Title: Resource Technician Individual Placement (2 openings)

Start/End Date: September 30, 2024, to March 28, 2025

Living Stipend: $650/week

Housing: Free housing may be provided, more information will be shared during the interview

Term Length: 26 weeks

Reports To: Resource Program Manager

Location: White Sands National Park 19955 Highway 70 West Alamogordo, NM 88310

Status: 900-hour AmeriCorps Service Term, Full-Time

Benefits: AmeriCorps Education Award $3,447; Public Lands Corps Certificate eligible* - both with successful completion of service term; health insurance eligible.

 

AmeriCorps is the federal agency for national service and volunteerism. AmeriCorps provides opportunities for Americans of all backgrounds to serve their country, address the nation’s most pressing challenges, and improve lives and communities. Environmental stewardship programs help conserve natural habitats, improve energy efficiency, protect clean air and water, and help to mitigate the effects of climate change among other environmental efforts.

 

Conservation Corps New Mexico (CCNM)

Conservation Corps New Mexico, a program of Conservation Legacy and AmeriCorps partner, aims to continue the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930's. CCNM is focused on connecting youth, young adults, and recent era military veterans with conservation service work projects on public lands. CCNM operates programs across New Mexico and parts of Texas and Oklahoma that engage individuals and strengthen communities through service and conservation. The CCNM Las Cruces office manages the Individual Placement Program.

 

Mentorship

These Individual Placement Positions are unique development opportunities. Participants are paired with a local supervisor and gain technical, hands-on experience in the work of these organizations or agencies. Site supervisors commit to facilitate career development; provide an introduction to numerous pathways within the conservation field; and create accessible, meaningful, learning opportunities and experiences for participants.

 

Position Summary:

This position is in the Division of Resources at White Sands National Park. The purpose of the position is to assist staff with treatment and removal of exotic plants and perform, at the sub-journeyman level, the maintenance, repair, and construction of Park trails, fencing, and maintained landscape of urban area within the park. The resource technicians will be supporting park staff in daily operations related to resource program management and will be leading youth crews that rotate through the park with ongoing projects. The resource technicians will job shadow many of our resource experts, have a lot of opportunities to assist with researchers in a variety of fields, and work along-side many different employees in the park to understand all operations in the park.

 

Essential Responsibilities and Functions:

 

Exotic Plant Removal

Assist staff with identifying priority sites for treatment/removal. Assist staff with treatment/removal – specific tasks will be determined based on intern’s ability to obtain an NM pesticide operating/technician license. More information will be given during the interview.

 

Carpentry

Carpentry work is mostly involved in the maintenance and construction of fencing. Uses a wide variety of tools associated with the carpentry trade: hand saws, jig saws, power and hand drills, hand planers, generators, and carpentry hand tools.

 

Motor Vehicle and Equipment Operation 

Transports tools, materials, employees, vehicles and equipment to job sites and trailheads. Picks up supplies, loads, secures, and transports as required. Distributes and offloads supplies and equipment at job and storage sites. May operate power wheelbarrows, trailers, UTVs (Utility Terrain Vehicle). Incumbent is required to possess a current Driver's License.

 

Other 

When working with volunteer groups (Youth Corps, Student Conservation Association (SCA), AmeriCorps, Youth Opportunity Center (YOC) or in the absence of a leader or supervisor, member is responsible in leading diverse volunteers in assigned trail maintenance and construction projects. Recognize future and existing maintenance problems. This work requires ingenuity and careful judgment. Keep detailed log and photo diary of fence and trial conditions and maintenance activities. Re-establish safety corridors, hike potential future trails sites to note GPS coordinates, terrain, and activity. Build foundation for collecting, and logging data for restoration and maintenance projects. Develop knowledge in fence maintenance and trail and lead others in these activities. Required to perform basic laborer tasks such as cleanup of work sites and backcountry camps, materials moving, cleaning of vehicles and equipment, and regular cleanup of shop areas.

