Overview
Position Summary:
Appalachian Conservation Corps staff crew leaders perform many roles and are the key to our program’s success. The position is multi-faceted and demanding but with opportunity for enormous rewards. Successful candidates will demonstrate resourcefulness, situational flexibility, effective communication skills, excellent judgement, maturity, initiative, professionalism, and the desire to devote themselves to a crew experience where the needs of others are placed above oneself. The crew leader position requires mentorship, patience, technical aptitude, focus on efficiency, and a high level of comfort in the outdoors. Crew leaders are ultimately responsible for successes and shortcomings of the crew.
This position will be joined by an AmeriCorps crew leader (ACL), an AmeriCorps leadership position focusing on the continued development of leadership skills. While this will be a collaborative relationship, the staff crew leader bears ultimate responsibility for member development, as well as high quality and high quantity project accomplishments for our partners.
Responsibilities:
Project Management & Implementation
Train and motivate a crew of six to eight young adults to complete conservation projects efficiently on public lands.
Delegate project work & investment among ACL and crew.
Manage on-the-ground quality and quantity of project work.
Think critically to resolve issues and solve problems.
Communicate effectively & coordinate logistics with project partners, ACL, members, and ACC staff.
Safety & Risk Management
Monitor, manage, and promote the crew’s physical and emotional safety on and off the work site.
Exhibit strong situational awareness & promote a culture of safety.
Transport crew and equipment safely in ACC’s vans or large vehicles with trailers.
Project Work:
Projects take place across the Appalachian Region, including work with the US Forest Service, the National Park Service, and other land managers. During their time in the field, leaders camp overnight and work outdoors in all types of weather conditions, performing heavy manual labor related to environmental conservation and restoration projects. These hands-on projects include visitor access improvements, trail construction and maintenance, habitat restoration, invasive species treatments, historic restoration, disaster relief, and much more. Most projects require hiking out to remote work sites for the day with tools, equipment, and day pack.
About Appalachian Conservation Corps
Appalachian Conservation Corps (ACC) works to connect young people to critical conservation service work across Appalachia and neighboring communities in Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, DC, and Pennsylvania. As a corps program, ACC partners with public land managers to identify, plan, and complete projects that improve public access, habitat quality, and economic development. ACC is a program of Conservation Legacy, a nationwide network of conservation service organizations. Our programs focus on service, place-based learning, life skills development, appreciation of diversity, civic responsibility, and career development. ACC also provides an opportunity for members to learn about the local environment and issues affecting it and introduces individuals to recreation and resource management careers. ACC welcomes national applicants, but also emphasizes the engagement of local individuals who represent the communities in which they serve.
