Seasonal Cleanup Coordinator

Do you love the challenge of bringing people together around a shared understanding and stewardship of the places, ecosystems, and communities that sustain all life? Are you motivated to connect volunteers with hands-on cleanup events throughout the state that build community engagement with our ecosystem while removing tons of trash from our waterways? If so, you may be the perfect person to join the Coastal Cleanup team at Save the Sound. Join us! We are seeking an organized, compassionate individual who thrives while coordinating with sponsors and communicating with volunteers to organize and operate cleanup events across the state to join our team as Seasonal Cleanup Coordinator.

WHO WE ARE

Save the Sound leads environmental action in the Long Island Sound region. We fight climate change and build resilient communities, save endangered lands, protect the Sound, and restore its rivers and coastlines. We do this in many ways, from legislative advocacy and legal action to engineering, environmental monitoring, and hands- on volunteer efforts. For more than 50 years we've been ensuring people can enjoy the healthy, clean, and thriving environment they deserve-today and for generations to come.

Learn more about our work and mission at www.savethesound.org.

The Ecological Restoration team is a growing group of eleven individuals who share a deep love and respect for the natural world and find joy in working with community members to identify and implement projects that restore the conditions for thriving ecosystems and diverse communities. With a wide array of lived experience and unique skills, the team is an open and curious group of professionals who support one another and are the staff members most likely to show up in the office covered in mud.

IMPACT

Save the Sound is the Connecticut-coordinator for the annual International Coastal Cleanup. Our Connecticut Cleanup initiative takes place during the fall (primarily the month of September) and engages over 2,000 volunteers in more than 70 cleanups. In 2023, our committed volunteers removed more than 7,500 pounds of trash from Connecticut waterways. With funding from corporate sponsors, our team works with Cleanup Captains for each of these cleanup sites to ensure that they and their volunteers have a fun, impactful, well-organized experience that deepens statewide stewardship of our green and blue spaces. Our volunteers collect data during all cleanups, which helps our team advocate for policy changes and new legislation in Connecticut and beyond. All data we collect is submitted to Ocean Conservancy's global database.

THE POSITION

Save the Sound coordinates more than 70 cleanups each fall. This immense task includes communicating with volunteer Cleanup Captains (volunteer cleanup leaders), individual cleanup volunteers, local community groups, municipalities, corporate sponsors, and the Ocean Conservancy to ensure these cleanups are successful. The Seasonal Cleanup Coordinator is responsible for the following activities from May through October:

• Direct outreach to inland communities, groups, and schools to support new cleanup locations
• Direct outreach to schools to recruit student/youth Cleanup Captains
• Recruit and communicate with Cleanup Captains and volunteers
• Identify, travel to, and assess potential cleanup sites on rivers in inland Connecticut
• Purchase, organize, and distribute cleanup supplies
• Interact with Ocean Conservancy, who hosts the International Coastal Cleanup event
• Coordinate with municipalities to gain cleanup event approvals
• Act as liaison between cleanup volunteers and Save the Sound
• Attend weekend cleanups as needed during the summer and fall, including bringing cleanup supplies to/from events and running/supporting cleanup operations
• Tally cleanup data and input into database
• Following the end of the cleanup season in late September / early October, the Seasonal Cleanup Coordinator will assist with inputting cleanup data into spreadsheets and Ocean Conservancy's website.

Common Organizational Job Responsibilities:

• Maintaining positive and productive working relationships with all Save the Sound staff members, including providing and receiving constructive feedback,
• Participating in building productive relationships with Save the Sound's members, external partners, policy makers, and the general public and
• Completing all administrative work on time, such as time sheets, purchase orders, project reports and planning documents.
• Passion for the outdoors/natural world (you tell us how that is manifested in your life!)

TERMS & COMPENSATION

This is a temporary, part-time 5-month position that pays $20/hour for an average work week of 20 hours/week. The work is expected to begin May 1, 2024 and run through October 31, 2024. Hours will vary during the contracted time, ranging from approximately 15 hours per week in May, June, and early July up to 25 hours per week for late July, August, September, and early October. This seasonal position includes sick and holiday pay, but no other benefits. Reimbursement for work-related travel is provided. Some evening and weekend hours are required for this position.

TO APPLY

Interested candidates should submit a resume, cover letter, and list of two to three references. Applicants are encouraged to apply early, as applications will be reviewed as they are received. Applications will be accepted starting April 1st, until the position is filled.

We are a thoughtful and thorough organization. We will be in touch to acknowledge receipt of your application and to schedule selected applicants for an interview. Our hiring process can take from 5 to 7 weeks. You will be informed when the hiring process is complete. Please be patient.