Volunteer and Community Engagement Coordinator

SUPERVISOR/REPORTS TO: Stewardship Program Director
CLASSIFICATION: Full-Time, Exempt 
LOCATION: Remote across Arizona and in Western New Mexico

WILD ARIZONA MISSION STATEMENT & BACKGROUND 

Wild Arizona’s mission is to protect, unite, and restore wild lands and waters across Arizona and beyond, for the enrichment and health of all generations, and to ensure Arizona’s native plants and animals a lasting home in wild nature. 

We organize and amplify multi-community voices of support for legislation and special designations; advocate for conservation science-based environmental policy and planning; and cultivate stewardship, social/environmental awareness, and well-being through outdoor volunteerism, science, and education. 

We seek employees who demonstrate high standards in work quality, diligence, reliability, compassion, excellent judgment, and a desire to care for the environment. 

POSITION SUMMARY 

The Volunteer and Community Engagement Coordinator organizes and implements the volunteer and community engagement components of Wild Arizona’s Wilderness Stewardship and Wild Connections Programs.  The goals of the volunteer and community engagement program are 1) to build community capacity to steward wildlands, 2) to ignite care and conservation for wildlands and waters and 3) to build community partnerships and support for stewardship and conservation campaigns. 

We do this by having a real and lasting presence in communities and wild lands over time, by valuing traditional ecological knowledge and science-based learning, and by doing real stewardship work that develops skills. Community programs should reflect the strengths of our Wild Stew professional field crew, which stands out in remote backcountry work with a high degree of skill in traditional hand tools, and a culture of inclusivity.

We envision thriving wild lands and waters cared for by local communities, who have strong ties to their home natural landscape, and have the tools, skills and resources to be real stewards. 

We strive to learn from and form meaningful and lasting relationships with indigenous communities and those embracing traditional ecological knowledge.

The coordinator is responsible for recruiting, organizing and implementing single and multi-day volunteer work events on public lands in cooperation with land management organizations, including the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Park Service. The coordinator oversees the expansion and growth of Wild Arizona’s base of volunteers.  The coordinator is responsible for tracking and reporting volunteer time and experience, and ensuring volunteer requirements to partners are met.

This position requires the ability to work successfully in team settings and maintain partnerships with agencies, colleagues and other key partners.  The coordinator represents a public face for Wild Arizona and needs to convey an engaging approach to developing a conservation constituency. The coordinator will report to the Stewardship Program Director and may supervise other crew leaders, interns, volunteers, and students. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POSITION: 

Coordinate the volunteer and community engagement components of Wild Arizona’s statewide Wilderness Stewardship Program and Wild Campaign Programs: 

• Plan and implement 30 or more stewardship trips annually, with an assortment of single day, weekend and up to week long events, as well as a diverse mix of frontcountry and backcountry trips
• Work with Stewardship Program Director, Executive Director, Field Operations Director and Conservation Director to identify work needs and priorities
• Plan for all necessary project and trip logistics, such as tools and supplies needed, skills needed, people needed, access needed, and project scheduling and coordination
• Teach, coach and model stewardship skills and backcountry skills at a high level of expertise, including trail maintenance, rock work, cross cut saw use, backpacking and backcountry camping and travelling
• File trip plans before each event and check in daily with Stewardship Program Director and Field Operations Director whenever in the field in accordance with Wild Arizona’s Field Communications protocol
• Maintain communications to promote, recruit, and stay connected with volunteers and partners
• Develop conservation curriculum specific to each volunteer event, which will connect volunteers to current or potential future Wild Campaigns
• Develop relationships that reach diverse and disadvantaged communities who are historically marginalized on public lands
• Coordinate with relevant staff to conduct volunteer and community engagement programs that empower, elevate, and educate communities who have generally  been excluded from outdoor spaces
• Train and support additional volunteer crew leaders from the Wild Stew Field Crew as appropriate when conducting volunteer events with the Stew Crew
• Develop and maintain positive working relationships with key partners, including government agencies, veterans, students, and diverse communities
• Create and implement ongoing strategies for outreach, recruitment, and retention of volunteers that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within Wild Arizona’s volunteer base
• Conduct, coordinate, or support other field survey projects relating to wilderness, public lands stewardship, restoration, and research
• Serve as an outreach representative for Wild Arizona and for wilderness advocacy through activities such as leading hikes, making presentations, attending and organizing events, etc.
• Perform administrative tasks, including recordkeeping, report writing, assistance with grant writing, maintenance of volunteer agreements and participant waivers, etc.
• Manage volunteer database in collaboration with WildAZ communications staff
• Perform other duties as assigned by Stewardship Program Director

PERTINENT POSITION CONSIDERATIONS: 

• Preferred qualifications include:
  • USFS B bucker crosscut certification or higher
  • Wilderness First Aid certification or higher
  • Trail maintenance experience and familiarity with USFS trail maintenance and construction standards, including treadwork, drain construction and maintenance, corridor clearing/brushing, and rockwork
  • Riparian restoration experience, including invasive species identification, stream channel restoration, and native tree and vegetation replanting techniques
• This position requires considerable travel and weekend work. You will be expected to maintain a personal vehicle in good working condition, along with a valid Arizona driver’s license and automobile insurance that covers rental vehicles as well as your personal vehicle. Mileage will be reimbursed at the current federal rate. There may at times be a WildAZ vehicle or rental available for your use. When traveling, you will be expected to make every effort to use travel methods and venues that reduce costs for Wild Arizona.
• Leading stewardship trips requires a significant amount of camping and backpacking. You will be responsible for providing all your own equipment for camping and backpacking. Group gear for camping and cooking, plus any specialty equipment including inReach communication device, will be provided for your use. Wild Arizona provides WildAZ logo work shirts, a hard hat, and offers reimbursements for gloves and safety glasses. You must provide your own work boots (above the ankle).
• The Volunteer Coordinator position is currently funded by grants and matching funds for those grants. As such, the structure, duties, goals, and duration of the position may change in response to changes in grant funding.