Field Leader - Alabama Conservation GulfCorps

Position Summary 

Service Position Title: Alabama Conservation Corps (ALCC) GulfCorps
Days and Hours of Service: Monday through Friday (8:00 AM – 4:30), Monday through Thursday (7:00-5:30),
Some nights and weekends may be required.
Start Date: August 17, 2026
End Date: February 20,2027

ALCC Contact: Sara Boccardo, Program Manager, 251-459-2328, sboccardo@thesca.org

Primary Service Site: Various parks, wildlife refuges, nature preserves, and other public spaces in Mobile and Baldwin County

Program Overview

The Student Conservation Association (SCA), America’s #1 conservation service organization seeks an experienced, quality oriented, outdoor leader to supervise, educate and inspire up to 8 members of the Alabama Conservation Corps’ (ALCC) seasonal GulfCorps program.
Two Crew Leaders will guide and inspire a team of 8 young adults based out of Mobile, AL while serving to improve habitats along the Gulf Coast. The crew will start and begin each day at our office in Mobile and then travel to the project site for the day in SCA vehicles. Crew Leaders will oversee and lead projects such as invasive species management, habitat restoration, trail maintenance, fire break preparation, and boardwalk repair. Projects will take place outdoor spaces such as parks, nature preserves, wildlife refuges and other public lands. Monitoring and data collection will be ongoing while in the field, using ESRI Field Maps. Strong conservation work skills (power tool operation, chainsaw, and carpentry) and experience in leading teams and mentoring individuals are preferred for this position.
In addition to providing training in conservation wok skills, GulfCorps provides support to both crew members and crew leaders in the development of soft skills such as resume building, interviewing skills, and the development of actionable career goals. Professional development activities ranging from workshops, presentations, and independent assignments will be scheduled out each month with the goal of supporting placement post program. Participation in professional development is a requirement of the program for both Crew Leaders and Members. 
The ALCC’s Gulf Corps program was originally funded by the RESTORE Council in 2017 following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and has been able continue into this season thanks to NOAA’s Transformational Communities Grant. SCA manages the AL crew in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, who manages the NOAA grant, and The Corps Network, which oversees the professional development component of the program. Projects will be carried out in partnership with federal, state, county, municipal and local nonprofit agencies along coastal Alabama.
Crew Leaders may also have the option to opt into Disaster Response Deployments. Deployments would last 4-5 weeks and include intensive work schedules (50-60 hrs/week) in unpredictable environments, under the guidance and supervision of SCA staff working with the disaster response agency assigned Incident Commander. Work can include but not be limited to evacuation shelter assistance, donation center management, volunteer management, clean-up efforts, "mucking and gutting" in private residences, debris removal, Saw and/or rigging work, public information outreach, plantings and other natural area restorations.

Trainings
Leader Training: August 17, 2026 – September 5, 2026;
Crew member Orientation (Sept 1 – 4, 2026);
GulfCorps Orientation overnight at Camp Beckwith (Sept 7-11, 2026);
Wilderness First Aid and CPR (Sept 14-16, 2026);
Wildland Firefighter and Chainsaw Certification overnight at Camp Beckwith (TBD);
Service Conditions
Service is performed primarily outdoors. Some classroom time will be required when weather conditions are not ideal for outdoor service or when required professional development activities are due.

Equipment Used
Hand tools, herbicide and herbicide application equipment, power tools, carpentry tools, and chainsaws.

 

Hosting Organization

The Nature Conservancy - Gulf

 

Location 

Mobile, AL

 

Schedule 

August 17, 2026 - February 27, 2027

 

Key Duties and Responsibilities 

• Act as a Crew Leader and work closely with a co-leader to manage field based tasks, guide crew dynamics, and facilitate teamwork for a crew of young adults (18+)
• Function as a Technical Advisor and train members in technical conservation work skills, mentor personal and professional development, and teach environmental stewardship
• Act as a Project Manager, by communicating with agency park partners, ensuring successful and timely completion of work projects, and upholding a positive represen