Community Conservation Crew Lead

Position Summary  

The Community Conservation Field Crew Lead will assist in the implementation of the District’s activities to address a wide variety of resource concerns in the urban, rural, and residential areas of Snohomish County and Camano Island.  This position leads a crew in implementing green stormwater solutions, habitat restoration projects, wildfire resilience projects, and agricultural BMPs. This position reports to the Community Conservation Department Manager.

About the Snohomish Conservation District

One of 45 Conservation Districts in the State of Washington, the Snohomish Conservation District is a leader among peers with robust programs encompassing agricultural resilience, habitat restoration, urban stormwater, farm planning, youth education, community engagement and more. The District works with farmers, residents, and landowners on a collaborative and voluntary basis throughout our service area that includes Snohomish County and Camano Island. We take the mission of the District to heart – “work cooperatively with others to promote and encourage conservation and responsible use of natural resources” – as we implement successful and innovative projects.

Essential Duties

These are illustrations of the various types of work performed. The omission of specific duties does not exclude them if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

Typical work includes:

• Lead a field crew to construct rain gardens and other green stormwater infrastructure, habitat restoration, wildfire resilience, and agricultural BMP projects on private and public properties.
• Coordinate project logistics with CC Department Manager and Project Managers, including scheduling, equipment rental, materials purchase, project logistics, and task assignment.
• Coordinate with Engineering and Outreach staff on project deliverables.
• Provide logistical leadership and problem solving on project sites to meet project deliverables.
• Daily transportation of crew members, equipment, and materials to and from job sites.
• Provide on-site technical assistance and professional advice on stormwater management practices, wildfire resilience and defensible space, native plant landscaping, and urban agriculture.
• Assist in the coordination and presentation of workshops and events, with occasional participation on weekends and evenings.
• Ensure all safety protocols are adhered to at all work sites.
• Ensure administrative tasks such as the CC crew production log, timesheets, and visa tracking are completed accurately and on time by crew members.
• Provide oversight to crew members to ensure completion of assigned tasks.
• Perform related duties as required.

Required Qualifications

• Previous experience in a related position and ability to demonstrate competency in some or all of the skill areas needed for the responsibilities of this position.
• Advanced understanding of and experience with planning and construction of green stormwater infrastructure projects such as rain gardens and bioswales and rain catchment systems.
• Familiarity and experience with landscape design concepts, wildfire resilience, and urban agriculture and a willingness to expand those skills if necessary.
• At least 2 years of professional experience in construction, landscaping, habitat restoration or other similar work.
• A Bachelor’s degree in a compatible field of study or an alternative combination of education and experience.
• Crew management skills.
• Basic knowledge of drainage and water conveyance principles.
• Basic knowledge of habitat restoration practices (e.g. identification or management of native and invasive species, planting trees, etc.)
• Ability to motivate individuals to adopt and implement resource management practices on their property, which may include speaking in front of public groups, organizations, or clubs.
• Ability to provide excellent customer service.
• Flexibility and willingness to take on multiple projects.
• Ability to organize and schedule.
• Ability to operate a motor vehicle safely to and from the field.
• Experience with heavy equipment, power tools and trailers. Experience leading a crew to perform time-sensitive projects.
• Field training experience. Must be able to properly train crew members on heavy equipment, construction safety, District BMPs.
• Familiarity with construction safety practices. Preferred qualifications
• Experience in independently providing technical assistance.
• Familiarity with plant identification.
• Certification in pesticide and herbicide application.
• Experience speaking to landowners and other members of the public about projects and their purpose.
• Conversational Spanish language fluency.

Training

Training required to perform the essential functions/duties is provided and may include the opportunity for additional trainings and certifications to aid in professional development and job training.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

This position requires the ability to:

• Carry out heavy manual labor in all weather conditions and on uneven, rocky, or rough ground;
• Lift, carry, and move heavy objects up to 50 pounds;
• Walk, stand, bend, twist, squat, kneel/crawl, and reach overhead throughout the workday and for long periods of time;
• Drive a District vehicle. Must hold a valid, unrestricted Washington State driver’s license (or can acquire upon hire). Additional Position Information
• The position will start and end each day at our Lake Stevens property at scheduled times but will spend the majority of each day in the field at project locations. Most of the field work is conducted in a natural environment with rough and sometimes dangerous terrain.
• All required safety equipment (gloves, vests, hard hats, eye protection, ear protection, etc.) is provided.
• Appropriate work boots are required to be worn. The District will provide a stipend for boots and other essential fieldwork clothing.