Open Positions

Overview: The SPARK Leadership program brings together student delegates from a range of green groups to learn and network with other environmentally-minded WashU students. The Office of Sustainability will host the third cohort of SPARK leaders August 18-27 on campus and at select locations across St. Louis and Illinois. A two-day overnight retreat will take place at an off campus retreat site from Monday, August 21 – Tuesday, August 22. The rest of the week will include half-day trips to several carefully selected locations to learn more about local historical and contemporary environmental and social issues as well as on-campus social activities.

Compensation: $13/hr and includes housing contract extension for the duration of the SPARK program (for those living on campus). An excellent leadership and professional development opportunity!

Time Commitment: Requires some preparation over the summer, a full time commitment from Aug 9 – 26 (Aug 9 – 16 can be remote), and a small amount of follow up/wrap up work through Sept 1. Send a letter of interest to cassandra.hage@wustl.edu by April 17.

Responsibilities: 

Pre-program (June – early Aug, remote):  

• Manage SPARK application process and communicate with participants about program logistics 
• Manage participant arrival dates, participation dates, and housing assignments (for on-campus students) 
• Help plan retreat, activities, and content, create budget, prepare packing and supplies lists 
• Communicate with program student leaders to organize student-led events 
• Communicate with external leaders and collaborators to organize activities 
• Contact and work with multiple WashU offices (dining, ResLife, etc.) to organize meal cards and housing for participants 
• Help with SPARK promotion 

During program: 

• Act as liaison between program participants and OOS staff 
• Support OOS staff during content and activities 
• General organization and helping with program operations

Post-program (Aug 27 – Sept 1): 

• Communicate with participants to obtain feedback, write program report

Overview: Support student move out collections through the Share Our Stuff (SOS) program, including sorting donated material for community partners, student reuse, and sales; and overseeing sales and donation transactions at events. Retail and organization skills are a bonus! Work will take place at Mudd MPR (S40) and the Circularity Center (North Campus, 700 Rosedale Ave.)

Compensation: $13/hr

Time Commitment: Flexible scheduling May 1 – June 2 and August 18 – Sept 1. Hours and schedule are flexible and will be negotiated with the hired student. Send a letter of interest to cassandra.hage@wustl.edu by April 21 for early summer dates and by June 30 for late summer dates.

The Sustainable Buildings Associate will work with the Office of Sustainability and Facilities Planning & Management to further improve how sustainability is integrated into the planning, design and construction of the built environment, landscape, and campus infrastructure.

The Associate will assist with research and building projects such as resiliency planning and developing guidelines, healthy building material research and developing standards, research various green building certification rating systems and develop a priority standard to help implement these certifications, research embodied carbon reduction targets and methods.

Other building specific projects may include but are not limited to creating sustainable project case studies/project profiles, LEED credits research and documentation, construction waste diversion tracking and tracking performance goals. Duties will include conducting research in various fields, organizing, and documenting findings, creating presentations, attending meetings, and interacting with professionals in the field.

Skills / Qualifications:

• Proficiency with MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and Adobe Suite.
• Proficiency with InDesign, Photoshop is preferred.
• Strong verbal, written communication, and presentation skills.
• Self-motivated and able to work with limited supervision with excellent time management skills.
• Ability to conduct in-depth research to understand new concepts, evaluate different strategies and develop recommendations.
• Ability to interact professionally and confidently with University staff and Consultants/Design Team members.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail and ability to concisely present concepts/recommendations.
• Strong communication skills and willingness to reach out to peer institutions and industry professionals.
• Familiarity with sustainable design, green building systems, energy efficiency is preferred, or a willingness to learn is required.
• Background in Architecture or construction management is preferred.
• Familiarity with LEED and/or other building certification systems such as WELL, Living Building, Passive House is preferred.

The internship program will take place June 5^th – August 4^th. The full-time internship position will take place in person, on campus, with some flexibility for occasional remote work. The deadline to submit an application is April 7th. To apply click here.

**This position is for Brown School students only who are pursuing their practicum hours for a MSW Concentration, MPH or MSP.**

Dates: Spring semester 2023; Summer 2023; Fall 2023

Positions available: 1-2 positions per semester. Preference towards candidates that are able to stay in the position for multiple semesters.

Compensation: Students fulfilling practicum hours through work at the Office of Sustainability will be compensated up $1,000 per credit hour, up to three credit hours per term.

Supervision: Reports to the Assistant Director of the Office of Sustainability

About the Circularity Center and Share Our Stuff program

To encourage and support circularity broadly and build on existing programs, The Circularity Center launched as a pilot in May 2022. The project is funded through the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor for Administration and made possible by numerous partners, including Mail & Receiving Services, Resource Management, Residential Living, Quadrangle Housing, and Government & Community Relations. The Circularity Center is located on WashU’s North Campus.

From April – September, the Circularity Center operates Share Our Stuff, a program that collects and processes materials donated from students moving out of on-campus and off-campus housing, and makes the materials available for reuse to other students moving into housing over the summer and fall. From October – April, the Circularity Center is available as a resource for offices, labs, and departments looking for lightly-used office supplies, equipment, electronics and furniture.

