Fire and Forest Management Crew Leader

Fire & Forest Management Crew Leader 
 
***Please submit your application by August 26th, 2024 to receive priority consideration *** 
***Interviews will begin after August 5th, 2024*** 
 
 Fire & Forest Management Crew Leader 
Start/End Date: December 2nd, 2024 – April 18th, 2025 
Pay:  $844 per week 
Status: Full Time Seasonal Staff, Exempt 
Location:  Operations Base – North Carolina State University Hill Research Forest, Camp Slocum, 918 State Forest Road, Bahama, North Carolina 27503  
To apply: Complete the application, and upload resume. Cover letter is optional. 
 
Benefits  

• Shared housing provided
• Option for limited Paid Time Off
• Conservation Legacy Employee Assistance Program
• Health benefit eligible for partial health benefits after 60-day probationary period
• Food budget while on project
• Fire boot stipend

Training and opportunities for the following certifications: 

• S-212 Chainsaw
• ICS-100 Introduction to ICS
• IS-700 NIMS Introduction
• S-130 Basic Wildland Firefighting
• S-190 Basic Wildland Fire Behavior
• L-180 Human Factors in Wildland Fire Service
• FFT2 (Firefighter Type 2 – crew member)
• Red Card
• FAL3 (Beginner (A) Faller)
• FAL3 (Beginner (A) Bucker)
• WFA

Direct experience on prescribed burns with a variety of public land managers throughout the state of North Carolina 
AmeriCorps Segal Education Award upon successful completion of term. The education award may be used to pay educational expenses at eligible post-secondary institutions, including many technical schools, or to repay qualified student loans 
 
Potential opportunities for the following certifications: 

• FAL2 (Intermediate (B) Bucker)
• FAL2 (Intermediate (B) Faller)

About Conservation Corps North Carolina:    
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 a program of Conservation Legacy that partners with public land managers in North Carolina to engage motivated young adults (ages 18-30) to complete challenging and impactful conservation service projects throughout the region. 
 
Project Summary  
This is an exciting opportunity to be part of CCNC’s Fire and Forest Management program that works with multiple land management agencies, municipalities, non-profits, and landowners on a variety of prescribed burn and forest management projects. The Sandhills region of North Carolina offers an unique opportunity with its geographical location and wealth of available projects for our conservation efforts. The crew will operate largely in the Sandhills, with the potential to travel elsewhere in the state as additional opportunities are available. During travel, the crew will be expected to camp in established or even primitive campsites with the necessary supplies to support their needs. The program will provide education, certifications, and on-the-job experience that will help participants pursue a variety of natural resource management careers. The crew will partner with Sandhills prescribed Burn Association, the North Carolina Forest Service, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and various other project partners on forest management projects. 
 
These projects will include but not limited to: 

• Prescribed burn operations with multiple land management agencies and burn bosses
• Fire prep-work such as creating and maintaining fire breaks and fuels reduction projects
• Timber stand improvement including pre-commercial thinning
• Invasive species removal
• Trail building
• Various other projects that benefit public agencies and private landowners across North Carolina  

Service projects will include timber stand improvement, prescribed fires on private and public lands, trail maintenance, and various other projects. Hand tools, drip torches, and backpack blowers will be frequently used by this crew for the preparation and completion of prescribed burns. Tools such as chainsaws, brush cutters, and more will be used as required when additional equipment is beneficial.  
 
Position Summary 
CCNC’s Fire & Forest Management Crew Leaders perform many roles and are the key to our program’s success. Leaders are expected to provide project expertise and offer mentorship, training, and support to 6 AmeriCorps crew members. The position is multi-faceted and demanding, but with the opportunity for enormous rewards!  
 
Successful candidates will demonstrate the following qualities: 

• Resourcefulness
• Situational flexibility
• Critical thinking
• Problem solving
• Effective communication skills
• Excellent judgment
• Maturity
• Initiative
• Professionalism

The desire to devote themselves to a crew experience where the needs of others are placed above oneself. 
 
This position will be joined by a co-leader. Both leaders will have the opportunity to work on projects as one unit or split into two units. The crew will split into even groups and lead 3 members each and work at different work locations on different projects, then return to the same area at the end of each project. This will most commonly occur when more than one prescribed burn is scheduled on the same day. Both leaders will ultimately be responsible for member development, as well as high quality and high quantity project accomplishments for our partners. 
 
Position Work Schedule 
The crew will live, train, and work together as a team. It will be a flex schedule with a base schedule of 5 days on, 2 days off, 8-9 hours per day or 4 days on, 3 days off, 10 hours per day. During the fire season, the crew should anticipate working extended shifts up to 14 hours to accommodate long burn projects including night burns. The crew leader will work with CCNC staff to create work schedules and plans to complete assigned project work. The Crew Leader will supervise the crew’s living arrangements which will typically require the crew to live in cabins or tents on or close to project locations for different lengths of time. In general, hours will be 7:00 am to 3:30 or 5:30 pm and include two paid fifteen-minute breaks and one unpaid half-hour lunch break. 
 
While the staff at CCNC and partners work to provide consistency throughout the season, personal flexibility is expected and should be prepared for when entering the term as schedules, times, and work locations are subject to change per project needs. 
 
Training 
The program will begin with one week of crew leader training followed by an intensive two weeks of training focused on pertinent certifications including FFT2 Red Card, Wilderness First-Aid, and S-212 chainsaw operation. Informal training will continue throughout the term with on-the-ground skills training that will include things like tool maintenance, fire-based ecology, and an overview of public land management agencies as well as private and community partners. Formal certifications are awarded at the end of the season.  
 
