Conservation Crew Leader

Overview

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 Sacramento, Ridgecrest, or Coachella Valley, CA. Field projects will take place on public lands throughout California and the Pacific West region.

Department/Division: CREW, Pacific West

Status: Regular Full-Time (Non-Exempt)

Reports To: Senior 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: 3/2/2026

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 state of California and all of the Pacific West region. Field projects range in location from California’s coastal ranges to the Mojave Desert to the Sierra Nevada and include the spectrum of field conservation such as fuels reduction and thinning, invasive species treatment, trail construction and maintenance, native plant restoration and more.

As the primary front-line staff of the ACE Pacific West Field Operations Team, Crew Leaders lead diverse teams of young adults in completion of environmental conservation and restoration projects. Crew Leaders 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 land management and environmental needs.

Work is almost exclusively outdoors, involves strenuous physical labor in all weather conditions and climates, and typically involves camping in remote wilderness locations. The position requires extensive travel to public lands across the Pacific West and may involve working for other ACE offices/locations for temporary periods. All Crew Leaders receive a minimum of one week of intensive training with additional on-site supervision and training from skilled ACE and agency partner staff throughout their tenure with possible additional advanced training in chainsaw skills, trail construction, griphoist and rigging, wilderness first aid, restoration and more.

• Lead, train, and supervise a conservation corps team during conservation work projects, which may include: constructing and maintaining trails, constructing and maintaining fences and outdoor facilities, restoring wildlife habitat, maintaining public parks, campgrounds, and recreation areas, planting trees, conducting native plant revegetation, eradicating exotic/invasive plant species, surveying, conducting ecological testing and monitoring, mapping and monitoring using GPS technology, wildfire restoration, and restoring forest health and reducing wildfire risk through tree thinning using powered equipment.

• Arrange environmental education activities and opportunities and help inspire the next generation of conservation and public lands stewards.

• Support, coach, mentor and supervise members in both technical and interpersonal professional development.

• Hike, backpack, camp and cook outdoors while at front country and wilderness spike camps.

Collect, record, and submit accurate, detailed project data.

• Accurately complete project field paperwork including weekly reports, safety sheets, incident reports, end-of-week checklists, feedback forms and others as necessary.

Ensure personal and corps members safety while in the field, especially…