Communications and Member Services Intern

The Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN), a project of the Global Philanthropy Partnership, is a peer-to-peer network of sustainability professionals from over 120 local governments in the United States and Canada, dedicated to creating a healthier environment, economic prosperity, and increased social equity. Our dynamic network enables sustainability directors and staff to share best practices and accelerate the application of good ideas across North America.

Our work is member led and member driven, meaning that members collectively determine what priorities they have each year and lead the work to carry them out. A Planning Committee serves as USDN's governing body, with responsibility to advance the strategic direction of the network. Members are supported by a managing director and staff who provide day-to-day management.

USDN's ultimate goal is to build and strengthen the connections between members, in order to quickly access each other's knowledge and expertise to achieve better, more effective outcomes at scale.
The connections fostered by USDN have become increasingly important as cities both large and small lead the way in developing the next generation of sustainable communities.

USDN accomplishes its goal by focusing on three core objectives:

• Offering members peer-to-peer networking opportunities
• Creating solutions that scale through a funded collaborative innovation system
• Expanding access and addressing specific issues through regional networks 

Position Overview:

The Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) is a project of Global Philanthropy Partnership. The USDN Communications and Member Services Intern plays a crucial role in supporting information exchange among over 120 North American municipal sustainability leaders by assisting with member communications and analyses to support peer-to-peer sharing and collaboration.

This 20 hours-per-week position reports to the USDN Communications and Member Services Coordinator and runs from December 2013/January 2014 through May 2014.

USDN has no central office, so the position is strictly work-from-home with weekly web meetings. Candidates must be located in the continental United States. Candidates must furnish their own quiet office space for many conference calls with reliable phone service and high-speed Internet connection. They must have access to a computer with the Microsoft Office suite. 

Initial Projects: 

• Draft content for the weekly USDN member e-newsletter, website posts, and tweets
• Analyze member activity and website use through regular reports for the USDN Planning and Communications Committees
• Assist in managing a dynamic private networking website
• Produce and maintain member interest tracking sheets, website profiles, and other tracking documents
• Manage online member surveys and assist in analysis.
• Other tasks as assigned

Qualifications: 

Required Qualifications

• Smart, analytical, independent, and detail-oriented student or recent graduate
• Background in social sciences, communications, environmental sciences, information management, and/or member services
• Skilled in computer technology: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, online newsletter managers, online surveys, social media, etc.
• Comfortable in managing and analyzing large data sets
• Skilled writer: abRequired Qualificationsle to write concise summaries of news articles, reports, etc.
• Past experience in detail-oriented position preferred
• Willing to do administrative work, including database management, data entry, website maintenance, and scheduling
• Able to productively work from home during normal business hours and provide own workspace with Internet access and Microsoft Office

Preferred Qualifications

• Basic knowledge of HTML, tagging systems, and website administration
• Knowledge of survey design, data collection, and analysis
• Interest in sustainability, local government, or professional network administration

Compensation: $15/hour, no benefits.  

To Apply:

Please utilize the email address below to submit a cover letter that addresses the writing, analytical, and data management skills required by the position, including relevant experience through work and education experiences, to Mia Arter, USDN Associate Coordinator. Also, include a resume with three references.

~ Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. ~