Supplies and Equipment 
Crew members supply their own personal outdoor gear equipment such as tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, day pack, multi-day pack, and work pants. CCNC can assist if this gear presents significant challenges to participation. CCNC will provide tools, food, group camp equipment (i.e., cook stove, water jugs), transportation to and from base camp to project locations, and Personal Protection Equipment (i.e., Nomex pants and shirt, neck and face covering, fire-rated work boots, helmet, leather gloves).  

Required Qualifications 

• Prescribed and/or wildland fire experience (Interagency Hotshot Crew, Type-2 Hand Crew, Engine Crew, etc.)
• Chainsaw operation (felling/bucking) and maintenance experience
• Experience operating and maintaining hand and power tools in a safe and efficient manner
• Crew leadership experience in a relevant field (fire crews, experiential education, outdoor leadership schools, conservation crews, etc.)
• CPR/First Aid certification
• Ability to record and maintain data and keep monitoring records.
• Excellent teaching/mentoring skills as well as strong conflict resolution and team building skills
• Experience driving large vehicle with trailer
• Flexibility, adaptability and capacity to work in a changing work environment including willingness to work a varying schedule.
• Ability to perform administrative duties, such as managing the crew budget and project information
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Successfully pass the Arduous/Pack Test/3-mile hike with 45-pound pack in 45 minutes
• Valid driver’s license and an insurable driving record
• Have U.S. Citizenship or Legal Permanent Residency Status
• High School Diploma or GED

Preferred Qualifications 

• Prior Conservation Corps Experience
• Leadership experience
• Experience working and living with crew members
• Wilderness First Aid/Responder certification
• Experience with backpacking, wilderness travel, camp management and outdoor leadership
• Experience operating UTV’s and other mechanized equipment
• Associates degree with 1-year experience or bachelor’s degree in forestry, biology, ecology, natural resources management or related fields
• NWCG or Equivalent Faller B Chainsaw certification

Required Skills and Responsibilities 

Leadership and Mentoring 

• Manage, supervise, and lead the day-to-day details of project work and crew logistics
• Work with CCNC staff to plan program activities, including project work, education, training, and crew/team activities
• Implement skills training on worksite
• Facilitate intentional discussions and informal lessons to cultivate individual professional and personal growth and foster a positive group dynamic
• Delegate project responsibilities and mentor crew life and member development
• Follow all Conservation Legacy policies with unwavering commitment
• Maintain professional boundaries, including enforcing a substance free work environment
• Represent CCNC appropriately to the public
• Follow written and verbal instructions from CCNC staff and project partners

Project Management and Implementation 

• Train and motivate crew members to efficiently complete assigned forest management projects on site locations
• Delegate project work and expectations appropriately to the co-leader and crew members
• Manage on-the-ground quality and quantity of project work
• Use critical thinking and interpersonal skills to solve problems and resolve issues
• Coordinate logistics and communicate effectively with CCNC staff and project partners
• Use, maintain, and repair machinery such as hand and power tools as necessary
• Set an example of doing long and challenging outdoor work in all types of environmental conditions
• Apply conservation and restoration knowledge and outdoor living skills to all outdoor settings and work projects

Safety and Risk Management 

• Monitor, manage, and promote the crew’s physical and emotional safety on the work and camp site
• Practice strong situational awareness and promote a culture of unwavering commitment to safety
• Drive crew members and equipment safely in CCNC vehicles with trailers
• Communicate danger to others in the form of a warning of danger others may encounter or a notification of personal distress, injury or need for assistance – must be able to do so at a distance of up to 50 meters and in conditions with limited visibility or loud background noise such as darkness or high winds
• Perceive, understand, and follow directions by others so that appropriate and perhaps unfamiliar techniques can be successfully executed to manage hazards – these directions may be given before the hazard is encountered or during the exposure to the hazard.
• Stay alert and focused for several hours at a time while traveling and working in a variety of weather conditions

Administration 

• Professionally complete timesheets, daily and weekly reports, AmeriCorps member evaluations, disciplinary action forms, incident reports, and other documentation as needed in a timely manner
• Professionally complete all project related outcomes and deliverables
• Manage food budget and credit card purchases

Problem Solving 

• Communicate ideas and concerns to assistant crew leader, crew members, CCNC staff, landowners, and project partners
• Resolve challenges that arise with and between crew members
• Resolve management problems independently or as delegated by CCNC staff
• Consult with CCNC staff to develop plans for resolution of unusual or complex problems
• Make responsible day-to-day decisions that benefit crew members and project goals

Environmental Ethics 

• Be a model of ‘Leave No Trace’ techniques

Essential Requirements 

• Sit, stand, walk, speak, and hear
• Stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl for significant periods of time
• Safely lift 50 pounds on a routine basis
• Work in variable weather conditions at remote locations on difficult and hazardous terrain, and under physically demanding circumstances
• Remain adequately hydrated, fed, and properly dressed so as to remain generally healthy and safe, avoiding environmental injuries

Live in a physically demanding, possible isolated environment for up to several days. Conditions of this environment may vary significantly and may include severe and/or trying weather.  The remoteness is such that it may require at least one hour, but perhaps in excess of 6 hours, to reach the nearest advanced medical care.  
 
Reasonable accommodations may be made for qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 
 
CCNC is a drug-free organization.  Alcohol and illegal substances are prohibited while participating in program activities and on CCNC and program partner property. 
  
“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. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, political affiliation, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, 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 a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during application or recruiting process, please send a request to the hiring manager.” 
  
To Apply 
  
Complete the application, and upload resume. Cover letter is optional. 
  
Any questions can be addressed to:  
  
Drew Gotwals 
Fire and Forestry Coordinator 
agotwals@conservationlegacy.org  
  
**To be considered, you must upload a resume in addition to your application**