Trail Technician Individual Placement

Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (RMYC) is a nonprofit youth development organization serving New Mexico. We inspire young adults to make a positive difference in themselves and their communities. Through training and service, Corpsmembers discover their potential for healthy, productive lives.

Individual Placement positions work within RMYC partner agencies, and are intended to provide meaningful job experience for young professionals looking to build their careers in specific fields.

POSITION OVERVIEW: This position will work with Santa Fe National Forest, alongside conservation crews, on building, scouting, maintaining, and managing trails in Wilderness and non-Wilderness settings. Other duties include working on trailhead access and signing, monitoring visitor usage, and tracking volunteer hours and accomplishments with host location staff. Professional development and work-training is a major focus of this position. The ideal candidate is someone looking for a starting point to build a career in outdoor recreation, management, and conservation. This position is managed through RMYC and includes professional development, regular check-ins, and life skills training that RMYC offers regularly. Other training opportunities will be provided through the host program or outside training tailored to the needs of the individual. Cross-training with other programs is also encouraged. As an AmeriCorps member, this position will not serve in any supervising or staff roles.

POSITION TYPE: Seasonal, full time, AmeriCorps member

SCHEDULE: Full Time, 40 Hours per week, 5/4/26 – 11/13/26. Exact start and end times will be determined by program funding, program needs, and timing of applications received.

REPORTS TO: Santa Fe National Forest Staff daily and to RMYC Individual Placement Program Coordinator on a weekly basis.

LOCATION: 11 Forest Lane, Santa Fe, NM 87508

TERM LENGTH: 900 hour AmeriCorps term.

COMPENSATION: Biweekly Stipend of $1,440 (Equivalent of $18.00 per hour)

EDUCATION AWARD: AmeriCorps Segal Education Award scholarship of $3,697.50 upon successful completion of term of service.

OTHER SUPPORT: Parents or caregivers are eligible and encouraged to apply. Full time, 1700 hour term applicants may qualify to receive childcare benefits through the AmeriCorps Childcare Program. More information is available by request or through the AmeriCorps Childcare Program website.

BENEFITS:

• Healthcare coverage is available to all AmeriCorps members at no cost to the member.  This is considered primary coverage and is not available as supplemental coverage.
• Non-Scheduled Days (paid days off) are available, with the exact number depending on the length of the term of service (These days off ARE NOT counted toward the service hours required for the Educational Award). Time off in excess of assigned non-scheduled days will require make up work or a stipend reduction.
• Housing may be available at no cost.
• RMYC observes all National holidays and are considered approved paid days off, however RMYC reserves the right to have AmeriCorps members work or earn service hours on certain holidays if necessary to meet program requirements (holiday time off hours ARE NOT counted toward the service hours required for the Educational Award).
• Student loan forbearance and interest payments are available for qualifying loans.
• Public Lands Hiring Authority

ELIGIBILITY:

A chosen candidate must meet the following requirements:

• 18-30 years old as of the position start date.
• All AmeriCorps members must be citizens, national, or lawful permanent residents of the United States. State-level background checks will be conducted for non-residents of NM.
• Chosen candidates must complete a pre-employment National Service Criminal History Check and fingerprint scan with the following requirements:
• You must be truthful in all statements regarding criminal history.
• You cannot be registered or required to be registered on any state sex offender registry or the National Sex Offender Registry.
• You cannot be convicted of murder.
• Insurable driving record and a valid driver’s license.
• Have a High School Diploma, equivalent diploma (G.E.D.), or agree to obtaining one prior to using the Segal Education Award
• If you are not capable of obtaining a High School diploma or equivalent or are enrolled in an institution of higher education on an ability to benefit basis you may be considered eligible for funds under section 484 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1091)
• Able to complete the entire length of the service term, including make up hours if necessary.
• Essential physical functions include the ability to sit, stand, walk, speak, hear, climb, balance, reach with hands & arms, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl on a frequent basis, and lift up to 50 pounds unassisted.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made for qualified individuals to perform the essential functions.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Trail work:

• Work with host site staff on the construction, maintenance, and management of multi-use trails. Install trail features such as new tread, drainage features and dips, rock walls, etc.
• Core skills include hand tool use for trail construction, such as crosscut saws, shovels, sledgehammers, McLeods, etc.
• Power tools, such as drills, chainsaws, etc. may be utilized depending on the needs of the staff/project.
• Perform wildfire and flood damage reduction.

Data Tracking:

• Track miles of trail improved and acres of land improved, along with other notable project work, for biweekly RMYC reports.

Administrative tasks, including filing, organization, invoicing, and reporting.

SECONDARY RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Flexibility, adaptability, and capacity to work in a fluid, changing environment
• Perform various tasks within the scope of work for an AmeriCorps member.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must be comfortable working outside and performing fieldwork for long periods of time in all weather conditions.
• Applicants should demonstrate strong organizational skills, have experience working as part of a team, be able to work well with others in a professional setting, be self-motivated, and able to work independently with limited supervision after the initial training period.
• Applicants must have great attention to detail and problem solving skills.
• Strong work ethic, and the ability to take initiative and work independently with periodic check-ins.
• Participation in one service event that benefits the community is required, with options to attend additional service events.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE/EDUCATION:

• Experience with full-bench trail construction and maintenance.
• Alternate experience, such as agriculture, landscaping, or other skills from similar fields.
• Chainsaw and/or crosscut saw experience (B-Faller or FAL2 preferred but not required)
• Strong project management, written and oral skills.
• Wilderness First Aid (WFA) or Wilderness First Responder (WFR)
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field (conservation management, environmental science, biology, etc.)

EVALUATION:

Members serving less than a full-time term of service (<1700 hours) will receive a mandatory end-of-term evaluation, with an optional mid-term evaluation.

CONTACT:

If you have any questions about the position, please contact:

RMYC:

• Carl Smith, Individual Placement Coordinator: carl@youthcorps.org

Santa Fe National Forest:

• Liam Covey-Shannon, Liam.Covey-Shannon@usda.gov