Internship Conservation Finance Fellow
Job Description
Length: Term of position is 52 weeks; full-time 40 hours/week
Location: Position is remote, but preference given to those within the Midwest Region: Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska, South Dakota or North Dakota.
Living Allowance: $634/week, plus $5,000 in professional development funding.
AmeriCorps Award: Position is eligible for an AmeriCorps education award upon successful completion of the program. Value of education award is $6,495 (pre-tax).
Start Date: Late May/Early June 2023
Application Due Date: Preference given to applicants that submit application by April 16th, 2023
Title of Position: Conservation Finance Fellow
Position Details:
The National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance (NPS-RTCA) Program, in partnership with the Conservation Finance Network, is seeking a Conservation Finance Fellow who will serve the Midwest Region and larger community of practice.
NPS-RTCA’s national network of conservation and recreation planning staff partners with community groups, non-profits, tribes, and state and local governments to plan and design trails and parks, conserve and improve access to rivers, protect special places, and create recreation opportunities. Learn more about the NPS-RTCA Program here: https://www.nps.gov/orgs/rtca/index.htm.
The selected Fellow will work with the Conservation Finance Network (CFN) to assist the NPS-RTCA Program and broader community of practice in tracking funding and financing opportunities relevant to the NPS-RTCA Program and its partners, planning events, workshops, and webinars, and increasing network connections and the cross-pollination of ideas between NPS-RTCA and the larger conservation, finance, and philanthropic fields. CFN helps practitioners develop and scale conservation finance approaches – both locally and systemically – offering vitally important ways to leverage public, private, and philanthropic dollars for the projects that matter. From empowering and advancing equity-centered projects to democratizing access to capital and environmental markets, CFN is leveraging partnerships to improve outcomes for climate, land, and water conservation, biodiversity, and human health and equity. We convene practitioners to develop new tools and address common challenges, provide technical assistance for project implementation, and capture and disseminate actionable information on cutting edge approaches. Learn more about CFN here: www.multiplier.org/project/conservation-finance-network/.
The Ideal Candidate:
The position is ideal for a recent graduate or motivated professional looking to make a career transition into outdoor recreation, landscape conservation, or conservation finance. They are passionate about supporting innovative and effective funding and financing solutions for a range of public, private, nonprofit, and philanthropic partners across conservation issue areas (climate, recreation, forestry, agriculture, health, equity, etc.); they have a knack for finding a better way and a healthy appetite for new and different challenges; they enjoy enabling their teammates to be successful in sector building, research, training and community engagement; they take pride and joy from helping partners achieve deep and equitable conservation impact; they want to build new competencies and grow with a rapidly evolving organization. If you thrive in a dynamic, distributed team environment, enjoy collaboration, and are passionate about working in a mission-driven space, we’re excited to meet you.
Primary Responsibilities will include:
- Funding opportunity tracking: Track sources of funding and financing relevant to NPS-RTCA.
- Event planning: Take initiative and exercise independent judgment to support capacity building courses, workshops, webinars, and events including logistics, recruitment, and overall efficacy.
- Leverage connection and engagement: Participate in field building activities, including convenings, research, and partnerships, for the benefit of NPS-RTCA staff, partners, and also the broader community of practice. Serve as a conduit for outside resources to expand NPS-RTCA network and access to expertise and resources.
- Additional Projects to Support the Conservation Finance Network may be included
Supportive Responsibilities will include:
- Community Building: Actively work to establish and foster a sense of community across the field of practice.
- Equity & Justice: Support equity and environmental justice goals and actions, both internally and externally.
- Research: Perform research on case studies, financing mechanisms, funding prospects, and other relevant topics.
- Learning: Proactively stay apprised of new and innovative conservation finance techniques through interaction with leaders and innovators and through relevant conferences, workshops, and webinars.
Desired Background and Personal Attributes:
- Completion of a bachelor’s degree and a mix of coursework and experience related to environmental science, land and natural resource conservation, outdoor recreation, community planning, real estate, fundraising, impact investing, and equity and inclusion.
- Prior experience with event planning and logistics.
- Professional skill development or experience with fundraising, database management, and social science research methods.
- Strong desire to connect diverse communities to nature.
- Ability to adapt to a variety of special projects working with a wide range of professionals
- An ability to bring humor, curiosity, joy, and humility to further a positive team dynamic and community culture.
- Comfort with uncertainty and an inclination to prevent or solve problems.
- Ability to anticipate and/or ascertain the needs of partners and stakeholders.
Requested Skills & Capabilities:
- Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and successful time management to meet deadlines and reach end goals.
- Strong interpersonal and written/verbal communication skills, including the ability to ask good questions.
- Strong interest and ability to create and nurture relationships with both existing and potential partners.
- Ability to think strategically and creatively to advance organizational goals.
- Ability to manage multiple and competing responsibilities, both independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
- Ability to exercise sound and independent judgement while maintaining confidentiality as appropriate.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite and virtual meeting platforms (e.g. Zoom, Teams).
Benefits:
- Position is eligible for an AmeriCorps education award upon successful completion of the program. Value of education award is $6,495 (pre-tax).
- Living Allowance: $634/week (pre-tax)
- $5,000 in professional development funding
- Individual Health Insurance
- Professional development opportunities and some trainings provided.
- Selected Fellow will be exposed to National Park Service professionals and programs, external conservation partners and organizations, and NPS-RTCA Program Staff from across the Midwest Region and the nation.
Position Structure:
The Conservation Legacy Fellow will be employed by and report to NPS-RTCA but be embedded within CFN. Performance reviews will be conducted by NPS-RTCA, joint weekly check-ins will occur with both NPS-RTCA and CFN, and team meetings will take place with CFN.
How to Apply
- Apply on-line at https://stewardslegacy.org/open-positions In addition to your resume, please submit a one-page cover letter highlighting why you are interested in this position and how your background and experience will help you succeed in this position. Successful applicants are required to complete criminal history checks for AmeriCorps. In addition, passing a criminal background check to be issued a US Government PIV card may be required.
- For Application Questions: Please contact Alex Whittow at [email protected] or Dave Thomson at [email protected] with any questions.
Apply for this Job
Featured Employers
