Watershed Strike Team Crew Leader

Title: Watershed Strike Team Crew Leader (Formally known as the DRRP Strike Team)

Conservation Legacy Program: Southwest Conservation Corps Four Corners

Reports to: Watershed Programs Coordinator

Location: Based out of Durango, CO.

Dates of Employment: April 6, 2026- November 13, 2026

Status: Seasonal, Full-time, Camping Program

Wages: $1025-$1125/week, depending on prior experience and certifications

Benefits: Health Benefit Eligible

5 paid days off structured in August between seasons

3 additional days of PTO

Food provided while in the field

Uniforms and protective equipment

Access to Mental Health Consultant and Employee Assistance Program

Training: U.S. Forest Service recognized Chainsaw training (Certificate awarded upon completion of program)
Colorado pesticide applicator examination and licensure
Leadership skills trainings

Housing: SCC will provide camping location for leaders and CLDP’s during the spring season. Off-hitch accommodation will not be provided during the regular season. Host-housing and a partnership with a local hostel may be available during the off-hitch. More information will be provided during the interview process.

Deadline: Application closes December 31, 2025

Program Summary:

The Southwest Conservation Corps (SCC) is a program of the non-profit service organization, Conservation Legacy, that is built on the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) that operated from 1933 – 1942. SCC provides youth and young adults opportunities to complete conservation projects on public lands. While serving with SCC, members receive training in job skills, conflict resolution, leadership, teamwork, and environmental stewardship. Programs are developed using a step ladder approach to provide a progression of skill development based on a member’s needs. Members receive a weekly living allowance, training, and an AmeriCorps Education Award (for qualifying individuals).

Position Summary:

The Watershed Strike Team Crew Leader position is an opportunity to make a difference in young peoples’ lives while completing conservation projects on public and private lands. Leaders will be mentors, educators, and facilitators for young adults, working to promote the health and resiliency of our land, air, and water.

Standard schedule generally consists of 4 days on-hitch (out in the field as a crew unit) and 3 days off with some exceptions. Crew Leaders may also be required to come in for an additional day each hitch cycle to complete administrative duties and check-ins with program staff. On-hitch, crews camp together, prepare all meals together, and work together as a group to complete all projects and chores.

The Watershed Strike Team Crew Leader position requires patience, a consistently positive mental attitude, mentorship, technical aptitude, focus on efficiency, and a high level of competence in the outdoors. It also involves an administration role, where weekly paperwork is due in a timely manner to supervisors. Finally, crew leaders must exhibit the ability to effectively work on dynamic teams and those from a variety of communities.

This Strike Team will work with the Montrose County invasive weed management program and as part of the Dolores River Restoration Partnership (DRRP) and other watershed restoration projects as available. The DRRP is a public-private collaborative of conservation corps, non-profits, BLM managers, private landowners, and other community members surrounding the Dolores River watershed. The DRRP is in year 14 of an ambitious effort to treat invasive plant species along 175 miles of the Dolores River corridor. The primary responsibilities of this crew are to treat noxious weeds, maintain and participate in revegetation activities such as seeding and planting, collect vegetation monitoring and survey data, and perform general restoration activities as needed. This crew is designed to be flexible to meet the evolving needs of Montrose County and the DRRP. Flexibility and adaptability are essential for this Strike Team leader position.

This crew leader will be responsible for leading a 2 to 3-person crew (1 leader, 1-2 members). While working (i.e. on-hitch), the crew will camp together, prepare all meals together, and work together as a group to complete all projects and chores. Hitch schedules may vary between 4 days on/ 3 days off, 5 days on/ 2 days off, or 8 days on/ 6 days off. SCC does not provide accommodation off-hitch, and Crew Leaders will be responsible for their own accommodation during that time.

SCC’s Conservation Crew Leaders will spend 7 weeks in a crew leader training period alongside fellow Crew Leaders, CLDPs and SCC Staff, which will include a SCC leadership skills week, chainsaw and crosscut training, pesticide applicator testing, administrative training, and prep weeks, in addition to project work.

Crew Leaders will lead crews in completing technical conservation projects while instilling interpersonal skills and leadership skills. Crew leaders will also be responsible for leading crews in environmental stewardship, i.e. Leave No Trace, and risk management. A variety of soft skills and technical competencies are required to be successful in this role. See below for core competencies:

Responsibilities: 

Leadership & Mentorship 

• Manage, supervise, and lead the day-to-day details of project work
• Implement skills training on work-site and facilitate intentional discussions via informal lessons to contribute to the crew’s personal growth and group dynamics
• Mentor crew: provide valuable feedback, give opportunities for growth, delegate responsibilities, and encourage technical and leadership skill development.
• Promote individual corps member development and a safe, healthy, cohesive, other-centered and team-oriented community.
• Follow and enforce all policies, maintain professional boundaries, and appropriately represent the program. This includes creating a substance free work environment, refraining from the use of tobacco products, alcohol, and drugs while involved in the program.

