San Luis Valley – Seasonal Field Projects Coordinator

About Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado

Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) is a leading statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to motivating and enabling people to become active stewards of Colorado’s natural resources.  Colorado’s outdoor resources contribute greatly to our health, happiness and state economy, but they also face ongoing stresses and require care and stewardship to ensure long-term sustainability. Leveraging 40 years of experience in outdoor stewardship volunteerism, we engage 5,000 volunteers in hands-on stewardship work each year. We also help other groups develop and grow effective volunteer programs to meet Colorado’s growing stewardship needs. Finally, we foster statewide, cross-industry collaboration to encourage a unified approach to caring for Colorado.

Position Overview

While VOC’s statewide office is based in Denver, a partnership office exists in the San Luis Valley to support the Rio Grande National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management San Luis Valley Field office. This position will support public land stewardship efforts in the San Luis Valley and will be based out of the BLM office in Monte Vista. Onsite supervision is provided by the SLV Programs Manager based in Del Norte.

This job is a great opportunity for someone who is looking to grow their leadership skills, travel regionally leading hands-on environmental stewardship projects, and to learn technical skills in trail work, ecological restoration, forestry, and others. VOC’s Seasonal Field Projects Coordinators meet great people dedicated to taking care of Colorado’s natural resources and build their professional network in the outdoor stewardship industry. This Seasonal Field Projects Coordinator is a full-time, term limited, non-exempt position that reports to VOC’s San Luis Valley Programs Manager in southern Colorado. This position works within the VOC program team and closely with Bureau of Land Management staff to provide professional project management, logistical support, and volunteer leadership coordination on VOC volunteer projects both in the office and in the field. This position presents a good opportunity for someone who would enjoy a balance of both fieldwork and office work coordinating projects with approximately a 50-50% split.     

Core Competencies

The following competencies are expected from all team members at VOC:

• Communication: effective and timely communication, both orally and written
• Teamwork: works well with others, contributes to a positive team environment
• Service: provides exceptional service to customers, partners, volunteers, and donors
• Leadership: demonstrates leadership and decision-making abilities in the organization
• Initiative: assesses and initiates things independently and to help improve the organization
• Accountability: reliable and inspires trust in others
• Equity: commitment to engaging in practices that support inclusion in the organization

Responsibilities

PROJECT AND VOLUNTEER COORDINATION

• Undertake assigned volunteer stewardship projects requiring:
  • Facilitating project planning and related communications with land managers and other partner organizations
  • Coordinating project planning efforts involving volunteer-leader project teams
  • Providing on-site staff leadership
  • Facilitating pre-and-post project volunteer communications for assigned projects
  • Managing project-related logistical requirements
• Acquire and maintain accurate project data and volunteer records
• Solicit in-kind donations from local businesses to support the San Luis Valley volunteer program and annual VOC events

PARTNERSHIP DELVEOPMENT & COMMUNITY OUTREACH 

• Serve as the primary contact for BLM volunteer program inquiries from staff and the public
• Foster and develop BLM partnerships with other agencies, municipalities, and organizations in the community, serving as the agency liaison, and attending partner meetings and outreach events
• Develop and implement a systematic approach for outreach and local volunteer recruitment for specific projects and ongoing volunteer programs
• Conduct effective marketing and communications about volunteer opportunities through a monthly newsletters, partnership meetings, print material, digital media, and other strategies
• Work with BLM staff to develop new volunteer programs and opportunities to support all resource areas within the agency

OTHER DUTIES

• Provide on-going assistance to SLV staff in the areas of:
  • Maintenance of the Monte Vista tool cache, maintaining tools and other equipment as needed throughout the season
  • Care and management of assigned BLM fleet vehicle
• Work collaboratively with development team to promote membership, in-kind donations, and other fundraising efforts
• Provide administrative support (e.g. data entry, report preparation, and mailings) for various assigned committees, project teams, and projects
• Perform related duties as required to support and strengthen the mission and purpose of VOC

Attendance at evening meetings and assigned project weekends and site visits in the San Luis Valley are required

Qualifications

Education and Previous Experience:

• Educational or professional background in any of the following or related fields preferred: natural resources management, parks management, environmental science or studies, nonprofit or volunteer management
• Previous volunteer or staff experience with trail work, ecological restoration, farming, landscaping, or other outdoor stewardship projects preferred
• Requires previous outdoor leadership experience
• Experience recruiting, coordinating and managing volunteers, youth corps or staff positions preferred and/or working with the public in a nonprofit and/or government environment
• Requires valid wilderness first aid, including CPR certification, or ability to complete certifications before the employee’s first managed project. VOC will pay for certification. Wilderness First Responder certification preferred
• Chainsaw/crosscut experience preferred

Required skills, qualities and abilities:

• Willingness and ability to work weekends, evenings, and multi-day projects based on project and meeting requirements
• Willingness and ability to travel throughout the San Luis Valley and work in a variety of outdoor environments and weather conditions
• Strong leader who prioritizes safety
• Excellent people skills and customer service oriented
• Great communication skills with diverse audiences and comfortable talking in front of and leading groups of people
• Strong decision-making skills and adaptability
• Outstanding time management and organizational skills
• Ability to self-initiate and self-direct workflow
• Team player with initiative, determination, flexibility, and a sense of humor
• Computer literate including Microsoft and database programs.

VOC Seasonal Field Projects Coordinators must have access to the following equipment for use on projects (VOC can provide access through a gear library for a few of the items):

• Sturdy hiking boots or work boots
• Rain gear and warm outdoor layers
• Tent
• Sleeping bag/sleeping pad

Physical Requirements

• Comfortable camping and working in front and backcountry settings, inclement weather and high altitude
• Comfortable working with basic hand and power tools in support of trail or restoration work
• Strong hiking ability with capacity to travel long distances with tools and full pack at high altitude and over un-even terrain
• Ability to lift 75 lbs

Job duties also include a general office environment, spent sitting and operating a computer and other office machinery. Must be able to read, write, and communicate fluently in English. Must possess a valid driver’s license and be approved to drive a government vehicle. A criminal background check is required.