New York City Housing Authority
Waste Management Recycling Programs – Rolling Internship (Graduate Intern 10209)
The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) is the nation’s largest public housing authority, with an operating budget of $3.3 billion and over 11,000 employees who manage and maintain 311 developments that house over 400,000 residents. NYCHA also operates the country’s largest Section 8 program, which provides rental assistance to over 200,000 additional families.
The Waste Management Department’s primary focus is establishing a sustainable system of waste handling that includes but is not limited to standard operating procedures, technical and logistical support, and general direction and oversight of all waste and recycling related activities to assist all properties within NYCHA.
Title: Recycling Programs Waste Management Graduate Intern (1 position)
Terms
Rolling admissions for this internship with NYCHA Waste Management Department’s Recycling Programs will be for three terms in a year:
- Beginning the end of January after university winter break, until the week before Memorial Day (max 20 hours during the school term).
- Beginning the week after Memorial Day, until the week before Labor Day (max 35 hours during the summer break).
- Beginning the week after Labor Day until the end of January after college winter break (max 20 hours during the school term).
Interns will need to confirm commitment to the following full term by the middle of the previous term.
Applicants may apply on a rolling basis for this position per term, and will be accepted on a rolling basis as positions are filled. All interns will be paid $22/hr.
About the Role
Our team is seeking motivated and experienced graduate students to assist the Waste Management Department with Recycling Programs under the direction of the Senior Project Manager and Program Managers with the following active waste diversion programs:
- Recycle First Initiative: A mindset and operational change initiative that prioritizes recycling in daily waste management operations at developments.
- Mattress Recycling Program: The first program of its kind in New York City, diverting mattresses from landfill to be recycled at a special facility.
- Cardboard Compactor Program: Dedicating underutilized exterior compactors to paper & cardboard collection to divert it from the waste stream.
- Organics Programs: Complying with citywide efforts to divert food and yard waste from the waste stream.
- E-cycling Program: Diverting and recycling acceptable electronics from the waste stream.
- Paintcare Program: Diverting and recycling acceptable paint and paint cans from the waste stream.
The internship involves:
- 50% – Supporting the field-based Program Manager on site visits to ensure program compliance and training.
- 25% – Engaging with development staff NYCHA-wide, including communicating with
supervisory staff via phone call, email, and in person, and attending site visits to assess waste assets and waste operations. - 25% – Providing ad hoc administrative support for the recycling Programs team on all ongoing projects and programs, including:
– tracking program status updates,
– data gathering and entry,
– data analysis,
– report generation,
– creating data visualization diagrams, graphics, and GIS maps to communicate
program and operations progress,
– creating clear and concise signage and training materials,
– creating presentations to communicate with a wide range of stakeholders,
including development staff, management staff, NYCHA residents, other
departments, and senior management.
While assignment to specific projects is at Department discretion and need, intern preference for type of work or subject matter will be taken into consideration.
About You
Interns need to have the ability to liaise with internal and external senior leaders and build positive relationships across all levels of staff. This includes the ability to diagnose problems accurately; evaluate and develop alternative courses of action; recommend and/or implement creative and effective solutions. Previous experience or demonstrated interest in sustainability, housing policy, real estate, architecture, urban planning, New York City, and/or other relevant issues a plus.
Successful interns are organized and adaptable, have excellent communication skills, as well as proven experience in independent project management or coordination and data analysis.
Key Competencies:
Required:
- Experience engaging with stakeholders, particularly in person.
- Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, and the ability to convey complex information in a clear and compelling way.
- Ability to liaise with internal and external senior leaders and build positive relationships across all levels of staff.
- Competency with the full Microsoft Office Suite – Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Outlook, as well as MS Teams and Sharepoint.
- Intermediate to Advanced skills in Excel, with the ability to create formulated spreadsheets and manipulate data for further analysis.
- Ability to prioritize and successfully carry out multiple assignments simultaneously, adapting quickly as projects take new direction.
Highly Desired:
- ArcGIS or QGIS
- Familiarity with Adobe Suite (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop)
- Previous experience with creating communication materials
- A demonstrated interest in sustainability, particularly in relation to zero waste
- A driver’s license
To Apply:
Email your cover letter and resume to michelle.garberoglio@nycha.nyc.gov; cc liza.chiu@nycha.nyc.gov; subject line: “Waste Management Recycling Programs Graduate Intern”. Please include a short writing sample. Interviews will be in a rolling basis until positions are filled.
About the Hiring Process
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability status, or genetic information. Selected candidates will be subject to the City hiring process, which includes a standard drug screening prior to hiring. Selected candidates will undergo two interviews, and final candidates will be notified on a rolling basis as positions are filled.