Field Leader- Summer 2026 Western Corps Teams

Field Leader: 2026 Summer Western Trail Corps 

Program Dates: 4/5/26 - 8/22/26 

Training Dates: 4/5/26 - 5/8/26 

Field Season: 5/9/26 - 8/22/26 

Conservation Begins Here.  
Are you ready to lead in one of the most rugged and beautiful landscapes in the Western U.S.? Do you want to make a tangible difference in our natural spaces and communities? Join the Student Conservation Association (SCA) as a Field Leader for our Western Trail Corps and embark on a journey that blends purpose with adventure. 

This isn’t your average 9-to-5 job. You’ll manage and mentor a 4-6 person crew working on trail maintenance projects to promote safe recreational experiences in public lands in the Western U.S. Projects may include clearing trail corridors, logging out trails with crosscut saws, rock work, and maintaining tread and drainage features.  

Leaders will be assigned to their project sites after they are accepted into SCA Western Corps. Project sites in summer 2026 may include National Forests in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, or Colorado.  Previous project sites have included the Sierra National Forest, Inyo National Forest, and Sequoia National Forest. Crews will train, live and work together throughout the season. Join SCA for an immersive opportunity to build, manage and inspire a community of like-minded individuals — while completing meaningful service. 

 

What We’re Looking For 

If you're passionate about making a real difference and leading with purpose, this role is for you. Strong candidates will have a good foundation in backcountry living and experience working outdoors. Since this position will be backcountry, leaders should have solid experience managing camps and projects in rugged conditions. In addition to these technical skills, strong leader candidates are also able to stay organized, practice accountability, possess good judgement, promote belonging, and maintain an open perspective. 

 

Effective crew leadership revolves around building trust, problem-solving, and cultivating resilience within the team. We're seeking leaders who prioritize emotional intelligence, empathy, and the ability to guide others through challenges.  

 

Success for our teams depends on understanding and addressing both individual and group needs. Leaders must be fully invested in supporting their crew - through everything from community meetings to one-on-one check-ins - even outside of project hours. The leader will need to establish effective communication strategies with their team and work with their crew’s senior member to manage project and member well-being.  

 

Conservation work is unpredictable, and the best leaders are those who can adapt, communicate, and bring out the best in their team under any circumstances.