JOB TITLE:                                         Intern and Volunteer Coordinator

SALARY RANGE:                               Commensurate with experience

SUPERVISOR:                                     Director of Education, CRF™

CORE VALUES

The chosen candidate should embody the core values of CRF. This includes the ability to be team-oriented, and able to work with a diverse group of staff, interns, volunteers, donors and community members, recognizing that each team member is also an educator in their sphere of influence. CRF is committed to ethical communication at all levels of the organization.

CRF Values Statement: CRF is driven by action and results. CRF believes that through education and innovation, we provide hope for coral reefs and future generations. We act with honesty, respect, and integrity at all times as representatives of the organization. CRF promotes a positive working environment that values teamwork, education, and financial stewardship of the resources entrusted to us.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The Volunteer Coordinator position superintends both the volunteer and intern programs within the Education Department, reporting to the Education Program Manager. The Volunteer Program exists to educate volunteers on the work and scope of our organization, and to provide routes for volunteers to participate and assist in restoration work, educational outreach, and specialized remote work. Volunteering opportunities exist on land, at sea, and across all departments at CRF. The maintenance and evolution of this program is a critical component to CRF’s growing mission. The Internship Program exists to provide early-career professionals real-world experience in reef restoration, scientific diving, non-profit management, community engagement, and educational programming. Opportunities within the internship program are both land- and dive-based and include extensive opportunities for professional growth.

The Volunteer Coordinator is responsible for: a) Coordination of volunteer program to support the goals of all departments at CRF, particularly Restoration and Education, b) execution and continuous development of a full-time internship program, and c) working collaboratively with all staff to facilitate the success of their respective programs through instruction and deployment of individuals from both volunteer and intern programs.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

60%: Intern Coordination

• Coordination of the internship program, ensuring it provides meaningful experiences aligned with CRF’s goals and needs.
• Serve as primary contact for all interns, managing their inquiries, applications, and ongoing personal or administrative needs.
• Create and manage all intern schedules including
  • Time off requests and make-up time
  • Adequate staffing of boats
  • Appropriate staffing of buildings
  • Large-scale events
  • Other needs, as directed by all departments
• Direct the growth of the internship program to match the growth of CRF, including programs in Key West, St. Croix, and other territories or international areas.
• Hiring of intern team, including advertising, filtering applications, interviewing candidates, and building a strong team.
• Continuous coordination of hundreds of certification documents, including sensitive medical information.
• Continuously develop and enhance the internship program by increasing educational rigor, professional development, and personal growth of all interns.
  • Coordinate with the Curriculum Development team to define learning objectives and pathways to increase professional and educational growth based on feedback from all departments.
  • Coordinate with the Training department to implement and improve incoming intern training and in-session training to meet educational requirements for all interns, both land- and dive-based, established based on feedback from all departments.
• Direct and improve land-based internship program alongside dive-based internship program to ensure both meet the needs of the organization while offering a rigorous educational opportunity.
• Develop and continuously adapt weekly intern schedules, ensuring proper communication between all parties when changes occur.
• Host twice-monthly intern meetings that serve to support, correct, and manage interns.
• Initiate communication with community leaders to engage with intern team in support of their professional development.
• Serve as director of intern team during all-hands-on-deck events, including managing, scheduling, deploying, and problem solving on-site.
• Work with the Communications Team to create and execute a marketing plan to promote intern acquisition based on the needs of CRF.

