Volunteer and Intern Coordinator Conservation Research and Animal Care

At the Monterey Bay Aquarium, we are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that celebrates and values diversity.

We firmly believe that having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices, working together, increases our capacity to serve our visitors and fulfill our mission.

We welcome people from all walks of life into our team and strongly encourage people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, veterans, and people with disabilities to apply.

The following information aims to provide potential candidates with a better understanding of the requirements for this role.

Job Summary :

The Volunteer and Intern Coordinator for Conservation Research (CR) Sea Otter Program and Animal Care Operations will play an integral role in supporting the institution's mission of inspiring conservation of the ocean by helping to facilitate the care of our animal collection and our Sea Otter Program needs, and as well as helping to create an environment in which our volunteers and interns feel engaged and inspired.

This position will be responsible for coordinating all elements of the intern and volunteer program within the Animal Care / Husbandry Operations and CR departments, in collaboration with the Volunteer Engagement Department.

Duties include recruitment, engagement, selection, placement, training and management of new and current volunteers and interns.

Perform other duties as required.

Core Activities :

• Collaborate with Animal Care / Husbandry, Conservation Research, and Volunteer Engagement to identify recruitment needs.
• Develop and deliver volunteer enrichments and training and establishes the transition from general training into the specialized volunteer role with Volunteer Supervisor.
• Onboard and provide orientation for new volunteers, interns, and students for CR and Animal Care.
• Organize internship presentations and the presentation of Certificates of Completion.
• Serve as primary point of contact for all CR / Animal Care volunteers, interns (STEM and traditional), and students, maintaining the current schedules of Animal Care volunteers and interns, adjusting them as required to meet the needs of the respective teams.
• Develop reports for volunteer administration, tracking, and annual statistics and maintains volunteer records in the Aquarium's database (Volgistics).
• Participate in outreach events, representing Animal Care / Husbandry and CR needs and priorities. These events may involve work in evenings and weekends.
• Plan and oversee departments' volunteer appreciation event(s).
• Coordinate safety and department-specific training requirements, in collaboration with the Safety Office.
• Assist with the development of MBA Learns safety courses, as needed.
• Assign and track completion of training courses for CR and Animal Care / Husbandry volunteers.
• Offer mentoring support to Volunteer Supervisors as needed, and addressing volunteer / intern performance concerns, as needed.
• Evaluate volunteer position descriptions and collaborate with respective department and VE director to update as needed.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSAs) :

• Bachelor's Degree, or equivalent combination of education, training and experience
• Experience working with volunteers
• Excellent interpersonal, conflict resolution and negotiation skills
• Ability to handle sensitive situations and hold confidential information
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, organizational skills with ability to multi-task and collaborate with other departments
• Excellent public speaking skills
• The ability to learn and understand Animal care / Husbandry skills, consistent with Assistant Aquarist, and universally accepted knowledge of Aquarium science
• Excellent collaborative and communication skills
• Proficiency in MS Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint
• Ability to provide input for budget planning
• Ability to work within, and maintain Monterey Bay Aquarium's Core Values

Physical Requirements to Perform Essential Job Functions :

• Typical office equipment
• Constant sitting, standing, walking, bending
• Occasional unassisted lifting up to 50 lbs
• Typical office environment, main aquarium and exhibits, occasional offsite events

Hourly Compensation Range :

$24.38- $27.88 USD per hour. Starting rate will vary based on previous experience and relevant skills / knowledge set.

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