labor related to environmental conservation and restoration projects. These hands-on projects include visitor access improvements, trail construction and maintenance, habitat restoration, invasive species treatments, and much more. Most projects require hiking out to remote work sites for the day with tools, equipment, and day pack.
Crew Leaders will begin their season with training and work alongside ACC’s adult crews until the youth season begins on June 23, 2025. From June 23, 2024-August 1, 2025 the crew will complete project work in the Charlottesville area. No camping overnight is required during the Charlottesville work, but an optional campsite will be provided for crew leaders. The final week of the program (August 4-8, 2025) will include an immersive experience in Shenandoah National Park, during which camping will be required.
A typical day will begin with the crew leaders arriving at the worksite no later than 8:15am (participants will arrive at 9am and may be dropped off by a friend/family member or drive themselves). The crew will hike in and complete a 4-hour workday with one 15-minute break. The crew will be back at the parking area to be picked up or depart by 1pm. An optional lunch may be provided at 1pm. After crew members depart, the crew leaders will continue project work as a strike team until 4pm. All participants will have Saturdays and Sundays off.
- Mentor assistant crew leader: provide valuable feedback, give opportunities for growth, delegate responsibilities, and encourage technical and leadership skill development.
- Understand and integrate Conservation Legacy’s DEI vision and values (diversity, equity, and inclusion) within crew community context.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 CPR/AED certification or be willing to receive certification prior to start date.
- Ability to effectively manage all aspects of crew life and production within a 40 -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).
- 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 Responded, or Outdoor Emergency Care.
- Sense of humor, spirit of adventure, and desire to make a positive difference and promote leadership in others.
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.
Salary : $20 - $25