Project Management, Safety & Implementation 

• Train, motivate and supervise a crew of young adults to efficiently complete tasks and objectives outlined in conservation projects, while working long hours and managing high quality work and crew morale.
• Think critically to resolve issues and solve problems, requesting help when needed
• Communicate and coordinate logistics with project partners, crew members, & SCC staff

Safety and Risk Management

• Monitor, manage, and promote the holistic health of the crew, including physical and emotional (intimidation free community environment) safety.
• Exhibit strong situational awareness & promote a culture of safety.
• Transport crew and equipment safely in organizational vans or large SUVs with trailers in accordance with CL Driver policy.
• Manage and document incidents in the field and activate incident response system, if needed, per Conservation Legacy policy.

Administration 

• Thorough documentation of time sheets, daily and weekly reports, corps member and peer evaluations, disciplinary action forms, incident reports, etc. in a timely manner
• Responsible for all project related outcomes and deliverables
• Manage food budget and credit card for purchases
• Track and submit credit card receipts for all expenses every month.

Camp Management

• Oversee, manage, and assign camp chores (or camp tasks).
• Monitor and manage crew community needs in camp.
• Instruct crew in how to create a safe, hygienic, and tidy camp environment while mitigating crew caused impacts to campsites, practicing minimum impact camping techniques.
• Maintain all program policies and procedures in camp environment.
• Leading a camping crew is an intensive commitment requiring a continuous physical presence. Leaders must remain physically present, and cognitively and emotionally available to support community and individual crew member needs.

Essential Functions: 

• Frequently required to walk, hike, sit and talk or listen
• Required to use hands to operate objects, tools or controls, and to reach with hands and arms
• Regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds
• Ensure best practices when applying, mixing, and discarding herbicide
• Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision and the ability to focus
• Required to drive an SCC vehicle – and therefore have a very clean driving record
• Must be able to speak, understand, read, and write English
• Consistently exercise discretion and judgment
• Analyze and interpret monitoring data as needed by each watershed group
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions

Minimum Qualifications: 

• Relevant bachelor’s degree (botany, range science, wildlife or conservation biology, natural resource management, ecology, watershed science, environmental science, or related field)
• Full commitment to the program and its mission.
• Understanding of and experience with the mission and field management considerations of conservation corps and public land agencies.
• Leadership, management, and supervisory experience with youth or young adults.
• Must hold current advanced medical certification (for backcountry crews: 80 hours Wilderness First Responder with CPR/AED or higher; for front country crews: 24 hours Wilderness First Aid with CPR/AED or higher) or be willing to receive certification prior to start date.
• Ability to effectively manage all aspects of crew life and production within a 40-50+-hour work week including managing projects, camping, and programmatic policies and integrity throughout.
• Flexibility, adaptability, and capacity to work in a fluid, changing work environment.
• Willingness to participate in community-building activities and solution-oriented problem solving with peer leaders
• Able to work long days in adverse conditions.
• Must be able to speak, understand and write English.
• High School diploma or GED certificate.
• Physically capable of standing and hiking (6-10 miles/day on rough, uneven terrain), bending, crouching and stooping for long periods of time, and lifting/carrying items that weigh up to 50 pounds, in upwards of 100+ degree (F) heat
• Experience safely operating 4WD trucks on paved and unpaved roads, often in remote areas on unimproved roads.
• Consistently teach and demonstrate best driving practices.
• Must be 21, have a clean driving record (insurable by SCC), a current driver’s license, and have had a valid driver’s license for at least 3 years

Preferred Qualifications or Desire to Grow in the Following: 

• Experience with experiential and/or environmental education
• Teaching, facilitation, and team-building experience with diverse groups of people
• Strong conflict resolution skills
• Botanical identification training/experience
• Chainsaw experience
• Time-management skills and ability to work independently as well as with others.
• Experience with application and handling of pesticides/herbicides. Current pesticide licensure in the state of Colorado or willingness to obtain prior to crew start date
• ArcGIS certification or experience, including use of ArcMap, ArcGIS Online, and Arc Field Maps
• Experience with backpacking, wilderness living and travel
• Sense of humor, spirit of adventure, and desire to make a positive difference and promote leadership in others

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 functions. Some positions may require periodic overnight travel, non-traditional 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. Ability to safely drive an organizational vehicle may also be required for some positions. 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.

Any questions can be addressed to:

Tarryn DIxon, Watershed Programs Manager: tdixon@conservationlegacy.org