Conservation Begins Here.  

Are you ready to lead and explore iconic landscapes in the Western U.S.? Do you want to make a tangible difference in our natural spaces and communities? Join the Student Conservation Association (SCA) as a Field Leader for our Four Corners Team and embark on a journey that blends purpose with adventure.  

Schedule   

May 19, 2025 - August 2, 2025  

Project Leader Training: May 19, 2025 – May 31, 2025  

Summer Season: June 23, 2025 – July 25, 2025  

Location: Shonto, AZ

Why Join Us?  

This isn’t your average 9-to-5 job. Field Leaders will lead and mentor a team of locally recruited youth aged 15-19 as they begin their conservation journey. This role will be at the helm of diverse hands-on conservation projects in locations throughout the Four Corners. Projects may include trail maintenance, campground restoration, and historic preservation. Aside from the work project, the crew will engage weekly with local community members and park staff with scientific and cultural knowledge. The crew will interact with local musicians, storytellers, and artists who will demonstrate their talents and teach the crew about their culture and history. 

Join SCA for an immersive opportunity to build, manage, and inspire a community of like-minded individuals while completing meaningful service.  

Key Duties and Responsibilities  

As a Field Leader:  

• Act as a Crew Supervisor, by facilitating teamwork, managing basecamp and equipment tasks, overseeing member wellbeing, and guiding crew dynamics;  
• Serve as an Advisor, by training members in technical conservation work skills, mentoring personal and professional development, and teaching environmental stewardship;  
• Act as a Project Manager, by ensuring the successful and timely completion of work projects, communicating with agency partners, and upholding a positive representation of SCA;  
• Perform tasks as a Program Administrator by organizing logistics, completing documentation, managing crew budgets, and communicating with SCA staff.  

Your Impact  

Rebuilding trails – You’ll play a key role in ensuring that recreation users can safely enjoy our national parks and forests, helping them connect to the outdoors. 

Inspire your team – Serve as a mentor to young adults wanting to make a difference.   

Projects may include: 

• Trail maintenance involves clearing weeds, rocks, and establishing erosion control structures. 
• Campground restoration tasks include hazard tree cutting, trash cleanup, and repainting. 
• Historic preservation efforts encompass the refurbishment of signs, structures, and marker posts. 
• Ecosystem restoration activities include reseeding, weed control, and debris cleanup. 

What We’re Looking For  

Local candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. 

This role is for you if you're passionate about making a real difference and leading with purpose. Strong candidates will come with experience working and leading outdoors. In addition to technical skills, strong leader candidates also excel in fostering team dynamics, navigating interpersonal relationships, and creating a strong sense of community.  

Effective crew leadership revolves around building trust, problem-solving, and cultivating resilience within the team. We're seeking leaders who prioritize emotional intelligence, empathy, and the ability to guide others through challenges, all while creating a positive, inclusive environment.  

Success for our teams depends on understanding and addressing both individual and group needs. Leaders must be fully invested in supporting their crew, through everything from community meetings to one-on-one check-ins, even outside of project hours.  

Conservation work is unpredictable, and the best leaders are those who can adapt, communicate, and bring out the best in their team under any circumstances.  

Navigating inclement weather and related challenges, like all-day sun exposure, are conditions crews may face. Thunderstorms, wind, and smoke can be experienced within the same workday.   

Required:  

• 21+ years old;  
• Must have the ability to legally work in the US;    
• Valid driver’s license (3+ years) and Motor Vehicle Record that meets SCA standards;    
• Must be able to attend Crew Leader training: 5/19/2025 – 5/31/2025;  
• Leadership experience in the outdoors (outdoor education, conservation work, or leading peer groups);  
• Ability to perform manual, physical labor for up to 10 hours per day, exposed to the elements, and must occasionally lift and/or move 40 pounds or more.  
• Camping, hiking, and backcountry experience;  
• Commitment to teamwork, learning, and problem-solving;  
• Ability to obtain a Wilderness First Responder Certification during training;  

Preferred but Not Required:  

• Experience working with indigenous populations; 
• Experience working with youth ages 14-19; 
• Current Wilderness First Responder Certification;   
• Experience with trail work, habitat restoration, or conservation projects;   

Why You’ll Love This Job:  

• Meaningful work: You’ll be contributing to a positive recreational experience for years to come.   
• Skills for life: Learn wilderness medicine, outdoor risk management, conservation practices, and how to build a cohesive, high-functioning team.  
• Real connections: Create lifelong friendships with people who share your passion for the planet.  
• Adventure lifestyle: Live off the grid for most of the season. Camp under the stars, cook over a camp stove, and work without the distractions of modern life. (Yes, cell service and showers are limited—but trust us, you won’t miss it.)  

Benefits  

• Pay: $800 - 900/week  
• Travel stipend: $1,000 (split into two payments: half with your first paycheck, half with your last paycheck)  
• Phone stipend: $45/month  
• Meals: Provided during fieldwork  
• Gear: Group camping gear provided (tents, stoves, cooking supplies) and uniforms for field work 

You’ll also receive:  

• Wilderness First Aid Training (completion of this certification is required for the position)   
• Conservation trail work skills training   
• Defensive driver training  

Living Arrangements  

Experience a dynamic living environment, camping Monday to Thursday each week at Navajo National Monument. On Fridays, the team will break camp and enjoy an enrichment day to learn more about the parks they are serving in before they return home for the weekend.  

During the project week, community chores like preparing meals and washing dishes will be shared by members and the leader. SCA will provide group gear such as tents, kitchen supplies (like pots, pans, and stoves), and uniform items. Leaders and members will be expected to bring their items, such as a sleeping bag, sleeping pad, clothing, and mess kit. To support the crew’s efforts, Leaders are issued an SCA vehicle and trailer for transportation and storage, and a field budget to purchase groceries, supplies, and fuel.   

What Might the Season Look Like?  

Begin at Crew Leader Training, where participants will develop leadership and conservation skills needed for a corps team. Training is field-based and will include a review of sustainable trail practices, tools for building an inclusive crew, and proper basecamp setup. Staff will also share administrative and risk management expectations. A Wilderness First Aid course is offered during training. If applicable for an assigned project. Leaders will then travel to their project site to prepare for their crew, collaborating with local agency partners and SCA staff to prep gear, outline project logistics, contact members, and perform other tasks to ensure a successful start to the season.   

Leaders will meet their team on the first day of the program on June 23, 2025. Leaders will assist with on-site training and onboarding for the crew members and will orient the crew to crew life.  Crews will wrap up by sorting and cleaning gear. Leaders will review the end-of-season administrative tasks with staff.   

Work Schedule  

The crew will have a Monday–Friday schedule. Check-ins with members or managing incidents may happen at any time during the season.    

Join Us. Apply Today!  

Ready to lead, learn, and make a difference?  

Create a profile and submit your application through SCA’s website.  

For questions, reach out to scawesterncorps@thesca.org. 

Let’s build a better future—together.  

Physical requirements and working conditions specific to the position are available in the full job description.  

 Consumption of alcohol is never permitted when on duty. This begins at the start of pre-hitch and ends once all post-hitch activities are completed. Marijuana and illegal substances are not permitted.  

Equal Opportunity Statement

The Student Conservation Association, Inc., is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The SCA strives to cultivate a work environment that encourages fairness, teamwork, and respect among all staff members and is committed to maintaining a work atmosphere where employees may grow personally and professionally.