Forest and Conservation Worker jobs in Asheville, NC

American Conservation Experience (ACE) is a dynamic non-profit organization dedicated to providing rewarding environmental service opportunities that harness the idealism and energy of a volunteer labor force to help restore America's public lands. ACE has a national reputation for providing exceptional training and support to enable young adult crews to safely and economically implement technically complex and physically demanding conservation projects for the US Forest Service, BLM, National Park Service, USFWS and numerous state and local land management partners.

Job Title: Conservation Crew Leader

Location: This position is based out of Fletcher, North Carolina (Asheville area) Field projects will take place on public lands throughout the Eastern regions of the US.

Department/Division: CREW, Eastern Region

Status: Regular Full-Time, Salaried (Exempt)

Reports To: Project Manager

Schedule/Hours: Full-time. Flexible Schedule with varying shifts; 40 hours/week with additional hours as needed. Typical schedules are either four, 10-hour days/3 days off or eight, 10 hour-days/6 days off.

Travel: Yes, extensive regional travel required.

Start Date:

Position Summary:
Develop your field leadership and conservation skills leading a group of motivated young adults on a wide range of natural resource management projects throughout public lands in the eastern region of the United States. Based out of the Asheville region of North Carolina, ACE’s Eastern Crew program operates year-round completing trail, ecological restoration, historic preservation and conservation field projects from the ancient forests of the Appalachian Mountains to the barrier islands on the Atlantic Coast and all other aspiring landscapes of the eastern region of the United States!

As the primary front-line staff of the ACE Eastern Field Operations Team, Crew Leaders lead diverse teams of young adults in completion of environmental conservation and restoration projects. As a Crew Leader, you will train and lead crew members in conservation work skills, basic environmental education, and outdoor living skills, and engage their crews in environmental work projects that address critical environmental needs. Work is almost exclusively outdoors, involves strenuous physical labor in all weather conditions and climates, and typically involves "spike" camping for several days at a time in remote wilderness locations. The position requires extensive travel to public lands across the eastern region of the U.S. and may involve working for other ACE offices/locations for temporary periods.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Lead, manage, and hold corpsmembers accountable while serving on conservation projects.

Individuals who identify with groups typically under-represented in the conservation industry, including women, non-binary individuals, LGBTQ individuals, and people of color are particularly encouraged to apply.

Compensation: Annualized salary of $36,608 (assuming 40 hours/week 52 weeks/year), depending on experience.

Medical/Health Benefits: ACE offers competitive medical and ancillary plans (health, mental health, dental, vision and other supplemental benefits). ACE Staff members are also eligible to participate in ACE's 403b retirement plan with a 2% employer contribution.

Holidays, Vacation, and Sick Time: As an ACE staff member, you will be eligible to accrue up to 80 hours of paid vacation time annually during your first two years of continuous employment, then it increases to 120 hours annually. ACE observes 13 paid annual holidays (floating holiday flexibility). ACE provides 10 days (or 80 hours) of paid sick time annually.

Additional Benefits:

Outdoor Perks - As an ACE staff member, you will be eligible to receive pro deals which include deep discounts on outdoor gear providing 30 - 50% off retail prices on 100’s of established outdoor gear brands.

Meals Provided-You will receive three meals (plus snacks)/day while on project at no cost to you.

Trainings and Certifications - Crew Leaders receive industry recognized certifications provided by ACE including:

Housing: Subsidized shared dormitory housing may be available during off-project days (ACE employed individuals only).

To Apply: Please submit a resume, one-page cover letter and contact for three professional/academic references to the application link. Qualified applicants will be contacted by email to arrange an interview. Applicants must follow all application instructions in order to be considered for this opportunity. This position may close at any time.

ACE values an inclusive workforce - if you meet at least 70 percent of the qualifications, we want to hear from you!

Employment with ACE is based upon ability, qualifications, attitude, and job-related factors. Every qualified employee or applicant has the same opportunity for recruitment, hire, training, transfer, promotion, compensation, demotion, termination, benefits, employee activities, and general treatment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender, national origin, pregnancy, ancestry, citizenship status, genetic information (including of a family member), veteran or military status, age, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, medical condition, marital or parental status, political affiliation, ethnicity, hair texture or style, arrest record, caste, hereditary status, endogamy, or any other classification protected by applicable local, state, or federal law.

Learn more about ACE on our WEBSITE or check out our INSTAGRAM!