FIELD SPECIALIST POSITION DESCRIPTION

AmeriCorps Position: Field Specialist (ages 18-25)

Living Allowance: Stipend $1990 per month

Service Term: January – December

Service Schedule: 40 hours per week, Monday – Thursday, 7:30 AM – 5:30 PM (typical)

Reports to: Regional Manager and Assistant Regional Manager

Criminal History Check: NSOPR & State, the member does not have recurring access to vulnerable populations

Location: This is not a residential program; participants must secure housing near the crew shop location. Lodging (tents in mild temperatures or motels in winter) and food will only be provided during week-long out-of-town service projects. Depending on crew location, up to 90% of projects will be out-of-town assignments, requiring camping for 4 to 12 consecutive days.

  • Rochester

Position Summary: The Field Specialist position is integral to the AmeriCorps Field Program’s goal of accomplishing service projects as well as providing training, education, coordination and leadership to ensure a positive and safe experience for Regional Corpsmembers. The individual will spend 50% of their service time working closely with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) staff to coordinate invasive species treatment schedules and provide leadership on prescribed fires and native seed harvest. An emphasis will be placed on professional development and gaining experience in a wide range of resource management activities.

The Field Specialist is supervised by the Conservation Corps Regional Staff and Nature Conservancy Staff. All training, project management and equipment/vehicle maintenance will be conducted in coordination with Regional Staff. The Field Specialist interfaces with land managers from TNC to complete habitat restoration projects that benefit the host agency, the Corps program, Corpsmembers and the community. The Field Specialist must communicate program and project objectives of working safely, efficiently, and to high standards of quality, helping corpsmembers achieve personal and program success through team work and service-learning.

Qualifications:

  • Working knowledge of conservation project management from a variety of disciplines such as timber stand improvement, trail construction, GIS/GPS surveying, rain garden installation, habitat restoration and prairie/forest management.
  • Experience with hand and power tool safety, use and small engine repair.
  • Experience in tree felling and chainsaw operations, construction and mechanical skills.
  • Red card certification and wildland firefighting and/or prescribed burning experience.
  • Current First Aid/CPR certificate or better.
  • Previous experience in a leadership role, including coordinating and implementing trainings.
  • Effective communication skills and ability to multi-task and be flexible in responsibilities.
  • Flexible schedule to accommodate week-long out of town assignments and emergency response.
  • Previous AmeriCorps experience and four-year degree in a related field is preferred.

Requirements:

  • Must be a US Citizen, US National, or Lawful Permanent Resident Alien of the US.
  • Must pass the National Sex Offender Public Registry and criminal history check defined as no positive hits on the NSOPR and no history of violent offenses on the criminal history check.
  • Must successfully pass medical review process.
  • Valid driver’s license and safe driving record (no major moving violations or DUI’s in the past five years).

Essential Service Functions: Ability to perform the *Essential Service Functions 40 hours per week

  • Assist with project management, working with DNR Area Nongame Wildlife Staff and Conservation Corps Field Crew Leaders to determine schedules, daily plans, tasks, tools, and responsibilities so that projects are accomplished in an efficient, safe, and consistent manner.
  • The majority of the resource management projects include but are not limited to: prescribed burning, invasive species management, restoration of native plant communities, and inventory and assessment of those communities.
  • Ability to perform the essential functions of the job 40 hours per week:
  • Long (10 hour) days of shoveling, digging and swinging heavy tools repetitively
  • Long (10 hour) days of chainsaw / brush saw work
  • Heavy lifting, bending, and carrying up to 50 pounds
  • Walking and working on steep or uneven terrain
  • Working, eating, and camping outdoors in all weather conditions
  • Ability to complete an arduous Work Capacity Test for red card certification required for wild land fire suppression and prescribed burning. The arduous level requires individuals to walk 3 miles in 45 minutes while carrying a 45-pound pack on level terrain.

*Full list of essential functions for service available here:

*Adequately performing essential service functions is a requirement of this position. Reasonable accommodations are available upon request.

Position Responsibilities and Tasks:

Members must complete service projects to the best of their ability, serving safely, effectively and efficiently to ensure projects are completed to the satisfaction of project hosts and the community. AmeriCorps members are expected to serve a minimum of 1700 hours and complete the entire service term per the start and end dates listed on the Member Service Agreement. The service calendar outlines 1940 available hours of service, with no service (and thus, no accrual of service hours) on Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and the day before Thanksgiving Day. Therefore, absences (sick or vacation) beyond four excused days for full-time 1700 hour AmeriCorps members are deemed excessive, jeopardizing the member’s ability to accrue the minimum service hours required for the education award. If a member has excessive absences, the member may need to volunteer with an external organization outside of regularly scheduled service days to earn additional service hours to complete the education award. These additional service hours must be pre-approved by Regional Staff.

