Youth Conservation Corp Coordinator

Job Summary: This is a position for someone who is excited about both outdoor conservation work and inspiring future educators. Our Youth jobshiringnearme.org Corps (YCC) program is designed to train and inspire educators through experiential conservation work. This person will plan and lead Cottonwood Gulch’s Youth jobshiringnearme.org Corps (YCC) Program. Our YCC program began in 2018 as a residential summer program, and that program will continue in 2025. Additionally, we are adding a Fall 2025 YCC day program for young adults in New Mexico. This person will be responsible for coordinating and leading or co-leading both programs. This is a full-time position with benefits, guaranteed through December 15, 2025. We intend to make this a permanent, year-round position if our funding is renewed in 2026.

Responsibilities: 

Program Coordination & Implementation

• Summer YCC Program (Primary funder is US Forest Service)
• Work collaboratively with the US Forest Service, other partners, and other Cottonwood Gulch staff to plan and implement projects
• Work with our Staff Experience Coordinator to recruit and hire crew members
• Train crew members on basic safety skills, conservation work, and teamwork
• Co-Lead our 7-week residential summer YCC program
• Track program data and report on the program to funders at the end of the season
• Fall YCC Program – inspiring conservation educators through conservation projects (Primary funder is State of New Mexico YCC)
• Work collaboratively with the State of New Mexico YCC, Bernalillo County, and other Cottonwood Gulch staff to plan and implement projects
• Develop and implement curriculum that meets our program goals of inspiring future educators and conservation workers through the YCC program
• Work with our Staff Experience Coordinator to recruit and hire crew members
• Lead our fall YCC crew
• Track program data and report on the program to funders at the end of the season

Required Qualifications: 

• Three years experience in conservation, conservation education, or similar field
• Experience as an outdoor educator or similar role, managing risk, supervising other field staff, and independently running programs
• Experience in leadership/supervisory/managerial roles
• Must be able to spend time in the field, including overnight hours (work hours are sometimes outside of traditional office hours)
• Experience with Google Drive, Adobe products, and Microsoft Office, or ability to quickly learn to use those products, and similar ones, in a professional setting
• Strong administrative skills, including the ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks simultaneously and independently
• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally with a wide range of audiences
• Wilderness First Responder certification, or ability to acquire within 90 days of hire

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Experience working with federal and local land management agencies
• Wilderness EMT
• Experience with development work, including fundraising and grants
• Familiarity with landscapes & ecology of the US Southwest
• Understanding of historic and contemporary land and cultural issues unique to New Mexico
• Bilingual in English & Spanish

Work Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico from August through May; and our Basecamp in Thoreau, New Mexico (or camping throughout the state) June-early August 

Work Schedule: 

• Target start date March 2025
• March-May will be primarily for planning, hiring, and assisting with Gulch programming (we anticipate 25% of the time will be spent in the field to gain firsthand knowledge of our programs, and 75% will be spent building curriculum, communicating with partners, and recruiting crew members)
• June-early August is the implementation of the summer YCC program in the field
• August-November is the implementation of the  fall YCC program, estimated 75% field time, 25% office time
• December will be dedicated to writing reports on 2025 and planning for 2026, primarily office time

Physical Requirements: Ability to hike up to 10 miles a day on uneven surfaces and complete a week-long group backpacking trip. Ability to sleep in a tent or open-air cabin accessed by stairs, work at a desk, talk on the phone, and use a computer.

Compensation: This is a full-time position with benefits. Our current YCC funding runs through December 15, 2025. If the funding is renewed in 2026, this will become a year-round, permanent position. Starting pay is $40,000-44,000 per year depending on experience. Benefits include 100% health & dental coverage, paid time off, and retirement match. 

Inclusive and Welcoming Environment

CGE is an equal opportunity employer and does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, spousal affiliation, mental or physical handicap, serious medical condition, or military status in any of its activities or operations. 

Moreover, Cottonwood Gulch Expeditions believes in the learning, growth and healing that can take place in the outdoors.  We also recognize that access to programs like ours—along with access to any green space, clean air and water, and healthy food—continues to be a privilege rather than a right. CGE recognizes that in outdoor spaces, the voices and work of people of color, people from working class backgrounds, Indigenous people, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals have been often overlooked and marginalized. Therefore, we encourage applications from people in these groups, and all people, regardless of background.