Appalachians Fire Practitioner and Land Steward

We’re Looking for You:

Want to help save the planet? Through the efforts of The Nature Conservancy, over 200,000 acres in Alabama have been preserved for people and nature. From the mountains to the sea, the Southern Deltas Chapter is dedicated to conserving the natural resources that make Alabama unique. This is an exceptional career opportunity for a highly motivated, capable individual interested in joining the world’s leading conservation organization!

• Function as both leader and member of a work team, in a productive team environment.
• Supervises Burn Crew Members, and/or Senior Burn Crew Members during fire operations.
• Provides mentoring for Burn Crew Members and other fire staff.
• Assists with logistics, expenses, time reporting, and other administrative tasks for squad members as assigned.
• Convey work instructions to Burn Crew members.
• Monitor the progress of Burn Crew Members toward achieving fire management goals and ensures safety.
• Makes decisions on the fire line based upon evaluation of fire behavior, available resources, and judgment.
• Aids in prescribed fire preparation and participates on prescribed burns on TNC and partner lands.
• Performs preserve maintenance tasks (maintain signage, build and maintain trails, mark boundaries, control invasives).
• Ability to perform heavy physical work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain, and under physically demanding circumstances.
• May work under minimal and/or distant supervision; may supervise staff; may make some independent decisions based on analysis, experience and context.
• Travels regularly and occasionally overnight for projects, monitoring, and other needs.
• Must have a valid driver’s license and a good driving record.

• High school diploma and 1-year training in fire operations, science-related field or similar field or related experience in land management.
• Qualified Fire Fighter Type 1 (Squad Boss) or open FFT1 task book. Requirements for FFT1 can be found in the Conservancy Fire Management Manual.
• Two or more seasons as a Senior Burn Crew Member or similar agency qualification.
• Must achieve physical fitness standards as set by local Fire Manager and the TNC Fire Manual.
• Experience supervising staff or volunteers is required.
• May be required to obtain related licenses and certifications such as CPR and herbicide application.
• Experience with natural systems and ecological land management principles.
• Experience operating and repairing various types of equipment and machinery.
• Experience completing tasks independently with respect to timelines.
• Must have valid driver’s license.

• 2 years of experience in land management, fire management, or another science-related field.
• Coursework/training and/or experience working in natural systems of the southeastern U.S.
• Experience with regional natural systems and ecological land management principles, with an emphasis on the Appalachian region of Alabama and the southeastern US. Knowledge of characteristic plant and animal species found in the southern Appalachians and montane longleaf pine and willingness to learn to identify native and non‑native plant and animal species.
• Qualified National Wildfire Coordinating Group Fire Fighter Type 1 (Squad Boss), with completed FFT1 position task book preferred.
• Coursework/training and/or experience in current trends and practices in conservation, land management and natural resource conservation.
• Ability to complete tasks independently with respect to timelines.
• Experience with ArcGIS, including database knowledge to maintain geospatial management records.
• Experience evaluating inputs in a rapidly changing work environment and making decisions that affect the safety…