Career Opportunity: Project Assistant
Summary
If you’ve got a burning desire to change the world, we’ve got a job for you. Join our small-but-mighty team that’s punching above its weight to win environmental justice and a climate-stable future for Alaska and the world. You’ll be part of a tight-knit, supportive team that loves coming to work every day to help Alaskans concerned about toxic chemicals that adversely affect human health, wildlife, the environment, and the climate. Alaska Community Action on Toxics (ACAT) is an environmental health and justice research and advocacy organization.
ACAT seeks a full-time Program Assistant for our Protecting Future Generations (PFG) project, a research and advocacy project with the purpose of assessing and preventing exposures to endocrine-disrupting chemicals on Sivuqaq (St. Lawrence Island). The PFG project involves field research, community outreach, and education and is conducted in partnership with the Sivuqaq tribes and several universities. It is supported through grants from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). The ideal candidate for this job is energetic and well-organized individual to help coordinate community education, outreach, and field research.
The PFG Program Assistant plays a critical role in supporting ACAT’s team and making it possible to achieve our mission, which states, “We believe everyone has a right to clean air, clean water, and toxic-free food. Driven by a core belief in environmental justice, ACAT empowers communities to eliminate exposure to toxics through collaborative research, shared science, education, organizing, and advocacy.”
Role and Responsibilities
The Protecting Future Generations Program Assistant must be able to work independently and take initiative to get things done. The person in this role will work closely with Environmental Health and Justice Program Director to support all aspects of the PFG program, collaborate with ACAT’s partners when organizing teleconferences, meetings, and events, coordinate tele-conferences with the Sivuqaq working group members, support and provide instructions to ACAT’s Sivuqaq community researchers, support sampling trips to Sivuqaq and coordinating the Indigenous Women’s Gatherings and other community events. Other tasks include administrative and clerical tasks; advertising and sharing information about PFG projects with stakeholders, tribal governments, and participants; keeping inventory of equipment and materials related to PFG and Northeast Cape (NEC) projects; attending teleconferences, meetings, and events in Anchorage and Sivuqaq related to PFG and NEC; taking complete, accurate meeting notes; learning history and purpose of ACAT’s scientific research on Sivuqaq and keeping up-to-date with ongoing research. The Program Assistant reports to the Environmental Health and Justice Program Director.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s or Associate degree in a relevant field (preferred) or equivalent experience.
- Proven relevant experience can substitute for formal education.
- 3+ years relevant work experience, preferably with a nonprofit organization
- Excellent organizational skills, follow through, and attention to detail.
- Problem solver who is able to see the big picture.
- Interest and experience in coordinating logistics for community-based educational and field work in rural Alaska communities.
- Competency in written and oral communications and public speaking.
- Passion for ACAT’s mission and commitment to excellence.
- Excellent interpersonal, communications, and respectful relationship building skills.
- Positive attitude.
- Interest and experience in working with people of diverse cultures, particularly Indigenous communities.
- Excellent computer skills (including Microsoft Office), graphic design, data base
management; and Zoom video teleconferencing systems; and use of office equipment. - Able to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
- Ability to take initiative and work independently, but also work collaboratively with coworkers and partners. Solution oriented—ability to analyze issues and problems, and develop solutions.
- Flexible; willing to adjust work hours and activities to meet program demands.
- Willingness to travel to remote locations by small plane.
Preferred Experience:
- Experience conducting interviews or surveys.
- Bilingual—particularly Yupik language.
- Driver’s license.
ACAT’s staff and governing board are ethnically and culturally diverse with varying lifestyles. The PFG Project Assistant will join a staff of nine in the Anchorage office and four Yupik community health researchers living on Sivuqaq (also known as St. Lawrence Island). The PFG Project Assistant must be committed to and passionate about ACAT’s mission.
We offer a full-time position at our Anchorage office with competitive pay, benefits, and opportunities for professional development. ACAT is an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to employment practices that ensure that applicants for employment are provided with equal opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information or any other factor that is not related to the position.
Benefits include: health insurance; dental insurance; generous paid time off for vacation, holidays and sick leave; parental leave; and professional development opportunities.
Pay range is $20.00 to $22.00 per hour DOE.
This position is in-person and based in Anchorage.
Please submit a cover and resume to [email protected] or call 907-206-4813 with questions.