We’re hiring!
Are you inspired to work with faith communities to help them go green? Are you interested in the links between environmental stewardship and spirituality in the Ottawa area?
Position Title: Sustainability Intern
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
Date: July 2023, minimum of 26 weeks
Compensation: $20/hr, 30 hrs/week
Qualified interns are:
Between the ages of 15-30 (inclusive);
Canadian citizens, permanent residents or persons granted refugee status in Canada (refugee protection must be conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act; does not include persons awaiting refugee status, as well as those who hold a temporary visitor visa, student visa or work visa)
Legally allowed to work according to the relevant provincial and Canadian legislation and regulations;
Available to work for at least six months;
Not previous participants of a federal youth employment program;
And not employees of Greening Sacred Spaces Ottawa prior to the start of their internship.
Summary of role: The Sustainability Intern will work under the guidance of, and be accountable to the Program Coordinator and Greening Sacred Spaces’ Board of Directors. They will also work with a Mentor from another environmental group to help guide them in their role and take part in a nonprofit Intern Training Program provided by the Capacity Building Institute throughout their internship.
The intern will focus on building and strengthening our faith community & other external stakeholder relations within our network, supporting three of our active programs:
The Ottawa Faith Community Capacity Building Program: assisting 6 faith communities in carrying out projects that support and/or reduce their impact on freshwater, including shoreline cleanups; water retrofits; energy/heating retrofits; community education; and community/stormwater management/native plant/pollinator gardens.
The Energy Benchmarking Program: tracking and creating reports on the energy use of at least 40 faith buildings and assisting at least 10 faith communities in completing energy-saving retrofit projects.
The Faithfully Green Fund: a loan program to assist faith communities with energy-saving retrofits.
Duties & responsibilities:
Establish and maintain relationships (via email, phone, virtual or in-person meetings, etc.) with Ottawa-based faith communities, faith community members, contractors, investors, other non-governmental organizations, and the general public of the Ottawa community, with the aim of promoting and supporting GSS Ottawa’s programs.
Collaborate with at least 15 faith communities participating in current programs to carry out projects, retrofits, education, and practical actions that support/protect local natural resources, reduce a faith community’s carbon footprint, and/or increase energy efficiency. This collaboration will include meeting regularly with faith communities, assisting with workshops, and on-the-ground physical work.
Assist faith communities in gathering energy data, including liaising with local utilities companies, in order to create energy benchmarking reports.
Plan a “Green Gathering” event for faith communities featuring environmental charities/not-for-profits, contractors, government programs, and utilities companies, to provide knowledge-sharing, solidarity, interfaith dialogue, and education.
Create reports and articles on GSS Ottawa’s programs, including maintaining written and visual records of projects.
Maintain organizational digital databases and data entry using our database platforms (NationBuilder and Pipedrive).
Examine how the GSS integrates Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), as well as Indigenous Traditional Knowledge (ITK), into its operations, and make recommendations and connections for further STEM and ITK development for the organization.
Perform other duties as necessary.
Knowledge & skills:
Knowledge of/experience in community-based action, particularly environmental action.
In-depth knowledge of natural resources, energy efficiency, building retrofits, outdoor greening, and/or Indigenous Traditional Knowledge, or a willingness to build capacity in these areas.
Communication: effective reading, writing, speaking and active listening skills over the telephone, video chat, email and/or in-person.
Organization, coordination and time management skills; ability to prioritize tasks, follow timelines, and meet project deadlines.
Ability to work well both in a team and independently, including strong self-motivation.
Networking and interpersonal: ability to build and maintain trusting and cooperative working relationships with both internal and external stakeholders.
Assets include bilingualism (French and English) and familiarity with faith-based communities and/or environmental non-profits.
To apply, please send a cover letter and resume through the Eco-Internships portal here and indicate that you are applying to Greening Sacred Spaces Ottawa. Email charlie@greeningsacredspaces.ca with any questions.