Position Description

The Office of Sustainability is seeking a practicum student (or students) to lead efforts to build on the 12-year success of the Share Our Stuff program that collects and recirculates materials from student move out after the close of the academic year. The program coordinator will guide and develop the program, channeling new resources (a physical warehouse space and store) to achieve greater social and environmental impact for the WashU and St. Louis communities. The coordinator will develop standard operating procedures for program operations, evaluation and assessment tools, annual reports for leadership, and marketing materials. In addition, the coordinator will support program operations and logistics, in collaboration with staff from the Office of Sustainability, Campus Mail, the Office of Government and Community Relations, Residential Life, and other program stakeholders.

Successful applicant and supervisor will work out a mutually-agreeable schedule, which could be part-time or full-time in scope. While some work can be done remotely and on a flexible schedule, significant portions of the position may require in-person work during business hours. Work locations include the Circularity Center (warehouse and store on WashU’s North Campus, 700 Rosedale), the Office of Sustainability (Schnuck Pavilion on the Danforth Campus), and various networking meetings with campus and community partners (though these will likely be mostly remote). At least 1 1-hour meeting with supervisor and student will occur weekly through the duration of the engagement, at a mutually agreeable time during the work week.

In addition, the practicum students will be encouraged to participate in the Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change internship program, which provides interdisciplinary professional development and social experiences with undergraduate and graduate students working in internship positions through WashU.

Fully engaged students will gain a broad range of hands-on experience that mirror non-profit and start-up social enterprise contexts with the resources and support of a large institution.

Preferred skills, qualifications, and characteristics

Some combination of coursework and experience in the following areas are desired, though not all are required to apply:

• Self-starter, independently motivated, entrepreneurial spirit
• Working knowledge of sustainability and “circular economies”
• Program evaluation and assessment design
• Basic marketing and communication concepts
• Highly organized and talented at setting up systems
• Networking and stakeholder mapping
• Familiarity with WashU networks and administration and/or environmental or social service organizations active in the St. Louis area
• Retail experience
• Data tracking and reporting

To apply, send a letter of interest and resume to cassandra.hage@wustl.edu. Applications will be reviewed and interviews scheduled on a rolling basis with the goal of filling the position by January 20, 2023.

The Washington University Climate Change Program, an interdisciplinary program working in collaboration with the Environmental Studies Program, the Office of Sustainability, and the International Center for Energy, Environment, and Sustainability (InCEES) is hiring a Climate Associate to advance the work of the Program. 

The Climate Associate will work with the director, coordinator, and other climate associates to sharpen WU’s climate focus in community outreach, curriculum, and research. Climate Associates have a collective responsibility for much of WUCCP’s programming, including planning the Climate Conversation series, developing climate curricular guides, and maintaining the program’s online presence.  This position has the potential to work in any of these areas as well as others including launch activities for the new Center for the Environment. 

The Associate will participate in the Energy, Environment, and Sustainability (EES) Internship professional development opportunities and will be exposed to a broad range of projects through the program as well as to other departments and research groups on campus.

Basic Skills/Qualifications:

• Basic knowledge of and passion for climate issues
• Self-motivated and able to work with limited supervision
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to interact professionally and confidently with University faculty and staff
• Strong organizational skills, time management skills and attention to detail
• Proficiency with MS Word and Excel
• Interest in communications and outreach  

Desired Skills/Qualifications:

• Understanding or experience with WUSTL climate research initiatives and course offerings
• Experience in program management and event planning
• Experience in website maintenance, including WordPress
• Experience in event planning
• Knowledge of social media communication strategies

The internship program will take place June 5th – August 4th. The full-time internship position will take place in person, on campus, with some flexibility for occasional remote work. Click here to apply for summer associate positions.

The deadline to submit an application is April 17th .

The MCC is working at a regional level to accelerate climate action. We’re bringing together representatives across the Midwest from higher education, local government, business, and the non-profit sector to craft and implement a response to the climate crisis. The MCC launched in January 2022 and is in the early stages of developing a steering committee, recruiting founding members, and building the infrastructure that will serve the collaborative and its members. This is great experience for anyone interested in learning how a new organization gets started and how to engage diverse members in collaborative projects. Student work will focus on expanding communication channels, helping plan the 2024 Midwest Climate Summit, supporting member efforts around building energy performance and climate planning, and assisting with the Midwest Climate Resource Network.

SKILLS/QUALIFICATIONS

• Highly organized
• Strong time management skills
• Strong communication skills and confidence communicating with leaders in higher education, government, and the corporate and non-profit sectors
• Project management skills – able to break down long-term projects into smaller pieces
• Knowledge of climate change topics

37.5 hours/week for 8 weeks in St. Louis

Please use this form to apply and to submit a resume and cover letter.

Due to the desire for continuity and long-term professional development, preference for fall internship positions is given to student who are continuing internships within our office from the previous academic year or summer. While we anticipate having several openings, we will not be able to confirm which teams have fall openings until we place summer associates who wish to continue their internships. Placements are confirmed in July.

We strongly encourage students seeking opportunities within the Office of Sustainability’s fall program to submit an application, letter of interest (which can be formatted similarly to a cover letter), and resume by May 1. All those doing so will receive an alert when we confirm openings and will be considered in the pool of applicants for the fall. Please include which of the internship teams you are interested in being considered for in your letter of interest.

Please refer to the linked job descriptions to learn more about the specific roles that may be available and skill sets desired. Click here to apply.