20%: Volunteer Coordination

• Oversee the coordination of a volunteer program that is informative, interactive, and inclusive that includes land- and water-based
• Supervise volunteer inquiries and interests, applications, and regular administrative
• Oversee and track all certifications required for volunteer participation, ensuring compliance with CRF standards.
• Explore and implement expanded and improved volunteer opportunities locally, nationally and internationally.
• Regularly gather feedback from CRF staff and volunteer base to evaluate program-performance
• Serve as primary contact for every volunteer, managing their inquiries, applications, and ongoing administrative needs.
• Create and coordinate volunteer schedules including:
  • Ensuring skill levels match trip itinerary
  • Pairing volunteers with interns for land-based tasks
  • Updating dive schedule and coordinating with staff
  • Last-minute cancellations and rescheduling
• Coordinate with Curriculum Development team and Training Team to establish and implement training requirements for volunteers, ensuring they meet departmental needs and feedback.
• Coordinate with the St. Croix and Key West teams to administer volunteer programs in satellite locations.
• Work with new and existing volunteers before, during, and after their volunteer experience by:
  • Clearly communicating expectations,
  • Managing required paperwork, and
  • Realizing volunteer appreciation
• Manage and maintain all data necessary for program tracking, program development, and
• Assist in special projects requiring volunteers as
• Work collaboratively across all departments within the organization such as Communications, Development, Administrative/Accounting, Reef and Science
• Manage volunteer-based needs for annual Coralpalooza event.

10% Samaritan Software Management

• Implement and manage the Samaritan software system for registration, application, onboarding, scheduling, and tracking certifications of all volunteers and interns.
• Manage and improve system for use in intern hiring process, including adapting application and email communications.
• Continuously update and adapt the system to meet the dynamic needs of CRF, including problem solving, communicating with Samaritan support team, and having training sessions to ensure proper and streamlined usage of system.
• Coordinate usage of Samaritan within all departments relating to their specific needs.
• Track and report volunteer and intern statistics to fulfill grant obligations and support organizational transparency.

10%: Other Duties

• Serve as on-site contact when/if Director of Education is away or out of office.
• Assist with maintenance of Exploration Center as requested or
• Assist in special projects with other departments as requested or
• Assist as Land Safety Contact as requested or directed
• Work with Director of Education to design / implement Yearly Budget and Operating
• Assist with Coral Call, intern training boats, and other boat-based activities as requested or directed
• Due to supervisory responsibilities over interns and volunteers, this position requires occasional availability outside of standard business hours to respond to time-sensitive situations, including emergency calls and emails.

Required Skills, Knowledge and Personal Characteristics

• Associates Degree (Bachelor degree preferred) in a related field
• Minimum one to three years of demonstrated experience in volunteer management for small organizations or non-profits preferred
• Proficient with various types of technology, including online volunteer coordination databases and tracking, as well as Microsoft Office and Windows applications such as Excel and Word. Preference to candidates who have experience in process development
• Effective oral and written communication skills
• Experience managing a large team, especially of non-employee workers.
• Adaptive thinker: someone who can change plans and see alternate solutions
• Ability to present information to groups and organizations in a professional and organized manner.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings and weekends, in order to meet organizational
• Possession of a valid United States Driver’s License and proof of
• Ability to plan and manage projects to successful and timely completion
• Agent of change – eager to improve self, business process, data quality and business performance
• Deep integrity, with an unwavering commitment to ethical behavior

COMPLEXITY/PROBLEM SOLVING

• Critical thinking to adapt or modify processes in response to changing
• Solve routine problems independently.
• Self-motivated: identify and implement changes and improvements to processes and procedures.

TEAM WORK AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

CRF operates with a small staff of 30 people and relies on our seasonal interns as well as local volunteers to accomplish our mission and work effectively on the water and on land. We are a lean operation, and teamwork is crucial to our success. Being an effective team member means not only having the ability to work with your fellow staff members but also to be a positive example to our interns and volunteers. Interested candidates should be able to work and communicate well with a diverse group of people including fellow staff, interns, volunteers, the public, donors and partners.

Interested candidates should be able to:

• Work with a diverse group of
• Clearly articulate tasks by explanation and demonstration.
• Occasionally communicate with internal and external contacts to seek or convey information and coordinate arrangements.
• Consistently demonstrate professional, positive, and approachable attitude/demeanor and discretion.

Coral Restoration Foundation, INC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.