NC Southern Blue Ridge As-Needed Senior Burn Crew Member

The Nature Conservancy•Asheville, NC

15h•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Burn Crew Member supports prescribed fire preparation, implementation, and follow-up throughout the Southern Blue Ridge region, along with related forestry and land-management projects. The role provides day-to-day field leadership to crew members and volunteers while also working as a member of the crew under the direction of the Stewardship Manager, Burn Crew Managers, Burn Boss, or other command personnel. Work includes preparing burn units, constructing and maintaining firelines, removing vegetation and fuels, preparing equipment, and assisting with ignition, holding, patrol, mop-up, and monitoring. When trained and authorized, the employee may operate pumps, engines, UTVs, hand tools, and other equipment. Other assignments may include forestry, fire-effects and ecological monitoring, vegetation management, fuels reduction, and stewardship projects. The position represents The Nature Conservancy (TNC) on partner projects and requires safe, professional, and effective field work. Work takes place across North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia, with locations scattered throughout western North Carolina and nearby portions of those states from an Asheville base. Assignments vary in location and duration and are scheduled around weather and project needs; work averages 2–4 operational periods biweekly but may be sporadic or clustered. No minimum number of work opportunities is guaranteed, and crew members may accept assignments as their schedules allow. Work may involve variable weather, remote locations, difficult and hazardous terrain, and heavy physical demands. The pay rate is $24.26 per hour. Travel time to and from the work site is compensated when traveling from the designated meet-up location, usually Asheville. If overnight travel is required, compensation is for actual work hours. No housing is provided; candidates are responsible for securing housing within commuting distance of Asheville. The employee must provide fire boots meeting TNC Fire Management Manual requirements and transportation to the meet-up location. TNC provides transportation between the meet-up location and work sites and can provide required flame-resistant clothing, a line pack, fire shelter, radio, and radio harness as needed.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Current Firefighter Type 2 (FFT2) qualification, including I-100, L-180, S-190, S-130, IS-700, completion of a training burn, and any additional requirements in the TNC Fire Management Manual.
At least two seasons of experience as a qualified FFT2 or agency equivalent.
Experience leading or directing volunteers, entry-level staff, or small field crews and clearly communicating work assignments.
Ability to meet the physical fitness standard determined by the local Prescribed Fire Manager and the TNC Fire Management Manual.
Valid driver’s license and ability to obtain related licenses or certifications as required, such as First Aid and CPR.
Ability to provide fire boots meeting TNC Fire Management Manual requirements and transportation to the designated meet-up location.
Compliance with TNC’s Auto Safety Program; employment is contingent on completing a Vehicle Use Agreement, which may include review of the applicant’s motor vehicle record.
Ability to perform heavy physical work in variable weather, remote locations, and difficult or hazardous terrain.

Nice To Haves

Multilingual skills and multicultural or cross-cultural experience.
Training, education, or experience in wildland fire, prescribed fire, forestry, biology, ecology, natural-resource management, or a related land-management field.
Demonstrated leadership, organization, planning, communication, and judgment in dynamic field environments.
Flexibility to work assignments that vary in location, duration, and hours according to conditions and project needs.
Experience safely operating vehicles, pulling equipment trailers, and operating UTVs; relevant operator training or licensing.
Ability to evaluate changing conditions and make decisions affecting the safety and work of firefighters in an assigned group.
Ability to coordinate through text messages and email, document work activities, and use field mapping applications such as Avenza Maps.
Additional relevant training or experience, such as FFT1 or Single Resource Boss qualifications, S-212 Wildland Fire Chain Saws, S-211 Portable Pumps and Water Use, UTV safety and operations, pump or wildland engine operations, First Aid/CPR, and Avenza Maps.
Chainsaw experience is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

Support prescribed fire preparation, implementation, and follow-up on TNC preserves and partner lands across the Southern Blue Ridge region.
Lead small crews during burn preparation and implementation, communicate work assignments, and coordinate crew members and volunteers.
Help plan and organize daily work, personnel, equipment, and communications; document activities and relay operational information.
Construct and maintain firelines; remove vegetation and fuels; prepare equipment and burn units for implementation.
Participate in ignition, holding, patrol, mop-up, and fuels, weather, fire-behavior, and post-burn monitoring.
Ensure tools, engines, UTVs, and equipment are operational and field-ready; operate equipment when trained and authorized.
Perform related forestry, fire-effects and ecological monitoring, vegetation-management, fuels-reduction, and stewardship work.
Represent TNC on partner projects and conduct field work safely and professionally.
Maintain required fire qualifications and fitness standards and follow TNC Fire Management Manual requirements.