Internship Coordinator in coastal Ecuador rainforest

A few years ago, a few of us—ecology, economics, and business
graduates—founded a non-profit organization called Third Millennium
Alliance. We raised some money and bought a lot of land in a critically
endangered rainforest and established an ecological reserve in coastal
Ecuador. There was a small patch of previously degraded land right in the
middle where we have built an innovative and surprisingly comfortable
research station out of bamboo by hand. Immediately surrounding the house we
are designing/growing/building a living laboratory of sustainable resource
management (i.e. permaculture), which also serves as our field headquarters
for biological scientific research and forest monitoring. Our reserve
(called the Jama-Coaque Reserve) is one of the last remnants of Pacific
Equatorial Forest, part of the Tumbes-Choco-Magdalena Biodiversity Hotspot,
which is designated as one of the most bio-diverse and endangered ecosystems
on earth. Only 2% of native forest remains in coastal Ecuador; we’re trying
to preserve the last of it and begin the task of restoring what has already
been lost.


Job Summary: As Internship Coordinator the chosen candidate will work
closely with individuals from diverse backgrounds to facilitate
project-based internship experiences in the fields of research, conservation
and permaculture.  Projects are developed to achieve the research goals of
the organization and serve as catalysts for interns as they navigate their
academic and professional careers.  As Reserve Manager he/she will
synthesize and report the information generated from program
projects/investigations to the management team and directors to prioritize
conservation goals and land management strategies. Primary responsibilities
are to manage the internship program and to manage the Research Station as
an operating center. He /She will be the responsible for intern recruitment
and processing of applications, organizing and leading intern orientation,
and serving as an advisor/facilitator/mentor for interns and their related
projects, although deferring to the Manager of Permaculture Operations with
respect to guidance of food-based intern projects. He/She is responsible for
site logistics such as supply runs, monthly accounting, and managing the
flow of people in and out of the reserve.

Field Management Team: As Reserve Manager/Internship Coordinator you will
work closely with the other members of the Field Management Team - Reserve
Manager/Intern Coordinator, the Manager of Field Operations, and the Manager
of Permaculture Operations. Although each member of this team has his or her
own primary responsibilities, there will inevitably be overlap and the need
for a lot of team work and collaboration.  As such, the three of you should
always stagger your off-time, to ensure that at least one of you, although
usually two of you, are on-duty at any time.

Responsibilities:
- Coordinate, lead, and facilitate 8 week tropical field internships in
Research, Conservation & Permaculture
- Provide logistical and technical support to facilitate successful
completion of research, conservation, and permaculture based field projects.
-       Receive, process, and respond to intern applications.  Monthly
compensation for the entire field management team is entirely funded from
intern fees. The operations of this project are dependent on filling up
every intern session to capacity. This particular task is incredibly
important for the on-going viability of this project. Initiate, build, and
maintain long-term relationships with local conservation organizations and
communities
-       Produce weekly and monthly accounting of expenses
-       Submit monthly reports to the Directors
-       Develop overall educational quality of the internship program through
field activities, assignments, required readings.

Please note: The field station and sites are living entities, constantly
evolving into yet more functional, comfortable, self-sufficient and
sustainable systems. When you are not otherwise occupied with office work
and leadership duties (i.e. on-and-off throughout weeks 4-8 of each session)
much of your time and energy will be devoted to brainstorming, prioritizing,
designing/planning, and realizing additions and changes to the existing
infrastructure


Qualifications

-  Bachelor’s degree in Ecology, Biology, Environmental Studies or related field
-  Experience in experimental design, field methods, statistical analysis
and scientific writing
-        1 year field research or project management experience
-        Strong leadership skills
-  Excellent communication and organization skills
-        Fluent in English and at least highly proficient in Spanish
-  Physical and mental strength to live in a remote, off-the-grid field
station with 5-8 interns for 2 months           at a time
-        Dedicated to sharing research experience and knowledge of global
conservation issues in educational   settings
-        Passion to mentor, empower, and inspire the next generation of young
scientists through field and            inquiry-based learning experiences.


Preferred
- MS in Ecology, Biology, Environmental Studies or related field
-  Field-based and hands-on teaching experience
- Tropical research experience
-  Experience living in a developing country (preferably within Latin America)
-        GIS mapping experience
-       Fluent in both English and Spanish

Before applying, thoroughly review the Third Millennium Alliance website and
attachments found on the internship page:  www.tmalliance.org

Please send resume, cover letter, and two references to
jordan@tmalliance.org and jerry@tmalliance.org with the subject heading:
INTERN COORDINATOR – YOUR NAME

We look forward to learning more about you!