READY- Restoring Environment And Developing Youth

Be a part of Howard Ecoworks’ coveted Summer READY Program- make a difference in your local environment while having fun and making friends!

 

JOB DESCRIPTION: READY Crew Member

Seasonal, Full-Time Position

Reports to: Crew Leader

Job Overview: 

A Crew Member will be an essential part of the team in providing environmental services, including the installation and maintenance of landscaping projects such as tree plantings, bayscapes, and rain gardens, as well as performing maintenance and assessments of stream restoration sites, removing debris from waterways, and more. Crew Members work in teams under the direction of their Crew Leader, Assistant Crew Leader, and operational staff. They will learn how to work as a team to successfully create and manage stormwater practices in the Bay region as well as be exposed to a variety of career opportunities in the environmental and stormwater industries.

They can expect to work outdoors in a wide range of weather conditions.  In addition to learning environmental restoration domain skills, our employees receive training in a variety of transferable job skills.  Through the READY program, Howard EcoWorks provides training in identifying native and non-native plants, construction techniques for environmental restoration projects, proper tool usage and care, and so forth.  As a workforce development program, the READY program also includes soft-skills training and exposure to different opportunities in the environmental industry.

Responsibilities & Duties:

  • Construction and maintenance of environmental landscaping practices such as rain gardens, native landscapes, native tree plantings, and stream restoration projects

  • Learn and implement season-specific maintenance techniques for each landscaping practice

  • Plant, excavate, mulch, and remove invasive plants according to the project at hand

  • Remove tree limbs, overgrowth, and other debris from local streams

  • Properly use, store and care for all equipment, tools, materials, etc.

  • Adhere to company protocols surrounding COVID-19, including but not limited to: proactive communication of symptoms to supervisors

Qualifications & Requirements:

  • Must be between 16-25 years of age

  • Must be a Howard County resident

  • Able and willing to work in a variety of outdoor settings including forests and streams

  • Demonstrated ability to work with a team as well as independently

  • Can physically stand, bend, squat, and lift up to 40 pounds repetitively throughout a day

  • Must have reliable transportation to the company’s office each day

  • May be asked to use a personal vehicle if applicable. Approved mileage is reimbursed

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Passion and/or interest in the outdoors

  • Previous experience working outdoors or in landscaping

  • Flexible with changes in day to day tasks

Wage: $13.50/hr

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Benefits:

  • Opportunity to earn a Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional-Associate  (CBLP-A) Certificate

  • Paid sick leave – 1 hour of Sick and Safe Leave accumulated for every 30 hours worked, accumulating up to 40 hours per year.  Accrual starts on the first day of employment and one is eligible to use Sick and Safe Leave after the completion of 30 days of employment

  • Option to enroll in the EcoWorks 401(k) plan

Job Timeline:

This is a full-time, hourly, seasonal position that begins on June 27th, 2022 and working through August 12, 2022. Crew Member hours during the Summer are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with a half-hour unpaid lunch break and 2 paid 15-minute breaks per day.  This position is not eligible for holiday time or pay.  Weekend work opportunities may be available but are not mandatory.  Work in the field is weather-dependent, which may result in shortened work weeks.  Indoor training and professional development opportunities may be offered on bad-weather days.