Seasonal Restoration Crew Co-Lead
Season dates: Thursday, February 12, 2026 through Friday, November 20, 2026
Position & Program Summary
The Restoration Crew Co-Leads work closely with the Greenway Trust restoration team to develop and effectively communicate project plans and expectations to Crew Members and lead them onsite. They are responsible for motivating and encouraging crew morale, while providing coaching and feedback to the team, as well as safety and oversight. The Restoration Crew identifies, surveys for, and controls invasive plants; installs native trees and shrubs; collects monitoring data; and maintains ecological restoration projects in partnership with public land management agencies throughout the Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area. The Restoration Crew periodically supports Greenway Trust volunteer and education events and works regularly with Greenway Trust staff and occasionally with partner agencies and nonprofit staff, sponsored AmeriCorps members, and volunteers.
Organizational Overview
The Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust works to steward a diverse landscape that stretches 100 miles from the shores of Puget Sound across the Cascade Mountains to Central Washington. Designated as a National Heritage Area in 2019, the Greenway landscape encompasses two million people, 28 cities, three major river systems, two Interstate highways, and 1.5 million acres (900,000 acres publicly owned). Its working lands support forests and farms on both sides of the mountains. Its waterways provide habitat for salmon. Its protected alpine wilderness includes recovery corridors for wolves, grizzly bears, and other species once hunted to regional extinction. Its expansive access to nature, including 1,600 miles of trails, is the heart of Washington’s $20 billion outdoor recreation economy.
Vast natural resources, the nation’s 15th largest metropolitan area, and many competing interests create the potential for conflicts. Navigating these conflicts, with the goal of conserving that precarious balance between natural and built environments, is the founding and enduring purpose of the Greenway Trust.
An early adopter of “collective impact,” the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust was founded on the belief that to grow in harmony with nature instead of consuming it, the full community must be engaged. The goal of conserving this region’s wild and green character brought together the spheres of government, industry, and conservation and community organizations for the first time. Collaboration, compromise, and common good were the rules of engagement. We are proud to say that three decades later, they still are.
Essential Job Functions
Team Leadership (10%)
- Ability to motivate a team and encourage crew morale.
- Demonstrate strong communication skills and ability to provide feedback and coaching.
- Lead the Restoration Crew by example in ecological restoration best management practices.
- Organize crew roles and responsibilities on project sites independently and/or with Co-Lead.
- Work collaboratively and respectfully with Co-Lead.
- Support occasional oversight of AmeriCorps and contracted crews.
- Act as a liaison between the Restoration Crew and Restoration Projects Managers.
- Adapt to changing conditions and ability to make decisions on the fly when needed.
- Professionally represent the Greenway Trust while interacting with the public.
Restoration Implementation (75%)
- Implement noxious weed management across diverse restoration project sites using a combination of manual, mechanical, and chemical control techniques.
- Properly use tools and conduct routine maintenance of tools, including backpack sprayers, EZ-Ject lances, brush cutters, and other restoration-related equipment.
- Effectively plant native species and perform monitoring and maintenance activities across diverse restoration projects.
- Assist with project documentation (i.e., enter daily project summaries into Salesforce, enter monitoring data into spreadsheets, record keeping of herbicide forms, photo documentation, etc.).
- Assist with mapping and data collection in ArcGIS mobile applications (i.e., Field Maps, Quick Capture, and Survey123).
Program Support (10%)
- Assist with program documentation (i.e., vehicle maintenance logs, incident reports, etc.).
- Assist with tasks in the Greenway Trust’s native plant nursery, including potting bareroot plants, weeding, and needed maintenance.
- Assist with weekly field base and truck fleet cleaning and maintenance tasks.
Other (5%)
- Support volunteer restoration events and/or education youth internship programs, occasionally on Saturdays.
- Perform other duties as situations require or as assigned by supervisor.
Experience
Please review the complete job description for this posting with additional information on skills, abilities and requirements. At least one year of demonstrated experience with the following is required:
- Demonstrated leadership experience, preferably in the natural resources field.
- Knowledge of Pacific Northwest plants (native and introduced) and ecology.
- Experience with plant installation and weed control methods including manual, mechanical, and chemical control.
- Experience with safe herbicide application and using and maintaining tools including backpack sprayers, EZ-Ject lances, brush cutters, and other restoration-related equipment.
- Data collection and mapping using ArcGIS mobile applications like Field Maps, QuickCapture, and Survey123 is desired.
Pay
The pay for this position is $26 per hour.
Benefits
A complete list of benefits for seasonal employees can be found on the Greenway Trust’s Career page. Select benefits include a $250 gear stipend (at the start of the season), paid time off, optional participation in an Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Agreement ($200 monthly contributed by the Greenway Trust), and optional participation in a 403(b) retirement plan. Employees completing the entire term (ending November 20) will receive a $500 end of season bonus.
Reports To
Restoration Projects Manager
Work Schedule
This is a full-time, non-exempt position working four ten-hour days (7:00am to 5:30pm) Tuesday through Friday for most of the season, with occasional Saturday volunteer events.
Work Location
The crew meets at the Greenway Trust’s Issaquah Field Office (1980 NW Sammamish Rd, Issaquah, WA 98027) and will work on surrounding public and private lands using Greenway Trust vehicles.
Physical Requirements
Physical requirements include carrying up to 30 pounds (including backpack sprayers, brush cutters, potted plants), walking up to five miles across uneven terrain, long periods of time working outdoors in various weather conditions, and visual and auditory ability to identify and respond to environmental hazards.
Field Gear
The following personal field gear is required:
- Sturdy, above the ankle, work or hiking boots
- Rain boots
- Durable work pants
The Greenway Trust provides members with both long and short sleeve shirts and hats, along with a $250 gear stipend at the start of the season to help employees purchase required personal gear. Additionally, the Greenway Trust loans the following gear annually:
- Rain gear (overalls and jacket)
- Tools and gloves
- Required personal protective equipment (PPE)
How to Apply
Send a cover letter and resume explaining your interest to apply@mtsgreenway.org, indicating which position you are applying to in the email subject line. Your cover letter should not exceed two pages, and should address the following:
- Describe your leadership style, including successes or failures that have shaped you as a leader and how you would combine soft skills necessary for good leadership with technical knowledge related to ecological restoration.
Applicants for the Restoration Crew Co-Lead positions may be considered for the Crew Member positions; please note via email if you are not interested in a Crew Member position. We will contact applicants when we reach the priority deadline and anticipate conducting the interview process early to mid-January 2026. Finalists will be asked to provide three references related to previous experience.
Equal Opportunity Provider The Greenway Trust is committed to providing equal opportunity for all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, ancestry, genetic information, use of a service animal, honorably discharged veteran, military status, political ideology, personal appearance, family responsibilities, or any other characteristic protected under federal, state or local law. Each person is evaluated on the basis of personal aptitude and merit