Summer Sustainability & Garden Intern Coordinator

Division: Dean of the Faculty

Department: Sustainability

Hiring Wage/Salary Range

$19.50

Department Statement

Colgate University is a special place to work and offers many unique opportunities, including the ability to work with and among world class faculty and staff at a highly selective residential liberal arts institution. This position provides an opportunity to become familiar with the variety of regular positions that are available at the University, as well as the ability to add employment at a distinct University to your resume.

Successful candidates for this position will earn sick leave, paid time off, free parking, and a University ‘Gate Card that provides access to fitness facilities, athletic and cultural events, as well as a discount on many items at the University Bookstore.

This type of appointment is not approved to work more than 999 hours per year for all positions combined. Should incumbents work more than a total of 999 hours in a year the appointment may not continue beyond one year of service.

Accountabilities

The Summer Sustainability & Garden Intern Coordinator will be responsible for supporting Summer Intern training, managing intern projects, and overseeing high-level assignments. They will work closely with Assistant Director of Sustainability, Julia Sparks, and Community Garden Manager, Beth Roy, to facilitate the Office of Sustainability’s summer internship program. This position provides recent graduates with an opportunity to gain supervisory experience, organizational skills, and engage in community interactions in a temporary but full-time capacity.

Responsibilities include:

• Overseeing interns who are learning to run the Green Bikes Program and the campus Free Store
• Guiding interns in maintaining the Colgate Community Garden, planning garden events, and running or planning garden programming
• Organizing and facilitating off-campus field trips for the intern group
• Training interns on basic tasks, including drafting emails, creating social media posts, etc.
• Conduct weekly individual check-ins with the intern cohort to address interpersonal conflicts, workflow questions, and skills training
• Ensuring the safety and risk management of the intern team

Professional Experience/ Qualifications

• Recent college graduate within the past 3 years (class of 2026 graduates accepted)
• A minimum of 1 year of experience volunteering or working part-time in higher education sustainability, which may include club participation
• A minimum of 20 hours volunteering or working in a garden/farm/horticulture setting
• Must have a current driver’s license and the ability to earn Colgate van certification
• Demonstrated ability to lead peer groups of 3+ individuals
• Ability to maintain a cohesive team environment, founded in feedback, mutual respect, and growth

Preferred Qualifications

• Preferred Colgate University graduate
• More than 2 years of experience working with higher education sustainability
• More than 80 hours of volunteering or working in a garden/farm/horticulture setting
• Experience with campus-wide data collection, including the greenhouse gas inventory and/or AASHE STARS reports
• Experience creating Colgate newsletters through the EMMA newsletter program
• An understanding of Colgate branding guidelines determined by Colgate Communications
• Advanced proficiency in Google Suite, especially Sheets

Education

Bachelors Degree

Physical Requirements

• Must be willing to work in difficult weather conditions
• Must be able to lift and carry a minimum of 50 pounds

Requisition Number: 2026CW008Posting

Temporary: Yes

Work Schedule: 35 hours per week May 26, 2026 – August 14, 2026

Tagged as: Employment