COMMUNITY and VOLUNTEER SPECIALIST
1 month ago
Seattle
Job Description 2025 VOLUNTEER SPECIALIST (AUGUST – DECEMBER 2025) ABOUT EARTHCORPS: EarthCorps (EC) is a Seattle-based nonprofit dedicated to developing emerging leaders, strengthening communities, and restoring the health of our environment. We believe in the power of people—working together—to address the urgent environmental challenges of our time. Each year, EarthCorps brings together a diverse cohort of passionate young adults from across the United States and around the world for a yearlong leadership development and ecological restoration program in Seattle, Washington. Grounded in a commitment to racial equity and environmental justice, our work centers on caring for both the land and the communities that depend on it. Beyond our hands-on restoration efforts, EarthCorps actively engages volunteers and local communities through fieldwork and community-based events that deepen our collective impact. POSITION SUMMARY: The Volunteer Specialist is a term-limited position with EarthCorps (Aug. to Dec. 2025), with the opportunity to be extended to 2026 based on performance and the availability of funding. The Volunteer Specialist works as part of the EarthCorps Community & Volunteer Team (CV Team) and assists in all aspects of organizing, managing, and delivering volunteer and community-centric events. This position provides a good mix of field experience along with office and projects planning experiences. The amount of time spent outdoors or in the office fluctuates throughout the year. Events and busier periods may be sporadic throughout the summer, spring and early fall. Field work includes onsite leadership of volunteers of all ages, plants removal, native plant installation, facilitating outdoor educational activities, tabling at community events, maintaining tools and equipment, and completing additional non-volunteer field projects with other crew members. Office tasks include planning community and volunteer events, maintaining systems, and designing/implementing outreach and educational activities for a variety of audiences. This position reports to the Partnership Director. The Volunteer Specialists will participate in an orientation as well as designated retreats, workshops, and other training throughout the duration of the position. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Project Coordination and Implementation: • Support and lead high quality, safe, and educational community and volunteer events every Saturday and some weekdays., • Mentor, guide, and inspire EarthCorps volunteers and community members of all ages., • Support team projects and programs like youth internships for students under 18., • Assist the CV Team with the coordination of volunteer events, field projects, site restoration planning, and documentation of work completed., • Assist with volunteer recruitment activities such as hosting information tables and posting fliers., • Maintain EarthCorps Volunteer Program materials, tools & vehicles., • Complete non-volunteer restoration projects as needed by the organization. Outreach (15-20%) • Connect with community partners, volunteers and youth especially in South King County communities via promotion of events, educational tabling, and speaking events, social media, and other methods as appropriate, • Promote EarthCorps volunteer opportunities in South King County, with focused attention on the communities closest to project sites., • Develop post event follow up communications to share, encouraging volunteers to continue participation in community events. Communication: • Strive for professional, clear, timely and open communication amongst staff and corps participants utilizing Microsoft 365, MS TEAMS, Salesforce CRM, organizational tools, and other partner agency platforms when needed., • Prepare oral and written reports, including before and after photos of volunteer events, work logs, work project summaries, equipment use and maintenance logs, and incident reports., • Meet regularly with Community and Volunteer team, EC Project Managers, and Partnership Director., • Communicate clearly and regularly with all Community & Volunteer Team to ensure materials, vehicles, and staffing are adequate and appropriate to meet community and volunteer event needs., • Attend team meetings as needed. Training • Attending regular Volunteer Program workshops, site visits, and community events to gain skills and context needed to rock it out in the community., • Participate in meetings, events, and conversations about environmental and social justice, inclusion, equity, and other related topics., • Explore individualized professional development opportunities, • Field at community events management, plants identification, habitat restoration techniques, tools use/maintenance and other related training as needed. Program Support: • Foster and encourage leadership development in oneself as well as other corps participants., • Work with Volunteer and Outreach Specialists to create a supportive and collaborative team., • Collaborate with Communications manager for outreach and social media posts, • Lead by example while serving alongside EarthCorps restoration crews and community volunteers in all weather conditions. Habitat restoration is a physically demanding service. The Volunteer Specialist must have the capacity to perform restoration tasks in challenging physical situations and the ability to motivate others. Service regularly involves: • Long days of repetitive shoveling, digging, and swinging heavy tools., • Heavy lifting up to 40 lbs. and bending., • Working outdoors in all weather conditions, including heat/cold/rain., • Walking on steep or uneven terrain up to 8 mi. (13 km) while carrying 40 lbs. (18 kg) of weight. Please consider the nature of the work prior to applying and let us know if you have any specific questions or concerns. TERMS OF SERVICE: • PERIOD OF SERVICE: August 18 – December 17, • TYPICAL HOURS OF SERVICE: 40 hours per week. 7:30a.m. - 5:30p.m. Wednesday–Saturday. Some flexibility to adjust schedules based on the team and project needs., • RATE OF PAY: $22/hr., • STATUS: Term Limited Employment REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: • High motivation to engage with people of various ages and backgrounds in an outdoor setting., • Capacity to delegate, manage time, multitask, stay organized, and be responsive., • Valid driver’s license and comfort while driving 12 passenger vans and mid-size and large trucks. DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS: • Capacity to work with and adapt leadership style for diverse groups of community volunteers., • Effective cross-cultural communication including sensitivity to and awareness of cultural differences and a commitment to working in an inclusive environment., • Experience in environmental restoration or a similar work environment., • Experience leading others in outdoor activities., • Ability to bring positivity, humor, and optimism to challenging situations., • Demonstrated ability to make safe decisions with limited information., • Ability to commit to self-care in a highly social office and program environment., • Capacity to take initiative and stay motivated in an office setting., • Familiarity with restoration techniques and natural history of urban green spaces in the Pacific Northwest. BENEFITS: • Education & Training, • Days off permissible as designated by EarthCorps, • Holidays will be paid as designated by EarthCorps., • Medical Insurance, • Subsidized ORCA Pass for bus transportation, • Boots, pants, t-shirt, rain gear, and safety equipment provided We encourage applicants from all racial, ethnic, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds, sexual orientations, and gender identities to apply, especially those from historically marginalized communities.