Salary Range:                         $20.33 - 22.76/Hour – Dependent on Experience

Negotiating Unit:                   CSEA

Work Location:                      Saratoga Spa State Park, Regional Administration Building/Office

Region:                                   Saratoga Capital-District Region

Position Overview:

The Regional Trails Specialist is a full-time year-round, long-term seasonal position that will assist the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) in the maintenance of its extensive network of trails. This position will work throughout the Saratoga Capital Region of New York State Parks, which includes parks and historic sites across Albany, Saratoga, Schenectady, Fulton, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Washington, Schoharie, Greene, Columbia, and Essex Counties. The Saratoga Capital Region offers an exciting mix of history, culture, sports and performing arts all surrounded by the tranquil beauty of its forests, lakes, mountains, and farms.

This position will have opportunities to work at more than a dozen state park and historic sites with a wide range of responsibilities. The successful candidate will supervise and lead the regional trail crew effectively by serving as a crew leader during the field season(April-November), operate independently during the off-season(December-March) on assigned projects & operational needs, demonstrate an attentiveness to detailed projects, possess critical thinking skills for problem solving, have a strong understanding for safety, and initiative to collaborate with the Regional Trails Manager on region-wide trail improvements. This position is predominantly preforming field work during the field season, while predominantly preforming office work during the off season with flexibility dependent on the candidate. This position requires work on uneven and steep terrain, carrying and moving tools, materials, and equipment up to 50lbs or more.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Recruiting, training, supervising, and leading 3-5 regional trail technicians for the field season operations & trail projects
• Leading field projects that involve technical rock work, signage installation, tread & drainage improvements, carpentry, equipment operation, and new trail construction
• Servicing and inventorying regional trail operational tools, gear, and equipment
• Submitting completed & accurate timesheets every pay period for the trail technician(s) hours worked and facilitating time off requests for the trail technicians
• Maintaining a clean and productive office space, workshop space, and park vehicle
• Tracking statistics & measurements on trail projects being worked on and completed by the regional trail crew
• Taking pictures of staff working on projects, before & after pictures capturing the physical changes of the trail work, and group photos for use of program promotion & position recruitment for future years
• Enhancing trail crew promotional materials; posters, banners, flyers, videos, newsletters etc.…
• Enhancing trail volunteer base, structure, and activity across the region
• Creating emergency response plans and job hazard assessments for project sites, developing alternative inclement weather projects, and enforcing PPE use by trail technicians on projects
• Working closely with the Regional Trails Manager on regional & agency trail priorities

Minimum Qualifications:

• At least one year of experience supervising trail work, trail projects and/or trail crews
• At least one year of experience preforming trail work that includes new sustainable trail construction, trail tread and drainage improvements, building & working with stone to create staircases/crib walls/retaining walls/ etc.., trail corridor maintenance, and signage installation
• At least one year of experience using hand tools, power tools, and performing/troubleshooting basic tool maintenance

Preferred Skills/Experience:

• Working knowledge of sustainable trail building techniques with innovation for new techniques
• Experience with leadership, communication, time management and problem-solving
• Experience with recruiting, interviewing, and training
• Experience with rigging setups, rigging equipment use, and rigging equipment maintenance
• Experience with chainsaws, pole saws, and hazardous tree/limb removal
• Experience with field maps data collection and trail map orientating
• A degree in Environmental Management, Natural Resource Management, Forestry Management, Environmental Sustainability, Environmental Engineering, Recreation Management, or similar field

Position Schedule and Duration:

This position is a 40 hour/week Monday–Friday, all year-round long-term seasonal position with NYS OPRHP in the Parks and Recreation Aid 6 or 7 title dependent on experience. Typical workday will be 8:00am – 4:30pm, with a 30min lunch. Start date of this position is anticipated for February 5th, 2024.

Benefits:

This position has the option to join the NYS Employee’s Retirement System. Is eligible for health insurance, dental and vision coverage. Opportunity for paid time off in the form of vacation, sick, personal and holiday leave after enough time & service has been met.

This position is eligible to receive certifications for the following but not limited to:

• CPR/First Aid
• Respirator Fit Test & Use Training
• Equipment Trailering/Load Securement Training
• UTV Operator/Safety Training
• Tractor Operator/Safety Training
• Risk Tree Assessment Training
• Game of Logging Level 1 & 2 or NYS Parks Equivalent Training

View photo albums of prior year projects and staff: Regional Trail Operations’s albums | Flickr