NC Southern Blue Ridge As-Needed Senior Burn Crew Member

The Nature Conservancy (All); Asheville (NC); On-site; USD 28,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

The Nature Conservancy in the Southern Blue Ridge region seeks a Senior Burn Crew Member to lead prescribed-fire prep, implementation, and follow-up work, with responsibility for coordinating crew members and volunteers.

This hands-on role emphasizes safety, field leadership, and adapting to variable weather and rugged terrain while ensuring firelines, ignition, and monitoring are performed to high standards.

Qualifications

• Current FFT2 qualification including I-100, L-180, S-190, S-130, IS-700 and a completed training burn.
• At least two seasons as FFT2 or agency equivalent.
• Experience leading or directing volunteers or small field crews with clear instruction delivery.

Responsibilities

• Lead prescribed-fire prep and operations while maintaining safety and supervision.
• Coordinate crew and volunteers, assign tasks, and ensure field readiness of tools and equipment.
• Monitor fire behavior, fuels, and weather, and report activities to management.

Skills

Leadership

Team communication

Physical stamina

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Firefighting equipment

UTVs and pumps

Job description

What We Can Achieve Together:

The Senior Burn Crew Member (SBCM) supports prescribed fire preparation, implementation, and follow-up activities throughout the Southern Blue Ridge region while providing day-to-day leadership to crew members and volunteers. Work may include organizing and communicating assignments, preparing and maintaining firelines, operating hand tools and equipment, ignition, holding, patrol, mop-up, monitoring, and related forestry or land-management projects. The SBCM functions as both a leader and member of the crew, works under the direction of the Stewardship Manager, Burn Crew Managers, or other command personnel, maintains required fire qualifications and fitness standards, and builds effective working relationships with Conservancy staff and fire-management partners. Work may occur in variable weather, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain, and under physically demanding circumstances.

We’re Looking for You:

The Southern Blue Ridge (NC) Senior Burn Crew Member supports prescribed fire preparation, implementation, and follow-up work, along with related forestry and land-management projects as assigned. The position provides field leadership, communicates work assignments, helps organize personnel and equipment, and supports safe, efficient operations.

Compensation is $24.26 per hour and includes travel time from the designated meet-up location to and from the work site. If overnight travel is required, compensation will occur during actual work hours. No housing is provided, and candidates are responsible for securing housing within commuting distance of Asheville, North Carolina.

Essential Functions

The Senior Burn Crew Member participates in prescribed fire and related land-management work throughout the Southern Blue Ridge region under the direction of the Stewardship Manager, Burn Crew Managers, Burn Boss, or other command personnel. A substantial portion of work November through January emphasizes burn-unit preparation, including fireline construction and maintenance, vegetation and fuels removal, equipment preparation, and other tasks needed to make units ready for burn implementation. Staffing needs average 2-4 operational periods biweekly, but work can be sporadic and clustered around suitable weather and project needs. No minimum number of work opportunities is guaranteed or implied, and crew members may accept opportunities as their schedules allow.

The Senior Burn Crew Member assists with prescribed fire operations on TNC preserves and partner lands across North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. Duties may include leading small crews during burn preparation and implementation; communicating work assignments; coordinating crew members and volunteers; ensuring tools, engines, UTVs, and equipment are operational and field-ready; and conducting fireline construction, ignition, holding, patrol, mop-up, and fuels, weather, and fire behavior monitoring. When trained and authorized, the position may also operate pumps, engines, UTVs, hand tools, and other equipment. Additional responsibilities may include forestry work, fire-effects and ecological monitoring, vegetation management, fuels reduction, and related stewardship projects throughout the year. Senior Burn Crew Members represent TNC on partner projects and are expected to work safely, professionally, and effectively in the field.

TNC’s fire management manual

The Senior Burn Crew Member must provide fire boots that meet TNC Fire Management Manual requirementsand must provide transportation to the designated meet-up location, usually Asheville, North Carolina. TNC will provide transportation from the meet-up location to and from work sites. TNC can provide required flame-resistant clothing (Nomex), a line pack, fire shelter, radio, and radio harness as needed. TNC Fire Management Manual requirements apply.

Responsibility & Scope

• Functions as both a leader and member of a work team in a high-stress environment.
• Conveys work instructions and provides field direction to crew members and volunteers while working under the supervision of the Burn Boss, Burn Crew Manager, Stewardship Manager, or other command personnel.
• Helps plan and organize daily work, personnel, equipment, and communications; assists with documenting activities and relaying operational information.

Performs heavy physical work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain, and under physically demanding circumstances.

The Senior Burn Crew Member supports prescribed fire preparation and operations from constructing and maintaining firelines to leading small work groups during ignition, holding, patrol, mop-up, and post-burn monitoring. Senior Crew Members may also support forestry, fuels-reduction, vegetation-management, monitoring, and other land-management projects throughout the year while continuing to develop leadership, technical skills, and professional fire qualifications.

What You’ll Bring:

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Current qualification as Firefighter Type 2 (FFT2), including I-100, L-180, S-190, S-130, IS-700, completion of a training burn, and any additional requirements identified 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 communicating work assignments clearly.
• Must achieve the physical fitness standard determined by the local Prescribed Fire Manager and the TNC Fire Management Manual; must have a valid driver’s license and be able to obtain related licenses or certifications as required, such as First Aid and CPR.

Desired Qualifications

• Multilingual skills and multicultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.
• 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 in scheduling. Assignments will vary in location and duration, from minimal hours per pay period to many hours depending on conditions and project needs. Work locations are scattered throughout western North Carolina and portions of Tennessee, South Carolina, and Georgia from an Asheville base.
• Experience operating vehicles, pulling equipment trailers, and operating UTVs safely; relevant operator training or licensing is desirable.
• Ability to evaluate changing conditions and make decisions that affect the safety and work of firefighters within an assigned group.
• Ability to coordinate through text messages and email, document work activities, and use field mapping applications such as Avenza Maps.
• Additional training or experience that supports the work, 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.

This position requires a valid driver's license and compliance with TNC’s Auto Safety Program. Employees may not drive Conservancy-owned/leased vehicles, rental cars, or personal vehicles on behalf of the Conservancy if considered "high risk drivers." To learn more about the Auto Safety Program, visit the Auto Safety information page. Employment in this position will be contingent upon completion of a Vehicle Use Agreement, which may include a review of the prospective employee's motor vehicle record.

Salary Information:

The pay rate for a candidate selected for this position is $24.26 per hour. This pay rate only applies to candidates whose country of employment is the USA. Please note countries outside the USA would have a different pay range in the local currency based on the local labor market, and not tied to USA pay or ranges. Your geographic location will be confirmed during the recruitment.

Who We Are:

The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to protect the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that we can create a world in which people and nature thrive. We’re rooted in our mission and guided by our values, which include respect for all people, communities, and cultures. Whether it’s career development, flexible schedules, or a rewarding mission, there’s many reasons to love life inside TNC. Want a better insight to TNC? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube to hear stories from staff or visit Glassdoor.

One goal is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that all our colleagues around the globe feel a sense of belonging and that their unique contributions to our mission are valued. In addition to the requirements in our job postings, we recognize that people come with talent and experiences outside of a job and consider each applicant’s unique experience. To quote a popular saying at TNC,