  1. Training
  • Provide or coordinate trainings such as chainsaw and brush saw safety and use, hand tool safety and use, equipment maintenance, defensive driving, trailering, and ATV, and wild land fire suppression.
  • Provide project specific trainings such as plant identification, map, compass and GPS use.
  • Conduct training demonstrations for all crews starting new jobs or using specialized tools.
  • Help coordinate trainings and actively participate in statewide Field Crew Member & Crew Leader trainings.
  • Help coordinate district education days: Field Specialists will be primarily responsible for coordinating and implementing 1 education day annually in cooperation with Regional Staff.
  • Keep training logs for all corpsmembers, in cooperation with Regional Staff.
  1. Safety
  • Promote and follow all safety requirements of OSHA, project hosts and the Corps.
  • Perform two site safety visits per assigned crew per year: complete safety checklist, debrief with crew, and follow up when needed.
  • Perform project specific “mini” safety reviews while in the field working with crews.
  • Perform one shop safety audit annually and make safety improvements as needed.
  • Inventory PPE and First-aid kits and restock as needed.
  • Assist in developing new and/or improved safety trainings, presentations, manuals, etc.
  • Draft Emergency Response Plans for all projects per assigned crew.

III.Equipment

  • Keep work areas, offices, shops and vehicles neat and orderly - conduct repairs, clean, oil, and grease equipment as needed.
  • Keep track of equipment as it travels between shop/crew locations, ensuring that all crews are properly equipped for projects.
  • Collect and record full equipment inventory for each assigned crew quarterly.
  • Assure proper maintenance of Corps fleet and equipment and complete maintenance logs for chainsaws and trailers.
  • Shuttle vehicles and equipment as needed.
  • Inform Regional staff or DNR staff of any equipment/herbicide needs for crews.
  • Allocate fire gear, and collect and return crew fire gear at year end.
  1. Service Project Coordination
  • Around 80-85% of time spent directly with crews in the field including trainings, site safety visits, providing direction/oversight of crews on technical projects, filling in for short-handed crews, shuttling equipment and mentoring Field Crew Leaders.
  • Perform field work, spike camp and emergency response duties as assigned.
  • Coordinate spike trip meals, transportation and lodging when appropriate.
  • Relay work progress and completion to DNR Area Nongame Wildlife Staff.
  1. Administration & Communication
  • Submit timesheets (Note: lunch time does not count towards service term hours), SAW forms, expense reports, receipts and monthly credit card log to Regional Staff for coding and signature.
  • Ensure sufficient communication between crews, Regional staff, TNC staff and fellow Field Specialist.
  • Copy Regional staff and other Field Specialist on all electronic correspondence.

In accordance with 45CFR 2520.65, AmeriCorps members may not perform prohibited service activities directly or indirectly by recruiting, training, or managing others for the primary purpose of engaging in the activities. Prohibited service activities are outlined in the Service Agreement section VII and AmeriCorps member manual.

Training: As a service learning program, and to prepare Field Specialists for leading a crew of his/her peers, the Corps provides orientation and technical skills training at the start of the program year, mid-term training, and additional education or project-specific training throughout the service term.

Role Clarification: This is an AmeriCorps Corpsmember level position, NOT a staff member. While serving in this AmeriCorps volunteer position, corpsmembers need to abide by the below restrictions:

  • Corpsmembers may NOT sign/approve official documents such as AmeriCorps paperwork, member timecards, performance evaluations, disciplinary contracts, project contracts or any similar documents.
  • Corpsmembers may NOT be directly involved in project acquisition or contracting.
  • Corpsmembers may NOT discipline other AmeriCorps members. While they may provide guidance, facilitate crew meetings, motivate, reward and uphold safety policies on the service site, all policy violations and disciplinary action must be directed to and handled by a staff member.

CONDITIONS OF AGREEMENT: AmeriCorps members will be subject to all state and federal laws, and the rules and regulations of OSHA and Conservation Corps. The member is expected to fully understand and adhere to the rules, regulations and code of conduct as described in the AmeriCorps member manual. Policy violations will result in disciplinary action according to program guidelines, including written warnings, fines, suspension without stipend, and/or termination. The AmeriCorps member is accountable for meeting or exceeding the responsibilities of this position as described above, and will be evaluated at mid-term and end-term by Corps Program Staff, with input from project hosts. Successful completion is contingent on both AmeriCorps education award hours and service through the agreed upon term end date.

This program is available to all, without regard to disability, race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, political affiliation, or other non-merit factors. The Conservation Corps engages AmeriCorps members, ages 18-25, as defined under the American Conservation and Youth Service Corps Act, a subtitle of the National and Community Service Act of 1990. Reasonable accommodations available upon request.

I have read and fully understand the above position description that reflects the service activities that I will perform during the AmeriCorps term.

AmeriCorps member Signature: ______Date:

Approval Signature:______Date: