Southeast Conservation Corps Program Coordinator – Crew

Title:  Southeast Conservation Corps Program Coordinator – CREW

Starting Salary Range: The starting salary range for this position will be in the $22.93/hour to $23.62/hour range, 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: Chattanooga, TN

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: SECC Program Director

Posting Period: Please apply before July 31, 2025

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 diverse 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. 

Southeast Conservation Corps:

Engaging future leaders who protect, restore, and enhance our nation’s lands through community-based service.

Southeast Conservation Corps (SECC) is a non-profit service organization built on the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) that operated from 1933-1942. SECC provides recent-era military veterans, young adults, and teenagers opportunities to complete conservation projects on public and private lands throughout Tennessee and the Southeast region. While serving with SECC members learn natural resource management practices and team work though completing high quality projects such as prescribed burning, fuels management, land restoration, trail construction, invasive plant management, and much more. Programs are structured using a stepladder approach to provide a progression of development related to personal, professional, and project skills. SECC operates field programs nearly year-round from January – November, with the peak season being May – August. During peak season, up to 10 crews can run simultaneously. SECC engages approximately 120 members per year throughout youth, adult, and veteran crews, as well as internships.

Position Summary:

The Program Coordinator’s primary responsibilities are recruiting, hiring, training, supervising, and mentoring seasonal field staff including Crew Leaders, and Assistant Crew Leaders; supporting and maintaining partnerships through partner coordination, project development, site scouting, project management, and reporting; overseeing and maintaining consistent quality control, risk management, data quality, and program integrity.

Outcomes & Functions of Position:

Staff Support and Supervision

• Work in collaboration with the Program Director and other SECC staff to recruit, hire, train, mentor, evaluate, supervise, and support local staff and crew leaders.
• Work with other staff on pressing projects when appropriate, including recruitment efforts and shop tasks.

Program Support

• Working with the Program Director, coordinate and schedule activities and projects with a diverse array of project partners and land managers.
• Determine and develop project expectations and specifications, working with project partners. Communicate work plans to Field Supervisors and Crew Leaders, ensuring that they are prepared and knowledgeable of projects prior to implementation.
• Actively engage in quality control and risk management through all phases of project planning, implementation, and evaluation.
• This position will support field-based staff as needed. Field Supervisors will be the first line of field resources, with Program Coordinators as backup.
• Collect data from crews on an ongoing basis. Maintain and organize multiple information systems and databases.
• Support Administrative Staff to produce high-quality reports for project and community partners. This includes, but not limited to, data gathering, photo collection and members and partner quotes.
• Support Program Operations Staff to ensure the shop, fleet, equipment, and other practical crew needs are met.

Training and Staff Development 

• Assist with a wide variety of in-house training such as training on leadership, chainsaw operations, trail work, driving, Wilderness First Aid, and Leave No Trace, The Program Coordinator may also be involved with other on-the-job training such as advanced felling, rock work, fence construction and maintenance, rigging, and historic preservation.
• Responsible for planning and implementing Field Supervisor and Crew Leader Trainings, including field-based components.
• Works within SECC Operations Team to plan and implement field-based crew member training.

Recruitment and Onboarding 

• Leads Crew Leader recruitment tasks including community outreach, leader outreach, interviews, selection, and onboarding.
• Assist with member recruitment tasks as needed including community outreach, member outreach, interviews, and selection. This includes meeting with the recruitment coordinator during recruiting periods to provide updates and needs for recruiting and attending events as needed to elevate recruitment opportunities program wide.

Project and Incident Management 

• Supports Logistics Coordinator as needed to assist in completing logistics tasks including maintaining crew supplies, assisting with fleet management, and repairing hand and power tools.
• Participate in program promotional activities such as Esprit de Corps days, volunteer events, and representation at conferences.
• Serve as a responder to SECC field emergencies and in the on-call rotation.
• Handle incidents, incident reporting, and coordinates workers comp claims as they arise.

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 inclusion 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.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Minimum of 2 years of experience in youth development or corps field.
• B Faller Certification, or willingness to obtain before the start of field season.
• Certified in Wilderness First Responder or ability to acquire within 6 months of hiring.
• Ability to successfully work in a fluid, changing work environment.
• Experience with influencing diverse groups of employees to achieve common goals.
• Flexibility, adaptability, and capacity to work in a fluid, changing work environment.
• The ability to carry out assigned work independently or with minimal supervision.
• The ability to communicate effectively, manage complexity cultivate innovation, and drive and influence results of oneself and others.
• Ability to work well with others and to seek assistance when needed to carry out assignments.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office programs and applications, or similar platforms.
• Ability to keep others, in remote locations, accountable to expectations.
• Valid Driver’s License and Insurable Driving Record per Personnel Policies.
• Must be able to pass Conservation Legacy’s criminal history checks.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supervising and supporting Crew Leaders in a staff role at a Conservation Corps program.
• Technical competence and experience in dry stone masonry, full bench trail construction, trail maintenance, riparian restoration, fence construction and maintenance, and crosscut saw operation and maintenance.
• Wilderness First Aid/CPR Instructor Certificate or ability to acquire within 6 months of hiring.
• Experience with herbicide application.
• Hold a current Fire Fighter Type 1 certificate.
• Extensive knowledge of Fireline operations.
• Experience maintaining and managing tools and equipment related to fire/fuels, including chainsaws.
• Experience in participating in Administratively Determined (AD) fire operations as a participant or lead.
• Small engine (chainsaw) repair and maintenance.

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

Substance Free

In accordance with a drug free workplace, alcohol and drugs are prohibited while participating in AmeriCorps and program activities and while on organization property.

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.