Eastern Operations Specialist

This position is based in Virginia, North Carolina, or Tennessee.  If you do not currently reside in one of these states, the expectation is for you to relocate. 

Please review minimum qualifications for the role and submit both a resume and cover letter.

Title: Eastern Operations Specialist

Starting Salary Range: The starting salary range for this position will be in the $68,400-$70,452, depending on experience, education, and skills relevant to the position.  Please note that the indicated starting salary range describes the range for an incumbent in this position.  Most new staff generally start at the beginning of the range percentile to ensure internal salary equity.

Location: Virginia, North Carolina, or Tennessee

Status: Full-Time, Non-Exempt

Benefit Eligible: Health, Vision, Dental, Short/Long-Term Disability, Basic Life Retirement, Paid Time Off per Personnel Policies, Supplemental benefits including critical care, pet insurance, supplemental life, and others.

Reports to: Director of Operations and Impact

Posting Period: Please apply before January 11, 2026

It is vital for a candidate to submit both a resume and cover letter.

Organizational Summary: 

Conservation Legacy is a nationwide non-profit.  The Corps programs within the organization engage participants in varied conservation and community projects that serve public and private lands.   These projects provide opportunities for personal and professional development and strive toward a high priority of needs for public land managers and community partners. Through the mission of engaging future leaders who protect, restore and enhance our nation’s lands through community-based service; Conservation Legacy works toward a world with healthy lands, air and water; thriving people and resilient communities.

Position Summary:

The Operations Specialist is responsible for supporting local programs across the region in developing staff technical skills, mentorship strategies, and consulting in strategic capacity needs. The primary focus of this position is to ensure programs are equipped to execute high quality and safe project work. This position will actively consult with director-level staff on resources, program structure and growth needs for existing and new programming. This position is required to stay up-to-date on industry standards in conservation, trail construction, forestry, restoration, and other land stewardship work and actively works with regional counterpart and national operations team to ensure these standards are met.

The Operations Specialist is a key member of Conservation Legacy’s operations team as a trainer of program staff in facilitation and technical skillsets. Some focus areas may include: providing training and technical support for crew-based programs’ staff and participants, developing curriculum for new skills training, working with program staff and/or partners to develop technical specifications and standards for projects, leading skills trainings for community partners, and supporting national and regional programmatic development strategies. This position will support intern program staff as needed by helping develop training, work, and partnership plans related to technical skills focused internships.

The Operations Specialist may spend approximately 50% or more of their time in the field and traveling to Conservation Legacy’s unique regional program locations. This may vary depending on season and programmatic need. This position participates as needed in regional leadership meetings, as well as national operations and management teams. Additionally, this position is expected to maintain an active presence in internal and agency working groups focused on technical skills utilized by programs. This position is expected to use wide knowledge of conservation practices to help build new collaboration structures amongst programs, other cooperators, federal and state agencies.

Regional Service areas

• The Eastern Region of Conservation Legacy includes Appalachian Conservation Corps, Conservation Corps North Carolina, Southeast Conservation Corps, and Stewards Individual Placement Program – East.

Outcomes & Functions of Position:

Training and Programmatic Accountability

• Develop – along with other members of the operations team – internal training and operations standards where appropriate to address programmatic needs in Conservation Legacy.
• Identify inefficiencies and challenges in field operations and create trainings to address them for both staff and participants.
• Monitor field operations and industry trends to keep Conservation Legacy programs relevant and outstanding.
• Present trainings to varied groups with different learning styles and be adaptable to the different needs of members, leaders, staff, and external participants.
• Maintain individual professional skill set and develop new skills appropriate to programmatic needs.
• Attend conferences, workshops or other industry events to bring knowledge back to Conservation Legacy.
• Create and maintain training resources (digital, virtual and physical) to be used by staff, participants and partners.
• Regularly engage in the review of, and drafting of operational risk management protocols and policies as needed to ensure programming meets national safety standards.
• Assist programs in compliance with organization and regulatory safety standards.

Program Capacity and Organizational Development  

• Supervise, mentor, and support regional Operations Assistant(s) when applicable.
• Work with Regional and National Operations staff to identify and execute programmatic operational improvements across Conservation Legacy programs.
• Work with Executive Directors to identify and create strategic program capacity plans and pursue development goals.
• Engage in organizational planning for new projects or enhancing existing programs -identify shortfalls or barriers within operational budget, staff capacity, program resources, partnerships, etc.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on relevant field skills potentially including chainsaw operation, pesticide application, advanced trail maintenance techniques, or other areas as applicable.

Partnership and Cooperator Liaison

• Forge and maintain partnerships with relevant agency personnel and community partners specific to the objective of advancing Conservation Legacy’s training and technical skill capabilities.
• Work with Executive Directors and their staff to assist project partners in developing project specifications for highly technical projects.
• Provide mentorship and assistance to local program staff in development of technical project specifications needed for proposals and best practices for gathering reportable accomplishments.

Field Skills Training

• Plan and facilitate training opportunities for Conservation Legacy staff to improve field skills and maintain certifications.
• Work with Executive Directors and national operations staff to maintain a cadre of experienced staff sawyers.
• Plan and coordinate schedules to attend chainsaw and crosscut trainings in order to lead, teach and evaluate new sawyers.
• Assist program staff in planning technical aspects of field trainings.

Organizational Advocacy

• Successfully engages, leads and supports a positive work environment for all within the organization and the communities we serve.
• Leads and/or participates in organizational-wide teams, projects and initiatives that support the work of the Strategic Plans goals.
• Reports any potential complaints within the organization as identified in the Personnel Policy Manual.
• Assists or leads other responsibilities, as assigned.

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.    

Qualifications: 

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in conservation corps, land management, or similar applicable industry.
• Minimum of 5 years of practical experience training and teaching field skills.
• Experience with chainsaw and crosscut operations and training.
• Experience developing training framework at an organizational level.
• Must hold an official certification in saw operations at the C faller-level, or have had it in the past and is able to recertify upon hire.
• Experience with a variety of conservation skills including trail building/maintenance, fuels reduction, invasive species management, and forest management practices.
• The ability to spend long stretches of time in the field and comfortable in that environment.
• Ability to operate Microsoft Office programs and applications, or similar platforms.
• Ability to keep others and oneself, in remote locations, accountable to expectations.
• Valid Driver’s License and Insurable Driving Record per Personnel Policies.
• Must be able to pass the organization’s criminal history check requirements.
• Ability to successfully work in a fluid, changing work environment.

Other Competencies Desired for this Position’s Success: Manage Complexity, Resourceful, Effectively Communicate, Cultivate Innovation, Drive, and/or Influence Results, Plans & Aligns.

• Experience successfully earning a state pesticide/herbicide license   and/or hands on experience applying and managing herbicide in accordance with state regulations.
• Professional proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite applications and ability to manage various databases and systems.
• Experience with field data systems, GIS, and emergency on-call networks.
• 10 or more years of field-based experience in conservation, land management, or similar applicable industry Certifications or experience in more than one saw standard (S212, MTDC, Game of Logging).
• Experience teaching wilderness medicine courses.
• Experience operating heavy machinery for trail construction.

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.