Posted 12/17/2024

The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) has openings for several Wilderness Conservation Crew Technicians. Interested applicants should email a cover letter and resume to Ray Bloxham, Field Director, at hiring@suwa.org. The deadline to submit your application is January 31st, 2025. 

Job Description 

The Wilderness Conservation Crew (WCC) Technician is a part-time, field-based position focused on implementing on-the-ground protections for designated wilderness areas in central Utah. Working on a team of four crew members, the WCC Technician will use remediation techniques, data collection, and monitoring to ensure the long-term protection of designated wilderness areas. The position requires long and physically demanding days in remote areas and substantial amounts of backcountry driving, often on rugged and technical four-wheel-drive roads (field vehicles will be provided). The position reports directly to The Wilderness Conservation Crew Lead, with additional supervision by SUWA’s Field Specialist and Field Director. 

Responsibilities 

• Conduct on-the-ground remediation of impacts to designated wilderness (including, but not limited to, naturalization, signing, and fencing) using a range of tools including shovels, rakes, hammers, and various power tools. 
• Implement approved site remediation techniques and design standards at pre-determined project locations.  
• Utilize app-based mapping tools and photography to document project areas before and after completion, as well conduct monitoring of past project areas.  
• Communicate frequently with SUWA’s Field Specialist and Field Director, including attending pre- and post-trip meetings. 

Preferred Skills 

• Demonstrated commitment to wilderness preservation and interest in wilderness management. 
• Education and/or field experiences related to public lands. 
• Trail work, land restoration, construction, or other applicable manual labor experience. • Ability to regularly lift and carry heavy objects (i.e., rocks, wood, fencing material) over rough terrain 
• Experience recreating or working in wilderness or backcountry settings, including knowledge and proficiency in backcountry travel and orienting using topographical maps. • Ability to implement field data collection protocols with initiative and attention to detail. • Experience driving on rugged, four-wheel-drive roads in remote locations, as well as experience dealing with unexpected vehicle issues.
• Ability to spend 5 or more consecutive days and nights at a time working and camping in remote locations without cell phone service, including long days and rigorous physical activity. 
• Willingness to work in all types of weather conditions, including harsh and often high temperature desert environments. 

Requirements 

• Commitment to working hitches of 5-6 days, 8-12 hour/days, every other week from March 3rd to October 31 (with a potential summer break during periods of excessive heat).
• Current Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness First Responder certification.
• A valid, state-issued driver’s license and clean driving record. 
• Positive attitude, strong work ethic, and ability to work both individually and on a team.  

Location, Start Date, Compensation and Benefits 

• Based out of Salt Lake City, Utah, with travel throughout central Utah. Anticipated start date is March 3rd, 2025.
• $20/hour plus food stipend and workers’ compensation coverage. Part-time employees are eligible for overtime pay but are not eligible for health insurance, life insurance, long-term disability, pension or retirement, vacation/holiday pay, or sick pay.  

About SUWA 

The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of outstanding wilderness throughout Utah and the management of these lands in their natural state for the benefit of all Americans.  

SUWA promotes local and national recognition of the region’s unique character through research  and public education; supports both administrative and legislative initiatives to permanently  protect wild places within the National Park and National Wilderness Preservation Systems, or  by other protective designations where appropriate; builds support for such initiatives on both the  local and national level; and provides leadership within the conservation movement through  uncompromising advocacy for wilderness preservation.  

The lands we work to protect are the ancestral homelands of many Tribes, including those that were forcibly removed at the hands of the U.S. government in an effort to exterminate their cultures, languages, and ways of life. These injustices are still felt today, but the quest to erase the Tribes failed: Indigenous communities continue their traditions and remain an integral part of the landscape and our community. We are committed to working toward understanding this history; to expanding present-day common ground, collaboration, and reconciliation with our Tribal neighbors; and to advocating that Tribes receive a seat at the table when others would exclude them. 

SUWA is committed to workplace diversity and inclusion. SUWA is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.