Start/End Dates: July 2024 - March 2025

Compensation: $650 per week + $1000 monthly for housing

Medical Insurance provided upon request

Application Due: April 26, 2024

The Resource Assistants Program seeks to engage ethnically and racially diverse young professionals in natural resource careers. You must be:

• a U.S. citizen or legal resident.

• a college graduate.

* A personal vehicle is required for this position. 

Position Description: 

The Natural Resource Program Specialist Resource Assistant (RA) will be a remote interdisciplinary staff position with the Urban and Community Forestry Program for the Washington Office in Washington D.C. The RA will help provide technical assistance and support for urban forestry related issues such as tree planting and maintenance, workforce development, extreme heat mitigation, climate resiliency, outreach, and community engagement. The RA will play an important role in supporting a wide variety of urban & community forestry projects, many of which focus on communities that have been marginalized and help to advance agency priorities under the Equity Action Plan.

Responsibilities:

This position will help provide technical assistance and support for urban forest-related issues. The RA will:

• Work closely with internal Forest Service teams, external partners, and stakeholders; including working groups, councils, and municipalities
• Support potential projects could include developing and sharing resources, best practices and training related to urban forestry, communications, and the dissemination of information through websites, blogs, and other social media outlets
• Provide technical assistance and support for urban forestry-related issues such as tree planting and maintenance, workforce development, extreme heat mitigation, climate resiliency and outreach, and community engagement

Qualifications:

A Master's degree (preferred) or Bachelor's degree with appropriate coursework relevant to this position. Relevant majors: Public Policy and Governance, Public Administration, Public Affairs, Environmental Studies, Communications, Business, Geographic Information Systems, Social Science, Urban Planning Forestry, Horticulture Sciences, Environmental Studies. Ideal candidates may have different majors, Howprioritiz individuals with specific coursework and relevant work experience

• Specialized experience in urban and community forest-related issues
• Possess strong writing and communication skills
• Capacity and comfort working in collaborative team environments and independently; demonstrating initiative to complete tasks with minimal supervision
• Ability to work on independent projects involving information synthesis and writing; participating in conference calls and meetings with various staff and partners and urban forestry field experience with partner organizations (e.g. tree planting, maintenance, inventory, education with the public, etc.)
• Outgoing and comfortable working with people, particularly in outreach and engagement efforts; committed to advancing equity and environmental justice
• Motivated to seek out mentoring, networking, and other developmental opportunities
• Required: computer skills in MS Word, MS Excel, i-Tree, and ArcMap

Direct Hire Authority (DHA)

All RAP interns receive Direct Hire Authority (DHA) at the successful conclusion of their internship. DHA status enables an agency to hire, after public notice is given, any qualified applicant. A DHA expedites hiring by eliminating competitive rating and ranking, veterans' preference, and "rule of three" procedures. For more information, please click HERE.

EEO Statement

Environment for the Americas provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.