Administrative and Communications Intern

ASU Center for Biodiversity Outcomes

Start and End Dates:         Flexible. This position can be for an academic semester, summer term or ongoing (pending intern’s availability and graduation date).

Hours per week / total number of hours: 10-15 hours per week, 15 weeks (or longer)

Compensation:       Unpaid. Might be eligible for course credit (consult your professor or academic advisor).

Organization address/location of internship: Our offices are located in Life Sciences – A Wing, Room 351 (LSA 351), Tempe campus. However, this internship can be performed completely remotely. 

About the organization:

The Center for Biodiversity Outcomes brings together individuals and groups — from academic, nonprofit, policy and corporate sectors — to achieve common goals of biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of natural resources in the 21st century.

We integrate Arizona State University’s more than 40 years of conservation biology research with the capabilities and expertise of groups and organizations outside the university to ignite conversations in creative and meaningful ways. Through these relationships and partnerships, we centralize important research to achieve biodiversity outcomes.

Our Vision:               We envision a world where the diversity of life on Earth is valued and sustained for the benefit of all.

Our Mission:            Our mission is to enable the discoveries and solutions needed to sustain Earth’s biodiversity in a time of rapid biophysical, institutional and cultural change.

Position description and overview:

We are currently seeking enthusiastic, sustainability-minded interns to work one-on-one with our operations team to support the daily communications and administrative functions of the center. Through this opportunity, you will enhance transferable skills such as administrative organization, workflow, teamwork and strategic communication. You will be exposed to a variety of fields such as administration, copywriting and editing, social media, public relations and project management to advance biodiversity conservation efforts in the academic and environmental fields.   

In addition to gaining valuable, hands-on experience in a fast-paced, exciting environment, you will also have the opportunity to request work projects in your particular area of interest.

Essential duties:

Administrative responsibilities include:

1. Helps update the founding director’s CV, biographies, publications lists and online profiles (e.g. Research Gate, Google media alerts).
2. Collects and distributes correspondence, while helping maintain the center and founding director’s lab mailing lists. Scans or enters business cards information into mailing lists.
3. Helps compose meeting agendas and serves as minute-taker for team meetings.
4. Assists with other administrative tasks as deemed appropriate.

Communications responsibilities include:

1. Helps compose and edit media content for the center’s website (news blog, events announcements) and social media (Twitter), while adhering to ASU writing guidelines.
2. Loads center videos to corresponding YouTube channels.
3. Assists with other communications tasks as deemed appropriate.

Training / Orientation:

The intern will report to our Administrative Associate Susanne Hinrichs and will work with our new project manager (currently recruiting) and center directors, as appropriate.

Training will take place via Zoom, as well as weekly or bi-weekly one-on-one meetings with the direct report for training, to answer questions and provide status updates on projects and tasks. The direct report will also be available via email and phone.

The intern will utilize Zoom for regular meetings, as well as Dropbox, Google Drive, Word, Excel and social media platforms (Twitter and YouTube). Training materials and access to all necessary documents will be provided.

Qualifications:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Organized, attention to detail.
• Works well independently or with a team.
• Some social media platforms experience preferred, but not mandatory.
• Both undergraduate and graduate students are welcome to apply.

Application Process:

To apply, please send your resume/CV and a writing sample to biodiversity@asu.edu. Write “Internship Application – [enter your name]” in the email subject line.  

To apply, please send your resume/CV and a writing sample to biodiversity@asu.edu. Write “Internship Application – [enter your name]” in the email subject line.  

Students wishing to register and earn credit for the SOS 484 Capstone (or Elective) Internship must meet all eligibility requirements, submit all necessary paperwork, begin the internship, and be cleared to register prior to the add/drop deadline of Session C term. Retroactive credit will not be granted. Review SOS Internship Handbook and obtain SOS 484 registration forms <[here](https://schoolofsustainability.asu.edu/student-life/sustainability-internships-opportunities/internship-forms/)>. Students are welcome to pursue additional internships for experience and not for credit. Students not registering for credit may start internships at any point in the semester. Other ASU majors should contact their major department for credit inquiries. For questions about SOS internship credit, please contact: [caroline.savalle@asu.edu](mailto:caroline.savalle@asu.edu)