Title: Staff Crew Leader – Boundary Marking Crew
Reports to: Program Coordinator, Program Director
Location: Crew will be based out of Chattanooga, TN, camping and serving within Forest Service Lands across the Southeast region
Start/end date: 01/6/2025 - 05/02/2025
Status: Seasonal, Full-time, Exempt
Wages: $844/week, paid biweekly
Health Benefits:Medical benefit options may be available for individuals serving 6 months or longer
Other Benefits: Wilderness First Aid certification, Public Land Corps Hiring Authority Certificate (upon successful completion of hours), Food & transportation provided while in the field overnight, uniform shirts, personal protective equipment, and other developmental opportunities as available.
Crew Structure: 1 Crew Leader, 1 Assistant Crew Leader, 2 Crew Members
Southeast Conservation Corps:
Engaging future leaders who protect, restore, and enhance our nation’s lands through community-based service.
Southeast Conservation Corps (SECC), a program of Conservation Legacy, is a non-profit, AmeriCorps-affiliated organization. SECC selects young adults, ages 18-30, up to 35 for veterans, to complete conservation service projects on public lands throughout the Southeast. SECC provides members with impactful opportunities through a unique set of programs that engage people in meaningful education and service to their communities and natural landscapes. SECC serves a diverse population that is representative of the Southeast, including youth, graduates, veterans, and a cross-section of ethnicities and income levels. SECC is also an active member of the AmeriCorps Disaster Response Team (A-DRT), and as such, selected crews may be deployed on Disaster response projects for up to 30 days.
SECC partners with various land management agencies in Tennessee and throughout the Southeast region, such as the United States Forest Service, National Park Service, State Parks, and conservation-based non-profits. Projects vary but include trail construction and maintenance, ecosystem restoration, habitat restoration, fire fuels reduction, fencing on public lands, invasive weed removal, herbicide applications, and many others. The projects are manual labor based and most projects require a hike into and out of the project site daily carrying tools and a day pack.
Crews will serve in frontcountry and backcountry locations in all types of weather conditions. Schedules may vary, but generally are 9 days on and 5 days off for camping crews. Project days are 10-hour shifts with scheduled breaks throughout the day. Depending on project and location, other schedule variations may be implemented. While the staff at SECC strives to provide consistency throughout the season, personal flexibility is expected and should be prepared for when entering the term as schedules, times, and project locations are subject to change per project needs.
SECC is an independent, non-residential program. Crew Members are responsible for finding and attaining their own housing when not in the field. On-hitch crews prepare all their own meals and participate as a group to complete all necessary chores. Community/camp chores will be completed every evening, with many evenings including group discussions, conservation and/or corps related topics. The Crew Members must supply their own personal outdoor gear and equipment such as a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, day pack, multi-day pack, work pants, hiking/work boots, etc. SECC will provide group camp equipment, tools, protective gear and transportation between SECC Office and project sites.
Southeast Conservation Corps’ 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, 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.
Southeast Conservation Corps and the Southern Region of the U.S. Forest Service will partner to host a roving boundary maintenance crew that covers the Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, Daniel Boone National Forest, and the Ouachita National Forest.
Projects will vary based on the priorities and direction of SECC and Forests but will focus on:
The projects are extremely arduous and require traversing very challenging terrain; will require a high level of physical fitness of participants. During inclement weather, and to provide a more enriching experience, shadowing other departments will be added as a beneficial experience for the crew.
SECC Members with SECC serve on a crew model variation of 4-6 other Crew Members and 2 Crew Leaders who provide project expertise, mentorship, training, and support for the success of all participants. Food is provided while in the field. Together, crew members collaborate to plan meals and complete all necessary chores (cooking, washing dishes, etc.). Most dietary restrictions can be accommodated if known ahead of time. Many evenings include group discussions on conservation topics. When living on site, members will camp, travel, complete service projects, and eat as a crew. No drug or alcohol consumption is allowed during service-related travel at any time.
SECC supports a culture of feedback and growth. Crew Members will set goals at the beginning of the season and review their performance through both self-evaluation and a review with their Crew Leader in the middle and at the end of their season. Evaluations will cover areas such as professionalism, responsibility and leadership, communication, engagement, productivity, safety, and equipment use. Crew Members will also be asked to evaluate their Crew Leaders’ performance, the overall program, and their experience at the end of their term.
This position will operate on a variable “hitch” schedule, but generally it will follow 9 days on and 5 days off for camping crews. Project days follow a 10-hour shift with scheduled time for breaks. Applicants should be prepared to camp during hitches for the duration of the season, with lodging provided on a case-by-case basis if necessary.
While the staff at SECC and partners strive to provide consistency throughout the season, personal flexibility is expected and should be prepared for when entering the term as schedules, times, and project locations are subject to change per project needs.
