Junior Ranger Program Assistant For Field Support And Education

The City of Boulder is a great place to live, work, grow and play.

With over 300 miles of dedicated bikeways and more than 150 miles of hiking trails, Boulder values active lifestyles and access to nature. Forty-five thousand acres of land provide open space for parks and a green belt around the city. With world class restaurants and art and music venues, The City of Boulder values diverse culture.

Respect is one of our five City Values (including Customer Service, Collaboration, Integrity and Innovation) and we are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion. We celebrate and support our differences across all spectrums, including but not limited to ethnicity, gender, age, disability and sexuality. Through our focus on Racial Equity, our employee benefits, and the many programs and resources we offer our staff, we continually strive to weave respect for one another into the fabric of our organization.

Add your voice and talents to the City of Boulder and help us grow in service excellence for an inspired future.

OVERALL JOB OBJECTIVE: The Junior Ranger Program Assistant – Field Support and Education role provides support and leadership in all aspects of running the Junior Ranger program (an early work experience and stewardship education program for teens ages 14-17) and associated events. This position will primarily focus on visiting crews in the field, supporting technical work projects, substituting as a Team Leader when someone is absent, and providing education to crews. They will oversee field and project management, skills development, and program operations; as well as provide public communications, administrative and logistical support to the Program Coordinator. They will also manage media & photos, schedule work projects with project sponsors, and coordinate formal educational opportunities with the Education & Outreach team. Occasional weekend work may be asked of them.

It goes without saying that this year will likely look very different from previous years. Please note that COVID continues to interrupt program operations and your work duties may change dramatically to ensure your safety and minimize exposure. We are seeking highly adaptable and flexible teammates for the 2021 season.

This is approximately a 4-month role with an opportunity to return annually/reapply (approximately early May – late August).

A cover letter and resume are required for your application to be considered complete.

EXAMPLE RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACTIVITIES:

Project Management & Field Support (50%)

• Coordinate timeframes, equipment and materials for all work projects and act as a liaison for six natural resource specialist workgroups (Vegetation Management, Ecological Restoration, Trails, Forestry, Rangers, and Agriculture Management) and four conservation crews
• Lead daily work plan meetings, communicate project goals and details, ensure safety and quality, and provide performance feedback to staff and teams in the field
• Substitute as a crew lead in the field, supporting youth, volunteer or contract crews with hands-on, spontaneous, timely, onsite field solutions
• Support crews in the field by bringing additional tools or gear; and facilitating clear project site navigation, orientation & task delegation

Supervising & Training (30%)

• Provide onsite technical training on trail maintenance, rock projects, vegetation management techniques, etc as needed
• Plan, organize, schedule, and help facilitate a 3-week staff training which includes tool training, leadership, project management, and team development activities for staff team
• Openly share successes and challenges to support team learning and individual growth

Planning (10%)

• Design, organize and schedule environmental educations programs, work projects, and staff trainings for conservation team for 13 program staff and 90 corps members
• Lead the collection and organization of completed work project data and educational components in a report-ready format
• Perform office and administrative duties with supervisor including schedules, budgeting, outreach, work planning, entering data into databases, and planning events for annual recognition

Reporting & Communication (10%)

• Communicate program achievements via website, social media feeds, monthly newsletters, and year-end program report
• Assist with recruitment events & materials, marketing/advertising, record keeping, staff training manual updates, and database management

Other

• Knows and complies with all policies, including safety best practices
• Reports and takes personal responsibility for all accidents, damage to city property, and/or policy infractions

Required Qualifications:

• Must have a valid drivers' license and the ability to maintain an acceptable motor vehicle record. You will be responsible for driving minors and must demonstrate defensive driving skills.
• Acceptable background information, including criminal history, is required
• Must be 18 years or older
• Ability to perform a wide range of physical and manual tasks (including hiking, manipulating tools, working together to move heavy objects) in an outdoor environment for extended periods of time in all weather conditions
• Trail maintenance or trail construction experience

Required Competencies:

• Advanced Trail Maintenance Techniques: Ability to identify basic trail elements and structures, understand and explain why the structures are used, and train others how to maintain or construct trail elements (i.e. rolling grade dips, rock armoring, rock retaining walls, log steps, proper trail corridor specifications, etc)
• Instructing or Mentoring: Teaching someone how to do something. Demonstrating commitment to mentoring others, answering questions, and providing a safe space to learn.
• Project Management: Familiar with coordinating events or projects that involve many variables including time, people, resources, guidelines/specifications, and responding to unexpected or additional elements. Ensuring that information is complete and accurate; and agreements are fulfilled. Attention to detail is crucial.
• Flexibility, Humility, and Adaptability: Openness to different and new ways of doing things; willingness to modify one’s preferred way of doing things. Responsive to feedback; coachable. Able to function effectively when directions or priorities change quickly.
• Problem Solving & Decision Making: Ability to recognize needs, assess possible methods to meet needs, and act on solutions.
• Teamwork: Working effectively as a member and leader of formal and informal teams. Understanding the interests and concerns of others and able and willing to share and receive information. Demonstrating interest, skill, and success in getting groups to learn to work together. Willing to help out in any capacity. Demonstrates direct, courageous communication by openly sharing successes and challenges to support team learning and individual growth.

Preferred Competencies:

• Leading Others with Emotional Intelligence: Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job. The ability to notice, interpret, and anticipate others’ concerns and feelings, and to communicate this awareness empathetically to others.
• Building Collaborative Relationships: Developing, maintaining, and strengthening partnerships with others inside and outside the organization. Providing information, assistance, and support to others.
• Written and Oral Communication: Speaking or writing to communicate ideas in project management meetings, team instruction, email coordination, newsletters and reports. Actively listens to concerns and is open to the ideas of colleagues and customers. Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively with the public and coworkers, with excellent customer service skills.
• Initiative: Identifying what needs to be done and doing it before being asked or before the situation requires it. Completes work in a timely and consistent manner.
• Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things, including creative, one-of-a-kind methods.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proficient with MS Office suite (Word, Excel and Outlook)
• Experience supervising or teaching middle or high school aged youth
• Experience supervising or supporting work crews completing natural resource management or land management field tasks
• Previous work experience or education demonstrating an understanding of basic biology, land management, and ecology
• Knowledge of positive youth development principles
• College level courses in Natural Resource Management, Environmental Studies, Youth Development or a related field
• Wilderness First Responder or First Aid & CPR Certification

What you will learn on the job:

• Wilderness First Aid (if you do not already have a higher certification)
• History & Goals of the Junior Ranger Program
• Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) trail system & natural resource specialties
• OSMP’s trail maintenance guidelines and protocol
• Environmental and leadership resources and lesson plans
• Additional supervision and mentorship strategies, including feedback delivery
• How to plan a 3-week comprehensive staff training
• Additional project management and scheduling coordination skills

Benefits: A summary of the benefits available to city employees may be found here.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE:

(1) TITLE OF IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR: Youth Service Learning Coordinator

(2) TITLE(S) OF POSITIONS OVER WHICH THIS POSITION HAS DIRECT SUPERVISION: Junior Ranger Team Leaders, Team Leaders in Training, Members and occasional volunteers

WORKING CONDITIONS: Physical ability to perform tasks in an outdoor environment in all weather conditions including lifting, standing for long periods, walking on rough terrain and kneeling. Work takes place in both an office setting and field setting with continuous interruptions and background noises.

ACCOMMODATIONS: Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

The City of Boulder provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, or any other status protected under federal, state, and/or local law.

PLEASE NOTE WHEN APPLYING: **This position will remain open for a minimum of 5 days from 1/26/2021 after which it will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.**