 

Minimum Qualifications:

 Per federal grant requirements, this position is for young adults between the ages of 18-30 (35 for veterans), inclusive, at the time the individual begins term of service. Valid U.S Driver’s License - Drivers must be over 21 or have had a license for at least 3 years. U.S Citizen, U.S National, or Lawful Permanent Resident. Received or on track to receive high school diploma or GED. Willing to undergo and must pass required criminal history checks. Familiarity using Global Positioning System (GPS) devices, mapping and route finding. Comfortable and experienced with public engagement. Ability to lift 50 pounds and hike up to 10 miles in a day.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience driving a 4-wheel drive truck on rugged gravel or dirt roads.   College degree (bachelor or associate) in a related field such as Conservation Education, Wilderness or Recreation Management or Natural Resource Management. Previous leadership experience, preferably with a Conservation Corps or working with volunteers. Experience in trail maintenance and working with fencing. Experience working in the desert Southwest. Local candidates are preferred.

 

Responsibility:

Receives work assignments and/or direction from a maintenance worker leader or supervisor.  Is given work assignments orally, through work orders, sketches, and blueprints. Uses proper tools and materials for the project work assignment based upon instructions received and own judgment.  Work is inspected during work progress and at completion for appearance, workmanship, and quality. Effective and sustainable trail construction/repair work requires ingenuity and good judgment. Incumbent for member to always carry this out.

 

Physical Requirements:

To successfully perform essential functions, the individual is required to sit, stand, walk, speak, hear, etc. May be required to stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl for significant periods of time and be able to safely lift 50 pounds on a routine basis. He/she must be able to operate office equipment, telephone, and computer and reach with hands and arms. Ability to hike and navigate in rough terrain.  Reasonable accommodation may be made for qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

 

Participant Essential Eligibility Requirements/Participation and Expedition Behavior:

 Work effectively as a member of a team despite potentially stressful and difficult conditions. This may require problem solving on an interpersonal or group level as well as a willingness to accept differences. Contribute to a safe learning environment, no harassment of others for any reason. Willingness and ability to complete all aspects of the program including conservation projects, education, training, and national service. Effectively communicate ideas and concerns as they arise directly to supervisors, colleagues, and organization staff. Appropriately represent Conservation Corps New Mexico, the National Park Service, and AmeriCorps to the public and partners at all times. Flexibility, adaptability, and capacity to work in a fluid, changing work environment.

 

Safety and Judgment:

 Effectively communicate danger to others in the form of either a warning of danger others may be encountering or a notification of personal distress, injury or need for assistance. Must be able to do so at a distance of up to 50 meters and in conditions with limited visibility or loud background noise such as darkness or high winds. Effectively perceive and understand significant and apparent hazards and follow direction by others so that you will be able to successfully execute techniques to manage hazards. These directions may be given before the hazard is encountered or may need to be given during the exposure to the hazard. Ability to respond appropriately to stress or crises.  Stay alert and focused for several hours at a time while traveling and working in varied weather conditions. If taking prescription medications, participants must be able to maintain proper dosage by self- medicating without assistance from others. Maintain good hygiene as appropriate with available accommodations.

 

Substance Free:

In accordance with a drug free workplace, alcohol and drugs are prohibited while participating in AmeriCorps and program activities and while on organization property.

 

Background Check:

A DOI background clearance must be completed before the selected candidate may report to duty. NPS will provide instructions for completion of the clearance after a candidate has been selected and will notify them when they have been cleared to start the service term. This process will determine the participant’s exact start date.

 

Individual placements will have access to government facilities and systems, and will be supplied with access to gov’t vehicles, equipment, and materials needed to work on the projects and activities as outlined above. Individual placements must adhere to all government regulations and policies for operating equipment, vehicles, security awareness, and safety.

 

*To be eligible for a Public Lands Corps certificate, individual placements must be between the ages of 18-30 (35 for veterans), inclusive, at the time the individual begins the term of service.

Conservation Legacy is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to hiring a breadth of diverse professionals and encourage members of diverse groups to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, political affiliation, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. 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.

To Apply: Please submit an updated resume and cover letter along with the online application at https://corpsnm.org/individual-placement-openings . Consideration will be given as resumes are received and this position may close at any time. If you have questions, contact CCNM’s Individual Placement Program Coordinator, SamJean Simmons at ssimmons@conservationlegacy.org.

 

For more information about Conservation Corps New Mexico, please visit www.corpsnm.org. Conservation Corps New Mexico is a program of Conservation Legacy.