Internship Program Coordinator

ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND

Since 1984, Northwest Youth Corps (NYC), a non-profit organization, has given tens of thousands of youth and young adults opportunities to learn, grow, and experience success. Through partnerships with conservation agencies, youth and young adults gain the personal and professional skills needed to carry out a variety of stewardship projects, from which they can earn a stipend, high school credit, and/or an AmeriCorps educational award. More importantly, these young people gain skills needed to become economically and socially self-sufficient, benefit their communities as citizen stewards, and recognize that they can make a positive difference. NYC also operates an accredited charter school, an internship program, and the Idaho Conservation Corps (ICC).

POSITION SUMMARY

Northwest Youth Corps and Idaho Conservation Corps operate a Conservation Internship Program for young adults, for lengths of 3-12 months. The Internship Coordinator is responsible for managing approximately 45-50% of total Conservation Interns placements each year ensuring that their experience meets expectations.

The Internship Coordinator is responsible for planning and coordinating the NYC/ICC Conservation Internship Program.  They are tasked with vital administrative and tracking tasks for each intern assigned to them. The Coordinator is the primary liaison between partners and NYC/ICC ensuring Interns follow NYC and partner policies and procedures. This position requires a person with energy and organizational skills, a person dedicated to helping young adults develop the skills they need to lead a successful life, and a person interested in promoting the growth of a generation dedicated to stewardship of our public lands and our nation’s natural communities.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities of the Internship Coordinator or IC include:

• Administrative: Completion and tracking of essential data and paperwork within our database, completion of quarterly and annual reports, program production summaries, collection and processing of intern timesheets and production logs, program compliance for AmeriCorps interns, and tracking of financial information.
• Intern Management: Management and support of approximately 45 – 50% of Conservation Interns placed each year. The IC will conduct field visits for each intern if possible to assure that both members and partners are having a successful experience.
• Collaboration: Work collaboratively with partners and program staff to provide opportunities for high quality candidates in Internship positions. The IC will also work closely with Program Staff and community partners to design and implement professional development training pathways for interns.
• Recruitment & Outreach: Developing local and regional recruitment campaigns in order to generate robust applicant pools. The IC will assist the Internship Manager as appropriate with partnership development and outreach.
• Personnel: Recruitment, screening, coordination, and performance evaluation of interns in collaboration with partners. This includes assisting with the onboarding, orientation, and support of interns assigned to them.
• Program Support: Review and improve program safety protocols, training materials and webinars, workflow and program systems, partner outreach, and recruitment.
• Travel: Conduct field visits, attend outreach and recruitment events, and meet with partner’s and interns where they are serving.
• Training: Assist in creating and facilitating webinars and engagement opportunities for interns using in-person visits, remote check-ins, and cohort webinars.
• Inclusion and Belonging: Support the continued growth and delivery of Inclusion and Belonging initiatives. Seek to remove barriers to participation in NYC programs for underrepresented populations

Department Supervision and collaborations

• The Internship Coordinator reports directly to the Internship Program Manager located and will work closely with the Internship Program.

Position Qualifications & Certifications

• Education: Post-secondary education (degree preferred) in a related field and/or experience in outdoor recreation, resource management, youth development or educational fields preferred.
• Substantial experience in conservation work, youth programming and/or working with a land management agency will be considered in lieu of Post-secondary education.
• Experience: Relevant experience in youth leadership, outdoor recreation, environmental education, and/or natural resource management backgrounds preferred. Experience working with or for an institution of higher education and/or a land management agency is desirable.
• Certification: Wilderness First Aid/ CPR or Basic First Aid/ CPR is desirable but not required.
• Three years of acceptable driving history and ability to pass a criminal background check is required.
• Skills: Applicants should have a high degree of skill in both oral and written communications. Confidence and comfort in working independently is essential to the success of this position, as is skill and familiarity with Microsoft suite of applications and work place technology in general.

Physical Demands/Work Environment

• In the performance of the job duties, the employee will work primarily in a sedentary office environment.
• While performing the duties of this job, with or without reasonable accommodation, the employee is required to stand; walk; use hands to handle, feel or operate objects, tools or vehicles; reach with hands and arms; sit; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk, hear; and smell repeatedly.
• Applicants must be in adequate physical condition; capable of working long hours at a desk and/or driving long distances.

**This Position Description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.**

All job offers are contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background check (driving and criminal history).

Terms of Employment

Based in Eugene this position will require an average of 25% travel seasonally in order to visit placement sites, attend recruitment events, conferences, and company in-service trainings which may include traveling within OR, WA, and ID.  This is a full time, non-exempt position. Typical hours are Monday – Friday, 8:00AM to 5:00 PM; with periodic long days and/or evening and weekend responsibilities seasonally.

Northwest Youth Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer – At Northwest Youth Corps, we believe diversity is an essential source of strength for our communities, and we strive to create a safe and empowering environment for all participants and staff from the widest range of backgrounds and abilities.  We are privileged to facilitate conservation service on our public lands with humility and are deeply invested in supporting youth and young adults of all races, ethnicities, gender identities, religions, sexual orientations, economic status, and/or other socio-cultural identifiers to learn, grow, and experience success in our programs, and beyond.